The weekly North-Carolina standard., 1869-04-28
MIR. steeIe,s Protest.

protest against the amendments TO inc cnaf-
ter of tle Wilmington, Charlotte and Ruth
erford Railroad. We have read the protest !
of this gentleman who, we believe, has not
appeared in the public prints since 1866. If
he has, we have forgotten it, or he appeared
anonymously, as is the custom OF his kind.
But now he comes forth in an {" able and
manly protest. according to the Whining
ton Journal, against the adoption ofthe recent
amendmentsto the charter of thew Wilmington
and Charlotte Railroad, and consequently
against the immediate completion of the
road. Educated under old fogies, he is
nincompoop of the first water -''a sa1 q
He says the amendments take from the
stockholders the entire management of the
road. Well, what of that Did the whole
-nf the private stockholders pay more than
.tise State, or half as much The fact is,the
private stockholders nomfnaily invested and
the State really built so much of the road as
has been finished Now the State comes
forward and, in order to save what it has
already invested, appropriatcs four millions
of dollars more whereupon Walter l..
Steele, Esq, the Secretary OF the secession
Convention of 1861, protests against the
State assuming the management OF road
wherein it owns two-thirds of the real money
invested.
I He saws the road will be turned into po-
litical machine. Whence does he get this
inference? From the paste Wehave reason
to believe that he does. He knows what a
nolitical engine Cowan and the Cowanltes
have made it in times past, and he mourns
to see the sceptre pass from Judea. Yet his
charge is puerile and traitorous. The road
will not be made party machine but
grand and glorious means to encourage 10y
atty throughout the region bordering on
| South Carolina No traitor shall hereafter
handle dollar of the States money to WELD
its influence against the government OF our
fathers If this be party, then We hail the
change with delight.
| Further on Mr.. Steele speaks of hungry
pOlltlcdl lncHuiCdltS All, sii, wiz ID :" i'oio
hungry mendicant than you? Your thirst
for office has been increased by successive
defeats, and your political mendicancy ex-
hibited by your grasping for every office that
came within your reach. Nobody about
Raleigh knows how many times you have
run for Office, or how many times you have
| NJ hnta a
cant could compute it.
/ As to endorsing the ruinous system of
taxation" &C., we refer Mr.. Steele to his
endorsements of Confederate taxation
tithe laws, impressment laws, and every
4 other species of pecuniary oppression. He.
the disciple of Jefferson Davis, is no doubt
willing to repudiate debts honestly created,
while he has proven himself equally willing
2 to burden the people with debt, dishonesty
and traitorously incurred. If the Secretary
of the Secession Convention of 1861 has re-
pented of his past sins and now wishes tc
aid the people he helped to ruin, let him
make full confession. Until that is done
we shall consider him to be the same hypo
critic he was in 1861, the same squandeier o
the public money, the same tool OF would b
E tyrants, the same political mend1cant, ant
the same protester against loyalty and he
publican government.
In conclusion, we will say. that the ma
jority of the private stockholders acted wise
ly in accepting the amendments to thei
charter Whatever may be the politics
those who acquiesced, (all whom, no doub
r were pecuniarily interested0 we extend t
E them the hand of fellowship in extending
and completing the road. We bid them g
forward The right will prevail, and the
: and we confess the wisdom of their actio
s for years to come. But to such men as M
e Steele, we have only to say, sell your nom
n nal stock and leave the road to govern itsel
e 1t can do without you hereafter. 1t woul
u have done better without you heretofore.