Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1855-07-18
MR.. SHEPARD-INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS


Perceiving that Mr.. Shepard's course in the pres
ent campaign, in relation to internal improvements,
is likely seriously to njure him, the Raleigh Regis
ter attempts apology for him, and seeks to place
on Mr. Branch the responsibility of having intro
duced the subject into the discussions. That paper
of the 18th contains an article on the subject head
ed 6 the beginning of the end, which is one tissue
of misrepresentation and falsehood. We quote the
material portion of it, as follows:
awe understand that efforts have been made,
riratey, to njure Mr. Shepard, by seeking to create
the impression that he has gone out of his way to
lug the question of Internal Improvement into the
present canvass, and to mix it up more with
party contentious. Directly the rererse Of this IS
the tact. Mr.. Branch, himself first introduced the
topic, in Granville, strong lnterna! Improvement
county, and sought to make capital by vaunting
himself virtually, if not in so many words as par
excellence the Internal Improvement candidate.-
Mr. Shepard declared, when he opened the cam
paign in Raleigh that the question of Internal I'M
provement was no longer debatable one-that
both parties had rallied to its support,-that the
Democrats in the last Legislature had gone far as
the Wings ever went in sustaining it,-and that it
was folly in any man to oppose it; yet Mr. Branch
is the man who is still disposed to bring it into the
political arena, and Mr. Branchs understrappers
the fellows who are seeking to make Mr.. Shepard
| responsible for the formers sins In Nash, where
| Internal Improvement is unpopular Mr.. B. was not
anxious to aude to the subject although his atten-
ton was directed to it by Mr. S., who was very pro-
perly unwilling that he should ride both sides of the
sapng, the locality circumstances required"
Now, let US see what the facts really are: At
Laws, in Wake, Mr.. Shepard spoke of the heavy
taxbll passed by the last Democratic Legislature,
and said it now more than desirable to dis
tribute the public lands, in order to "reieve the
people" of the heavy tax. Mr.. Branch replied that
! he Nr cboul fhroyv
the odum of the high tax the Democratic party; ;
that the last Legislature did not contract the debt
that the only question presented to that body was,
shall repudiate debts honestly contracted by for
mer Legislatures, or shall we lay tax to pay them
that of all parties stood up for the honor of the
. State and voted for the bill that the law was no
doubt imperfect for it difficult to frame per-
feet revenue system; but the intent good-t
was voted for by of both parties, and the peo-
pie would maintain the credit of the State if took
the last dime At Brassfeld's Mr. Shepard referred
to the matter again-censured the Democratic Leg
slature, at Laws, and said the State taxes had
been increased from 600 in 1s4s, to more than
$50O,00O At Oxford he spoke on the subject as at
Brassfelds'. Mr.. Branch expressed his regret that
his competitor had deemed it necessary to introduce
the subject into the canvass, with which it had no
connection that it was well known the States debt
was contracted for internal improvements for which
gentlemen of all parties had voted, and on which all
parties were now happily united; that this Con-
gressona District had received its full share from
the expenditures for improvements, and certainly
had no right to complain; and that he hoped his
competitor would drop the subject, as his course,
persisted in would inevitably result in injury to the
cause of internal improvements At Grove Hill,
Warren, Mr. S. spoke again of the tax bill passed by
the Democratic Legislature and said there was one
subject on which Judge Saunders Holden, and all
the Democrats about Raleigh, ercept himself, had
abandoned the old Democratic doctrine. Mr.. Branch
asked him to what he alluded He replied he did
not like to mention ut, he did not aoish to intro
duce 1t into the canUass! No doubt every inteli-
gent person in the audience understood to what he
alluded. Mr. Branch made reply. At Warren.
ton he again referred to the tax-bi passed by a
Democratic Legislature, and added that the last
Democratic Legislature had gone further in works Of
internal improvement than any preceding one. AT
Cedar Rock and Harrison's Old Store-two of the
strongest ant-nternal improvement precincts in the
District-Mr. Shepard told the people that he s0as
and alaoays had BEEN opposed to oaoorks Of internal
Improvement IN aohicA the State aoas concerned-
while his competitor, Mr. Branch, had always been
and was probably still an internal improvement
man; that he Mr.. S., had stood by the radical
Democracy" of Franklin when every other promi
nent Democrat about Raleigh was going for Rail
roads that the State had lost, he could prove,
one million of dollars by the Raleigh and Castor
Railroad; and that he had opposed every internal
| &c ATr