The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1868-12-22

It did VIII few roads compensate North
Carolina for the discredit thus fastened on her
through all the mighty future! No Sir.
Neither State nor an individual can live and
prosper without character among men, to say
nothing of that divine Nemesis which always
curses i'll gotten gains. But who knows We shall
get the roads? May not those, who thus delib-
crately cheat the rest of the world, cheat North
Carolina too? May they not pocket these E,ll-
lions and then disappoint us? What security
have we? But these roads are not worth half
the amount we are lending them; and on some of
them the first spade is not yet stuck in the
ground. What are such mortgages worth?
| am friend of Internal Improvements. No
! Senator here is more So / would be delighted
| to see all these roads built 1t is not against
the ,o1ds | speak, but against contracting debts
we can never pay. Not against the roads! Not
against the roads! Let this never be forgotten.
| long to see the Iron Horse with his burden of
rich freights carcering along by the fertile shores
! of the Albemarle and far away among the peaks
where the stiffness is now unbroken save by the
musical voice Of that grand daughter ofthe noun
tains--the laughing Swannanoa. But these
| pleasing visions must not be suffered to cast
| glamour over our eyes to blind us to right and
wrong. Even Railroads are too dear when they
| cost us dshOnor.
measures, by bankrupting the State, will indef
nitey postpone the effective establishment of our
system OF schools. If friend of Railroads.
| | am still more friend OF Schools live NE
well educated people, and viii build your Rail-
roads found your manufactures, build up your
mechanic and agricultural industry, and quickly
make your State rich and powerful. In the
name Of three hundred thousand children, of
both races, now crying for knowledge in North
Carolina, | protest against this expanding in
reckless speculation the means by which they
ought to be educated If you will thus waste
their resources and doom them to ignorance,
call upon the white man in his cottage and the
black man in his cabin to raise their united voice
to rebuke those who thus neglect the best of
causes and condemn this generation of children
now growing up to grope their way through this
world in mental darkness. | ask the attention
of the colored members Of this Legislature to
this sin which is about to be perpetrated particu
lazly against their own race. Will they wink at
it or will they endorse it with Meir votes
ErcJy man, whether he admits it or not, who
votes for these cXtrava@ant measures now, is
really an enemy to schools. Let the people make
note Of him.
Now. Mr. President, I have about gone over
the points | wished to touch. | am deeply sen
sible OF the responsibility under which l have
spoken. But | know that the truth of my words
is, and will be. felt i'll every mans secret soul.
Ny objects has been, and-wiIl yet be, to pre-
serve the credit Of North Carolina, if possible by
preventing this proposed increase of our debt,
| which would make it still more. unmanageable
than it now is and by reason of the taxation
feature in each one Of these bills, would GER
tanly tax our people at once to beggary. | have
endcavorcd to expose the CHASTITY features of the
sWndling plot, contrived by the prime movers
who manage this RdIroad Ri"g | do not
charge dishonesty on every man who may have
voted with it heretofore. [ think it likely that
some good men have been sce7,tcc1 into doing So
/ They ianccd they heard the whistle of the loco
motive in the vicinity of their homes and the
pleasing sound has lGled their jud gment to sleep
| But after the clear exhibition which has now
! been given ofthc unsound basis on which these
/ projects stand and the secret plot entered into
| by IA few men to perpetrate deliberate swinde,
whoever shall still adhere to this scheme and
sustain this Ring, I shall, myself. use no hard
words about them here but ! fear the world will
call them all Sui"dlrrs.
So far as may be in my power, mean to pre-
vent the consunlnation Of the plot which | have
mentioned. Go ahead, We men Of the Rmy
and vote me down amid laughter and jeer$
This is your day oftriumph, but mine is at hand.
The bond buyers of the world are listening to
this voice. day, and they will heed it, though
You do not. | tell Item to give youa wide
berth, and they will. These new Wa Dat
Bonds Of yours, if t,Hy are issued, will not
bring one dollar in the thousand; and hope this
fact will prevent their ISSUE and save us from
this increase Of debt. You are setting trap
! t'r the bond-5uye.s; | warn them of it, and they
will see it. In vain is the net spread iii the
sight Of any bird"
! am aware Of the cnslau@hs which will be
made upon me by corrupt men, on account Of
! the course have taken in this matter. Disap-
| pointed in their schemes of plumber they will
| turn on me. | am prepared for all this; | have
counted the cost; | bid them defiance. | be-
heve in the honesty and Integrity of the masses
Of the people of North Carolina To their judg-
ment / submit this matter. Let them decide the
| issue which make to-day with this Ring |
know the constituency which ] represent here
we'll enough to feel sure that for every word Of
invective m;y launch against dishonesty they
will give me two words of thanks. Brave and
honest themselves, they expect me to be fear
less and an honest representative. This shall
ever be my aim. Their approval will be my
/ sufficient reward.
A MARRIAGE WITNESS CALLED TO TESTIFY
/ FORTY YEARS AFTER MARRIAGE-A gentleman
named Shirley Ci;pl n~Ssassad ,,f l,rrn oS+,to -;