Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-09-24
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE E.
COrrupttons of the state GOvernment-Ts'e
SentfneI-Text RoOks for the Public
schools Chatham Railroad Ronds-Stats
BOnds--Revenue &c, &c
RALEIGH, Sept. 14th, 1869.

/ had supposed that Raleigh. during the
recess of the Legislature and the Supreme
Court, for it ia to be regretted that Thu
august tribunal has surrounded itself witt
the ugly suspicious which environ the
other departments of the State govern
ment, would be something like Raleigh O.
old, and one could enjoy the company O.
pleasant friends without being harassec
by the recital and renewal of the villainies
of the past winter. But find corruption'
as rife now as at any previous time in the
history OF the present corrupt adminlstra
ton. In contemplating these which have
already been exposed and those which day
after day are coming to the anrface, 1 won
der when North Carolina will get rid o.
the disgrace which they bring upon her. Oh
her people get done paying the expen
sea which they entail. Men to-day are oc
cupying high places in our State govern
ment and in charge of important State
works, and manipulating State bonds
whose crimes, if proper punishments were
melted ont to them, shonld be engaged in
erecting the stockade around the peniton
tiary grounds now in course of construc
ton near this city, marking the confines
of their future homes.
The people of North Carolina have rea-
son to congratulate themselves that they
have so watehful and bold Sentinel upon
the watchtower under the direction of such
O fearless commander as that over which
Mr.. TURNER presides. Nothing escapes
his notice, and he never hesitates to do his
duty without regard to persons. He has
brought to light lately several new rascal
ties by which the people of the State are
being defrauded out OF thousands and
hundreds of thousands of dollars. When
or where these villainies will end no one
can tell. Our people, by criminal apa-
thy and serseless fear, permitted these
men to curse their State by their official
existence and now we are paying dearly
for our folly.
| Among tho moro recent developments
by which the people are to be defrauded
out of hundreds of thousands OF dollars If
| in regard to the selection of Text Books for
tho Public Schools, as furnished by the
official report of tho Board of Education
and the editorials of the Sentinel and the
letter Of the Rev. G. @. Conner, worthy
Baptist Divine Of Atlanta, Georgia, who is
the agent of that leading publishing house,
| ID. Appleton < Co., OF New York. Mr.
| Connor demonstrated to admission that
the series of Arithmetics (Quackenbos')
were superior to Davies, which were adop-
ted, anu although he offered them at TWEEN
ty-two cents cheaper per set, and in case
of adoption, the publishers obligated
themselves to supply the books for one
gear free at charge, yet the others are Sc
lected. 1t is estimated that one hundred
Thousand copies of these sets will be need
ed, which foots up the snug sum of taOenty
tapO thousand dollars that the parents and
guardians of North Carolina must contrib
ute to A. S. Barnes Go. for the privilege
of purchasing his inferior books for their
children and wards. The same is true in
regard to the series of Biographies
Why is this ? Why are our people to be
taxed to enrich Barnes & Co., and deprive
themselves of the handsome donation
which rival house proposed to confer :?
Why did Superintendent Ashley, that Rad
ical paragon Of piety, learning and refine
ment, lis he really a mnlatto p become the
warm advocate, if not the agent. of Barnes
& Co Did, or did not Mr.. Ashley receive
pecuniary benefit by the transaction ?
The adoption of the national series of
Readers, even at greater cost than such
standard works as McGuffey's were offered
at, can be easily and under the circum-
stances satisfactorily explained in the fact
that they have heretofore been used almost
Exclusively an the negro schools Ashley will
be satisfied if he can educate the white
children of the State up to his estimate Of
the negro standard.
This transaction will be further consid-
cred in these columns.
The second exposure is in regard to the
Chatham Railroad Bonds. 1t will be re-
membered that by the efforts of The jour
NAL, in which this paper had the efficient
cooperation OF the Chamber of Commerce
of our city, these Bonds were thrown out
of the Stock Board Of New York, and we're
subsequently, pronounced unconstitutional
by the Supreme Court, and the Treasurer
prohibited from issuing them. 1t now ap-
pears that they were sold in New York,
and learn that aome of the coupons have
been presented for payment. The Treas
urer, in q letter to the Sentinel, which will
be published tomorrow, attempts to re-
concile this matter by alleging that the
Bonds had been issued before the case was
brought before the Courts. What Won
derful haste. The act was attacked by
your paper Immediately upon its passage
as unconstitutional Your position was
sustained by the action of the Chamber of
Commerce. The legal opinion of Mr.. B.
f. MOORE, sustaining both, was published
very shortly afterwards in the JOURNAL.
Yet in tro months after the passage of the
act, the plates for the Bonds were prepar-
ed. The Bonds and Coupons had to be