Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-07-06
Mr.. Smith..-the State Debt.


is endeavoring to produce the impression that the
Democrats are solely responsible for the existing
State debt and have already shown that this as
sumption on the part of Mr. Smith is not only I'M
founded, but that Mr.. Smith and his party friends
are quite as much responsible for this debt as the
Democrats are. We dislike to discuss matter of
this sort but the of Mr. Smith has forced it
upon u.s. He not only misstates the amount of the
public debt, but, for the purpose of getting vote
or two here and there, he charges that the Demo-
Gratis are responsible for heavy debt and high tax
es. We feel it to be our duty to meet Mr.. Smiths
extraordinary and unfair course oith the facts and
the facts will show that his party is not only as
much, but more responsible for high taxes than the
Democrats are. 1t is true, with one or two honora-
BILE exceptions Mr. Smith and his party in the last
Assembly voted against the revenue BILL and conse-
quently against paying the debts which they had
contracted; but the fact that they as body
prepared to the risk of reputation, did not
leve the majority of the Legislature from the obi
cation of making provision to meet the public en-
gagements These facts may occasion surprise
among those who have been in the habit of regard
ing Mr. Smith as high minded, conservative states
man but we assure readers that our statements
are true, as the records will show.
The first appropriations of Importance after the
appropriation for the Central Railroad in 1S4S were
those for the Western Extension and the Whining
ton and Rutherford Road We give below the votes
in the two Houses on the Western Extension appro-
priation.
The bill to incorporate the Western North-Caroli-
ma Railroad Company, which bound the State for
| four millions of dollars passed the Senate on the
second reading by the following vote:
Yeas-Messrs Boyd, Cherry, Christian, Coleman,
| Cunningham, Darts, Fason, Fennell, Fisher Fon-
vile, Freeman Gilmer, Graham, Graves, Haugh-
| ton, Herring, Hoke, Jones, Lane Mcdowell, Mills,
| Mitchell, Oldfeld Rayner, Speight, Tayloe, Thomas
of D., Thomas of j., Walker, Wilder Virgins, Wins
| lOw of Pasquotank, and Wood-33.
| Nays-Messrs. Biggs, Bower Rrogdcn, Clark,
Collins, Drake, Eaton, Eborn, Ne Cleese Martini Per-
son, Sanders, Taylor, and WiUty-l4.
See Senate Journal page 176, for 1915 The
Senate consisted of thirty -one Democrats and nine
teen Wings. We have given in all these votes the
names of Democrats in the ordinary Roman lettef,
and the names of Wings in Italics Of the nine
teen Wings in the Senate fourteen voted for the BILL
and three against it. Of the thirtyone Democrats,
nineteen voted for it, and eleven against it. So it
will be seen that, in proportion to numbers, the
| Whigs-Mr. Smiths party-contributed more to
the passage of the bill than the Democrats did Let
us now look at the Commons vote The same bill
passed the House of Commons by the following
vote:
Yeas-Messrs. Amis, Ba,ringer, Barter, Black,
Boyle, Bryson, j. G. Bynuan, 4. II. CaldweU d. T.
| Iu1J ,rpU lnr bUI,
Cook, Dunn, Flynt, Garland, GorreW g. Green,
NJ. Green Grist j. II. Headen, Hill, Holland Hor.
ton, Houston, Humphrey, Jarvis, Johnson Jones'
jordan, II. Leach. Love, McDufhe, Mrhlsson, Nc
MILAN, Weares Webane, lNordecaj, Myers, s. j.
Neal. Norment, Oglesby, PARKS Patterson, Patton
Phillips, Rand, Regain. Roland Rose, RUSSELL
Sharpe, Shepherd, Sheriff., Shipp Simmons, Steele
White, N. B. Whitfield, wilkins, B. F. Williams
T. II. Williams, Wright and Yancey-7O.
Nays-Messrs Badham, A. Barnes, j. Barnes
Blow, Bryant, Bullock, j. B. Bynum, Gotten, era
cen, Dnniel, Daughtry, Dortch Eure, Gentry. Gil
liam, Harrison, Jenkins Long, Ham, Martin J. W
Neal, Outlam, Selby Settle, Shaw Singeltary
Smallwood, Smith, Stubs, ThornJury, Watts, L
S. A. Williams, and Winston-3S.
The House consisted of sixty-eight Democrats ant
ffty-two Wings. Of these ffty-two Wings thirty
eight voted for the bill, and eleven against it. Q
the sixty -eight Democrats thirtytwo voted for tn
BILL and twenty-six against it. See House Journal
page 37e, 1875. Three-fourths of the Wing
voted for the BILL counting the whole Wing force il
the House; while not one-half of the Democrats vo
ted for it counting their full strength in the House
Only about one-ffth of the Wings voted against il
while one-third of the Democrats recorded thei
~, AL NJ, G,>;t1
would throw the whole responsibility on the Demo
e cratic party! We do not complain of this appropr
d ation for we were for the Western Extension then
: as are now but we have right in selfdefence
. and in defence of Dr. Shaw who with his friends
held responsible for this and other appropriations
to state the facts and show rhO is responsible.
Mr.. Smith regrets the passage of that BILL invol,
ing as it does an appropriation of four millions
" dollars, lethim inform the people who it was tina
contributed so much to pass it, and not attempt t
evade responsibility by charging the amount apprc
o priated and the present high taxes on the Demo
u cratic party. 1t was bad enough in him to vot
u against the revenue bill with the view of maxim
party capital out of his vote but it is worse to den
the record and attempt to hold others responsible
for what his own party did, and of which he wa
y never heard to complain until recently. If he wan
few votes, let him seek them in better way an
/ on more honest grounds.
We will give other votes of similar character
/ future numbers, showing that Mr.. Smiths party
at least as much responsible for the State debt an
high taxes as the Democrats are.
= Read and Circulate!
e We copy the following from the Raleigh Registt
|