Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-08-06
/" PrORresS."

There is nothing which shows the ten
dencv of the times to trample law and
order under foot and to use power, even
withiviolence, to accomplish ends, more
than the official announcement made yes
terday by President Smith, of the North
Carolina Railroad, in the meeting of Stock
holders of the Wilmington, Charlotte and
Rutherford Railroad, of which he is
a Director by appointment of the
Governor, that the State Directors wOnld
meet in the afternoon at Masonic Hall to
elect officers Of the Road. The important
question was pending before tire Stock
holders as to the legality Of the appoint
ments by the Governor. Able and dis
tinguished attorneys had been listened to
| in behalf of both parties. Eminent law
yers and debaters from the body of Stock
holders had discussed and were discussing
the question. 1t was a matter Of great
moment and embraced a nice point of law.
A mistake would be fatal to the present
interest of the Road and damaging to the
already impaired credit of the State.
In this crisis of affairs, when the calm
and unbiased judgments of the Stock
holders of the Company were demanded
to decide in behalf Of the welfare of this
Road, when passion should have been
carefully avoided. when law and order
most scrupulously and jealousy upheld,
when personal preferences and party
plumber should, for the moment at least,
have been strangled, Mr.. Smith announced
that the representatives of the Governor
intended to meet at some other place
during the afternoon to elect the officers Of
The Road.
This was not the proclamation of 4 pri-
Yate individual It was not Bill Smith,
the " hail fellow, we'll met" Of the Johns
ton county court yard, but Mr.. Smith,
President of the North Carolina Railroad,
and one of the Directors appointed by the
Governor in another great State work. It
was one of the representatives of North
Carolina, chosen by the Chief Executive
of the State, on account of his special fit
ness, to take care of the important inter
ests of her people in these great works OF
internal improvement, on account of his
character as citizen no less than as an in
dividual, who thus announced his inten-
ton, and that of his associates, to disre-
gard the decision of the Stockholders, and
in violation of order, if not of law, to take
the matter Of debate in their own hands
and elect the officers in spite Of the action of
the Stockholders.
What a spectacle What an example for
an important official, and the trusted and
honored friend and representative of the
Governor, to set the law-abiding citizens
who compose the Stockholders of the Will
mington, Charlotte and Rutherford Rail-
road To give the Offices to party friends
to secure the plumber for party mendicants,
an illegal and violent organization of the
Company is threatened, nay, is officially
announced as about to be contaminated.
The credit of the road was to be entirely
sacrificed, and the Bonds Of the State to be
issued in behalf of the road were to be
strangled in their birth.
This was indeed sad but impressive
picture Of the progress of the day-a pro
gress backwards and downwards, which is
fast dragging the honor and credit of the
State of North Carolina into disgrace.
In strong contrast with this conduct was
the subsequent recognition by the Stock
holders of the appointees of the Governor
as the legal Directors on the part of the
State. Adverse to their feelings and inter
ests and goaded 10y this threat, they dared
to do what they believed to be for the
good OF the road and what they thought
was right. 1t was a triumph of order, of
law, of principle, over spirit of disorder,
of Illegally, of feeling and of policy. It
was in keeping with the character of the
good people of North Carolina, who will
always do what is right if they know it,
regardless of their own wishes and in
terestS