Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-11-17
THE WILMINGTON JOURNAL.
wILM1NGToN, N. c., FRIDAY. NOV. II. 1854.
The presldeney of the w. & R. Rail Road.

The presidency of the R. Rail Road.
The recent election of President of the Whining
ton and Raleigh Railroad Company, having been made
the subject of newspaper remark, and incidentally OF
attack upon the State proxy and the Directory OF the
Wilmington and Manchester Railroad Company, we
nronosa 70 take some notice of the remarks made, |
avoiding as far as possible in pursuance of the prin-
chile we have adopted for guidance, every express
sion calculated to increase, keep alive, any I'M
pleasant feelings in the community
The Herald's article of Saturday last, commences
by disavowing any feeling of personal hostility to
Mr.. Ashe. As it says, say We" so much Tor so
much" 1t then, in the next paragraph, and several
succeeding Ones goes into long recapltulanon OF |
the sereoyped electioneerng talk about the relative
position of parties in relation to internal improvements
in this State, amounting pretty much to rehash OF
the editorials OF that paper pending any election LOT
Governor since its establishment, but totally lrrele-
want to the present issue, unless its object be, as it
evidently is less the discussion of the presidency OF
the Road and the incidents connected with the cleo
ton of the officer to occupy that position than an at
tempt to turn the whole affair into party channel
and make political capital out of the management OF
railroad corporation
little exercise OF memory, stretching back some
eight years. would be sufficient to show with how lit
tie propriety these longwinded datrbes can be en-
ployed in the case of Mr.. Ashe. In 1916 MIR. Ashe
was urged to be candidate for the Legislature from
this County, and much of this urging proceeded from
individuals deeply interested in the road, and OF the
opposite political party. In the Legislature OF 4o-'
the question of foreclosure of the States mortgage
on the road was agtated in the Legislature and his
best exertons were successfully given 10 prevent this
disastrous consummation. Again, in the Legislature
of 1882 at which time it felt that the resuss
tation of the Road from it's terrible depression, could
only be accomplished by having it re-laid with I
iron, and when the Company was totally without
means to do this application was made-lst Tor an
endorsement by the State, of new bonds of the Com
pany for the purchase of iron, and 2nd, as the
Legislature would not listen to that applca'
ton that the existing mortgage OF the State
should be raised, to give to the new mortgage a
priority, without which the bonds could not nave
been negotiated The history of the hmes-the re-
cords of the Legislature-the memory of members OF
the Legislature and Of others in attendance there Will
supply an abundance of facts going to show now
mainly instrumental the influence and the untlrlng ex-
ertions of Mr.. Ashe and his Democratic colleagues
from this county were in obtaining the object sought
for which has resulted in the present prosperity OF
the road, which had then never paid a cent OF dVl
dend. and the stock of which had a value merely
nominal, having been sold as low as five dollars
share nay, we have heard of case where 1t was
said to have been sold for two dollars The bonds
were negotia ted iron obained-but to get this
iron, duties had to be paid, and the funds not
on hand to pay the duties could bonds have been
negotiated for the purpose of obtaining these funds
without submitting to most ruinous sacrifice if then.
Mr.. Ashe in Congress, got bill through allowing
an extension of time on the payment Of these duties,
and it is noticeable fact that similar extension has
been granted to any other road, the Wilmington
and Manchester obtained under the immediate aus
pces of MIR. Ashe and Gen Mcqueen, the Represen-
tatve of the district in South Carolina through which
that road runs How far let us ask does the Herads
long yarn about hostility to Railroads generally, OF
this one particular, apply to Mr.. Ashe Again, we
say, quoting from the Herald, $50 much for so much
But the Herald mounts high horse-a very high
horse indeel-and demands of Mr. Kenan how dGTt
he vote for Mr.. Ashe-how dare he exercise the pow
entrusted to him, the proxy Of the State IN the
which his sense of right dictated to hin
how dare he vote for the gentleman who stood high
est on the poll before his vote cast. Perhaps
Mr. Kenan did not know the whole weight and bitter
ness of the walls of wrath to be poured upon him
else he might have stood in a more becoming awe o
the denunciations of the Herald; say Perhaps Blu
we are inclined to think that Mr.. Kenan believed
Ashe had claims to the Office, and that he would real
ly make good President-that he thought he wa
conScientousy disCharging trust reposed i'll hin
in manner best calculated to subserVe the interest
Of the State and of the public. He believed, as W
have reason to suppose the Board of Internal Improve
does, that politics ought not to be brought int
rail reads, and that rather excluding them tina
bringing them in, to allow of the election of on
Democratic President of the read-the first in it
whole history. The State is bound to treat with re
spect the views of Individuals but it is not bound
simply ratfy every movement made, without exercl
sing any judgment of lis own. If the State proxy
to be automaton, we see nc earthly in til
State having any proxy at all. The language of tn
Herald requires no comment. Mr.. Kenan would
feel pretty certain, dare do the thing doze
times over, if necessary to what he might conside
the proper discharge of his duty He is precisely tn
to do So and if he did otherwise would be total
Iy unfit for any position.
But why should an attack be made on the Man
chester Road Are there not in the Directory of tina
Road gentlemen, residents of Wilmington yea, Wi
mlngon shareholders, who have as much at heart tn
interests of the old road, with which their own is cor
nected, as any men In Wilmington; men who could NJ
have been influenced by party considerations, for th
North Carolina Directors in that work are all, wit
one exception, Wings. Yet it is said that the vol
in the Board of Directors was all but unanimous fc
Mr.. Ashe. Nor need this action excite so muc
surprise That comOanv 1oAs not totally fornot u