Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1853-09-17
IMPROVEMENTS ~ FaF 81 !, arr

IMPROVEMENTS BY THE STATE
Has North Carolina acted wisely in inyest;no
ital IN schemes Of internal improYementsP zap
Should she invest any more capital in sm,..
These are important questions, and questions,b:
interest every citizen of the State If the first
wered negatively, the latter must be ans,veroS ans
Ike manner but we choose the affirmative of LIT
and viii defend our choice to the best of our sSSt
ty. "Oll'
We know that there are many persons onno,
all internal improvements by the State; and t6attS
persons are honest in their opposition there a-
no doubt for they have no motive to disbonaa.Ooe
And the very fact oftheir being honest in tbuSty
ions leads us to hope for change of sentioU Opa
them; for they can be convinced that tho1 ' n
error, and that the State is and viii be beneSaGe
internal improvements, they win renounce tbo;u
ror and embrace the right 1t is neither onr ne er.
policy, then, to fall out with them fp
tanning the opinions they do; but it is orr d;e
reason with them and convince them if we ossn
The main ground of their opposition is tho u
State will be plunged in debt and the taTeS ~ le
people increased to pay that debt The examine u IL
several States that embarked in wild and ao Of
schemes of internal improvements. and ; 6oSnuG
themselves in heavy debts-so heavy thot s -l'O'ed
even forced to Reputation us held nm 90 were
to warn us against their fate And we sro lsor
that this example should be held nm bfoo Wiling
terror to stay the progress of internal r.t
ments but as a guide by which we NAV nndet
warning by which may avoid tbe rooiI plonI.a
other States split by squaring our mproveo mtcn
our means. nS 70
ago. and what is still the condition of Ior lew years
of it? Is it necessary for us to tell vho+1 pUluOn
lie undeyeloped and useless in our bordarc9 o:I
ly in our Western counties? We have IsndS
bic OF producing the most luxuiant crops and which
would be made to produce them iftbore ~ 60 ten
tive to stimulate people to If Rnt t a e iO
market, hemmed in and mountan-locled IT, U ;aOn
motive for producing than is renn;rod G. L NJ
consumption. The consequence is that fboco LII
are comparatively valuelesS, and being taxed accord
ing to their value, they yield but little ravIo ~
the State and the land owners find If NOW d;fsIt
to pay this small tax than they would to nav fra
times the amount if they had market for all the chr,
plus produce they would raise.
The Central Railroad from Goldsboro to Charlotte
passes through highly productive section, and so
far, we'll But we mnst not stop at this; we must
extend this road East to Beaufort, connecting with
the ocean and West to some point to connect with
the Tennessee or Georgia railroads. This will form
backbone as it were, through the centre of the
State-a basis for plankroads branches ofralroad
ramifyng into every portion of the State and afford
ing to all people cheap and rapid facilities for
carrying their produce to market By this means
they will obtain many of the necessaries and luxu-
ries of life especially groceries, the prices of which
greatly enhanced by the present mode of trans
portation at much cheaper rates than they now can
The saving in the cost of the article of salt alone
will more than make up for the increase of taxation
to pay for the road to say nothing OF the many ad
vantages of a market for surplus produce.
The present debt ofthe State is, we believe about
four millions of dollars, ga, 000,000) Suppose it
increased to eight or even ten Millions we not
the resources to pay it |? We should consider, too
that this is not debt like that incurred by war
war debt must be paid every cent of it. out ofthe
pockets of the people, and there is no return, no
equivalent But railroad debt is one which will pay
itself Our bonds have 80 years to rum and if the
road, when completed, can clear 10 per cent. it will
not only pay its interest but sink the debt itself
in little over 16 years. When that debt is paid the
road will then yield a revenue to the State which
will decrease to that extent the taxes of the people
Other roads are profitable yielding from to 20 per
cent, and why should not ours prove profitable also?
We believe though are not certain that such is
the case, that the State works in New York yield
revenue enough to defray the State expenses.
But another important object will be attained; the
tide of emigration from our State will be stopped
We now seldom family emigrating from the
Eastern part of State where they have railroads
Old Edgecombe, few years ago, annually sent off
scores of her citizens; but informed that not
a single family has emigrated from that county for
the last three years Her citizens find more induce
ments to remain and improve their lands, than to
seek better elsewhere. Population is what we need
1t is mistaken notion to suppose that our popula-
ton will become too dense if emigration is stopped
With proper improvements and facilities we should
be more prosperous with ten or twenty times our
present population variety of industrial pursuits
now unknown amongst US, WOuIQ De called into re-
QUESTION and all these pursuits so linked togeh
as to be dependent upon each other-each an ad-
vantage to some extent ito all the others, all would
be benefited by the mutual aid and dependence. Ag-
riculture would receive new impetus manuactC-
ries of every description would spring up in our midst
Intelligence would be more widely diffused and
we should soon present aspect of thrift and pro-
gress contrasting strangely with past inactivity
But we have extended this article to a sufficient
length. We shall recur to the subject again-and
keep recurring to it. We look upon it as the means
of the States salvation; and as who loves and
honors his native State and who desires to see her
cleared from the reproach hich has-alasl tOOjust
ly,-been cast upon her. we shall do all that we can
to benefit and to elevate her Salisbury Banner
A SENSIBLE ADDRESS. The candidates for COVER
nor of Georgia have come to wise conclusion upon
the question of temperance. They think that TINS
great moral reform is more likely to be injured than
benefited by being connected with the political con-
tests of the day. Such is our decided opinion But
read their joint address. We take it from the Con
stitutionalist of Augusta =
To THE PUBLIC The undersigned having beenre-
Gently called upon, whilst engaged in public dis
cusson, to define positions relative to the tenn
perance question: now exciting some interest IN the
State of Georgia and there being no material differ
in the responses made by us severaDy, for In0
purpose of avoiding all understanding of what we
said well for the information fothers, presen'
the following statement of answers on the oceS
sion referred to:
We are friends of the temperance reform, and bl
all enlisted in it God speed in every legitimate enOl
to advance it We think the cause is more likely 70
be injured than benefited by being connected WIN
the contests of the day. The State Temperance COZ
yention having been in session since the gubernaU
rial nominations were made, and having adJourllsu