Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-11-11
Colonel ROBERT E. WITHERs.
The State E1cbt.

L
000, coo. OF this SIT 0000 C0 is an old debt be-
queAthed by DEMOCRATIC administra tiona. This
with Gccumu!atinG interest, would be somewha at
more than II alt the entire debt. Tn remainder.
wisely uDTisely, has been incurred ostens1bly
| for public improvements. We say ostenslbiy as
q concession to those who claim that 1t was lle-
galIy, f GuduI.ntIy ard unconstitutionaly in
| curGod. 0ur pTesent purpose ls not to enquire
hog We got into the vell but he" we can get out
! OF it.
Ard frs, it is dishonest and ungrateful to re
pudiate just obt. Ii will not be population
10 refuse - ray debt which is illegal al a'eatto
But part Of the debt is undoubtedly illegal,
and must be looked squarely in the face.
Il The next place the present population of the
State cannot pay this debt That is manifest
iulpOssiUiiity. The entire wealth Of the State is
porhaps 1852 coo 600, and the payment OF $780,,
000 coo in taxns in addition 10 the ordinary ex-
| pondilurls Of tho government would be lntolera-
II lie thirl Place no Convention can afford any
relief. Z CCUv liiDn viii only Increase orr bur
Gems BY Increasing the number Of paid officials
Bat fhc debt can bo paid by inviting imniara
t5-. IT, Will incJoseo our capital, develop our
resources, vary cur productions, secure home
market fy- cotton and corn, make the State
rich, and rave CIR credit. Let us cal in the peo-
rlc5 Of Germany and Franco TO help Us, and our
debt vii v4uj-b. HI'stgt Standard
We admire the GOODNESS Of the St,asd4rFs
cOnIea Ions, aul the adroitness with which
it lodges the curraPtiors and extravagances
cf It's party.
1t coufesses that seventeen millions OF
dollars have been appropriated by the last
Legislature " ostensibly for public i'm
provoments." It says " ostensibly as a
concession t. those who claim that it was
illegally. fradulently and unconstitution-
ally incurred" Concession indeed What
reply has the Governors organ to make to
those who ask to have pointed out the
railroads built by these seventeen millions
of dollars ? Can the Radical party show
q mile of railroad completed for every one
hundred thousand dollars spent &c ostcnsi-
bly, for public Improvements" or a mile
for each half million, or one mile for each
Of the seventeen millions We will give
the Standard ample time to summon Lit
ttede!d, and Sloan, and Jones, and to ex-
anime " persons and papers," before it
gives final answer. The people want in
formation, and If we can unearth the truth
in regard 10 these expenditures, We shall
have accomplished something. It would
al least be a melancholy satisfaction to
know exactly how much per milo it costs
to build railroads in North Carolin by tho
party Ct progress.
But this a6roi5 81 conc es sion " of the
roacaity Of its party leaders is not the only
remarkable point to the Standards article.
Ii it does ret favor, it iustiies, reputation
in North G arolina. It admits that its par
ty has 20 involved the State in debt that
he people cannot pay 1t. The taxes ne
cessary to meet the ordinary expenses Of
the government and provide for the public
debt I" would be intolerabe" So we said
~hen opposing the appropriations which
the Standard urged. So long as reason
able proportion of these bonds came to
the owners of the STANDARD it WAS loud in
advocating their issue. Now that things
have changed. that paper finds out that the
peOple of North Carolina cannot pay their
present Indebtedness.
The Standard proposes TO pay the dobt
by iaviting immigrants 10 help rs. We
fear that industrious settlers would hest
tate to accept such an offer, at least unless
they could be satisfied that there could
not be repetition of the illegal, fraudu-
lent and unconstitutional manner Of con
tracing debts. Otherwise they may re-
gard our preferred hospitality III the same
light that the fl did that of the polite
spider
If our people are leaving tho State to
avoid heavy taxes, bad laws and incompe-
tent and corrupt officials, a: q sacrifice of
feeling and money, we viii find little en-
couragement in our efforts to induce those
to undertake burdens who have no attach
ments or investments in the State.
We must change our government we
must make it more economical, moe hon
est, more congenial to the sympathies and
wants o! our people before We can get
others to settle here. We must be sails
led ourselves before We attempt to satisfy
others.
The Standard opposes the call of Con-
vention, ''ostensibIy" to save the expenses,
Of its assemblage, Of course it has no