Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-12-03
The Legislature and State Credit.

Lie puDllCailOn Oh tu0 pIOCe0uAAEo y
= the Legislature may seem to some as
o useless and extravagant waste of space
f Too many are apt to regard their perusa
, as an uninteresting and worthless con
sumption of time. But there is no either
of the State, however humble and poor
, who has not a vital interest in them
, Every tax payer, especially, should make
himself thoroughly acquainted with what
is being done for his relief or oppression
,, Every North Carolinian ought to know
what is being done for the honor or hui
initiation of his State. Every voter should
investigate in what manner his represen-
tative is performing his trust.
! We do not believe that any one has read
the proceedings of the Legislature, yet in
the second week Of the session, without
modification and alarm. No one can shut
his eyes to the fact that every interest of
the State is to be sacrificed to meet the
demands Of party. The people had right
to suppose that the credit of the State was
question Of such paramount, such vital
Importance, that every personal and polit-
ical interest must be made to yield to it.
Certainly the continued success of the
dominant party, and the States interest in
her works Of internal improvement. if not
the solvency of her citizens, are involved
in maintaining the credit Of the State.
Every sensible man knows that some
thing more than the amount Of orr indebt-
| edness and our inability to pay the matur-
ing interest upon our old debt forces North
Carolina bonds down to the bottom Of the
list. There is a terrible meaning il the
fact that our Especial tag" bonds only
bring thirty-five cents on the dollar, and
every day shows decline. This does not
indicate the true value Of the credit Of the
State. God forbid that North Carolina
credit should be judged by this standard.
There is want Of confidence in the lie
gality OF these bonds. There is want of
confidence in the men who have the control
! of them. There is q want Of confidence il
the honesty and incorruptibility of our
| Courts, of our Executive. There is
want of confidence in everything done by
our State government.
! Conscious CT the true condition of af-
fairs, patriotic men, Senators in the Gen
eral Assembly, Democrats and Republic
cans, took immediate steps 10 remedy the
crying evils. Fraud and corruption had
: done its damning work, and its authors,
promoters and agents, were basking in the
false sunshine Of their successful crimes.
Spectators and thieves, in and out of the
Legislature, were enjoying the fruits of
their criminal labors. The honor and
credit of the State cried aloud for relief
and protection. The remedy was manifest
looking to the investigation of corruption
in the disposal of the bonds issued in favor
of the Western North Carolina Railroad
were introduced and persistently pressed
upon the Senate. Party ours, white and
black. fed and unfed, some of them reeking
in the eorruptions charged, were bounded
on by the "Ring Masters" The Governor
and his corrupt agent, Littlefeld, took pc
sition in the lobby, as if AFRAID Of tie pro-
posed Investigation, and whipped in their
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. tIACAItS3 c4NA AII1CIA
one and ell Of the propositions. Senator
Lassiter, q man once respected and hon
ored, and who should now be above serv-
ing as the tool Of such men, came to the
relief of the thieves by proposing and
having passed a resolution delaying all in
vestigations until such time that the State
will neither have Il bond to dispose of, nor
The credit to issue one. We refer to the
published proceedings elsewhere.
Where, We ask, is the remedy? Does
Governor Holden and his Legislature de-
sire to force the people into repudiation
II Governor Holden be honest, and be
not directly interested IN the corruptions
which are destroying the credit Of the
State, why does he make Lit5letield TIE
President of the Western North Carolina
Railroad. and place in his hands millions
Of dollars Of the bonds of the State, when
it is said, upon apparently good authority,
that this man has used three millions of
dollars of these bonds III his corrupt Flori-
ia transactions ? Why stands he in the
lobbg of the Senate in acknowledged CO.
operation and confidence with this more
than suspected man, using his influence
to defeat investigation into alleged cor
ruptions? Why is he officially and social
~ associated with such men? Can it be
possible that tho rumors, nay the open
assertions upon the lips of everybody, that
the Governor and the Supreme Court are
in the pay of these men be true? We trust
not But the common belief is doing its
work The confidence of the people in
their Courts and in their Executive is gone
They begin to look with suspicion upon
those in whom confidence is the main
spring Of the government itself, and with
out which it becomes a mockery.
There must be change. Investigations
must be permitted and honestly forwarded.
Criminals must be exposed and punished.
Party discipline and party success cannot
ard must not stand in the way of the
general welfare. Official and unofficial
thieves must not longer trihe with the