Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-03-17

owners ana fr1en0S TO consider. IN |
recent far-spread smallpox ranic,
growing out, as is understood. Of G
few cases of that disease in your
city has done more damage to both the
road and city than the most devoted
friend of either can imagine. Distant
friends of Wilmington think that th re
has either been bunghng service in the
ex.cuti II of existing rules and regu-
lations as bearing upon the iutroduc
ton and spread OF the dlsease--now
happily shorn Of Its former terrors by
the marvellous progress of science, or
that the whole system of your quaran-
tine regulations needs revision aud
change. Public sentiment also de
Lnands that there shout be swept from
our statute books that outrageously
unjust law which gives the Board OF
Cou lty Commissioners-soo often ignor-
ant and incorrupt-power 10 impose
exorbitant taxes upon railroads passing
through their counties, and this without
any power left to higher au horities to
review their decisions. The recent
decision of this question in the
case that went up to the
Supreme Court from Richmond coun-
ty, has awakened public attention to
this ability of these tribunals to cramp
public enterprise and to injure the
State. The cry for repeal will not only
come from the railroads but from the
masses and taxpayers, who, while true
to themselves, have no disposition to
allow impositions to be practiced upon
our public in titutions that are inter
woven with their own prosperity and
the welfare of the State. Another Sc
rious mistake made by Northern own
ers of Southern railroads IS the prac-
tice of sending Northern men down
here to manage them who have no skill
in that line, or are not properly identl-
fed in interest and sympathy with our
impoverished and struggling people
For railroads to succeed they must not
alone be judiciously constructed, but
they must receive a cordial support
from the people of the sections affected
| by them. This patronage will be stinted
or not freely bestowed when these in
situations are managed by illiberal, ig-
GRANT or inadequate officers. There
| must be mutual sympathy, confidence.
| and interest between the people and
their leading officials, whose daily and
immediate duties are to run the roads.
| There must be sustaining bonds of
| confidence and sympathy between the
roads in order to the success of the
| latter and to secure the rights of the
| former. Too many Northern men who
have come into our State since the war
| have failed to learn the meaning of the
word adaptation Too manv of them
| who have been sent here to manage
| Southern railroads have omitted to in
| quire into the wants, feelings and ne
cessities OF our d"wn-trodden people,
| and are incompetent to the important
| business assigned them, and the roads
| suffer in consequence. The case Of
| that narrow-minded soul and excrcs,
cenoe upon the G. @. Rail*ay. the no.
torious Onderdonk, illustrates our
meaning. His assaults, upon this in
teSral part of the property of the State
| and the gro 9TH of Wilmington are but
assaults upon the State itself This is
the view which the editors of the State
| and all true North CaroIinians should
take of the old sinner, and they should
combine in lashing :him with whips oi
scorpions even though modification
| at the disappointment of his grow
cling ambition has 10 ode his hide in
sensible. His last attack ID the Charlotte
Observer of the l2tn inst. is but i
repetiti IN of his former ones, and Xix {
the previous, will fall harmlessly at the
feet of tie abe and patriotic managers
and will. serve to rally more strength
than ever to its support the friends OF
| this great enterprise and excite dis
gust aud contempt for the author IL
the liberal minded aud patriotic citi
zens of North Carolina. VERITAs