Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-03-17
Sh by-POiItics-rhe q. &. rat
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SBE1By. NJ March 18th. 1876.


SHELBY, N. c., March 18th. 1876.
EDITORS journal Gentlemen "A
few thoughts and facts from this solid
and growing town as they bear upon
matters of common interest, may not
fail to attract the attention of your /
readers in various sections of the State. |
The enviable reputation of the JOURNAL |
for ability, devotion to the best utter |
ests of tho entire State. as we'll as for |
fearless work in forming and leading a |
manly and patriotic public sentiment
has made it a favorite in Western
North Carolina, as it surely is a
champion Indispensable to the redemp
ton of the State in the arduous and
exciting political campaigns of this
eventful and centennial year of our
national existence. The people in
late Convention would not have been
of your paper, and that We would
have had q good large working
majority in that important body had
it not been for the deleterious influence
in the early part of that canvass of a
number of timid and over>selfish Con-
sentative papers. The citizens of
Shelby are very friendly towards Will
mington have none of those Sc ctional
jealousies of the East, which too much
prevail in some of the more western
towns and counties of our noble old
State. But railroads, always the pro-
moters of peace, reconciliation and
progress, are fast breaking down the
remnants of those unworthy rivalries;
and local prejudices, so injuriously
kept alive in the past by sectional jeal-
ousies, which should now be buried
forever in the grave Of oblivion. Pro-
gress and improvement are now the
watchwords of this thrifty and PROS
porous town, the western terminus
of the Carolina Central Railway,
that great arterial oh .nnel through
which hfe-giving currents flow IN
abundance for both the East and
West. No town in the State has grown
so fast in population, wealth and
substantial improvements since the
railroads reached here in September
last. 1t rests too upon the solid basis
of the vast scope of back country
highly adapted to the various purposes
of agriculture and manufactures.
Under the operation of those gal Vanic
touches which judiciously constructed
railroads always produce, agriculture,
manufactures and commerce., are ad-
vancing with commendable strides in
his section of North Carolina New
corners, if honest, and new ideas, if of
true progress, ale not more welcome
anywhere in the South than in this
beautiful and healthy town of Shelby.
Hundreds upon hundreds of invalids
flock here every summer to drink the
healing waters of the fine mineral
springs which surround the town, aud
more are expected here the coming
summer than ever before. The famous
mineral springs of our own State and
of Virginia are none of them more ben
e6cial in the various maladies of our
nature, than are these splendid min
eral: springs of Cieageland county,
1t is almost certain that this will
remain the railroad terminus for the
next decade or two. If not for much
longer time, and with the substantial
population already of one thousand,
good judges are of opinion that in
three or four years Shelby will contain
four or five thousand Inhabitants. Ex-
listing Indications abundantly Justify
the opinion. Here the professions are
improving, aud here stand blessed
temples of education aud reLi0to7a-
aud new ones in addition are to be
erected-to dispense the radiant lights
of progress, knowledge and Christiani-
ty. In making these and other
statements of this communication the
writer has no axe to grind, no end to
serve, except regard for the pub
lie good, and to recommend to the
industrial classes aud producers
who are dissatisfied with their pres
ent condition to come hither and
examine for themselves the magni-
hoent agricultural aud other resources
and advantages of this attractive pors
ton of the State. Here also it will be
found that white mans government
prevails, affording a solution to the
inquiry, why it is that these Demo-
cratic western counties are j general
prosperity and steady increase IL the
price of real estate far ahead of the
eastern counties where negro suprema-
CIV and Radical management prevails.
There has not been an inmate of the
county jail in four months, AMI the
county affairs are managed with great
economy aud much skill. 1t is said
that in New Hanover and other negro
counties great extravaganza and putri
flying corruption abounds, aud that
disastrous Decentralization and laziness
prevails among the negroes and low
white men who, to their disgrace, are
net ashamed to associate with negroes
Here the opposite condition exists
white men are white men, and the
women and children unite with the
men in putting their shoulders to the
wheel of hard work, economical living
and true prosperity.
In this region as with patriots every
where, the public seusibiIities are
shocked as never before at the territ lie
revelations of thieveries and eorrup-
| tons in hugh Official circles at the
capital of the country. ! am almost in
sight of Bald Mountain, and the ter
| rife rumblings that came from there a
| few years ago as rrOr-strfcken COM
munities around fled from the threat
ened wrath of that famous mountain
were not more alarming than are the
vo csnic eruptions of that great moral
and political earthquake at Washington
City disastrons TO the hopes and life of
the Republican party. The public
mind is grieved and Inundated beyond
expression and as the vari, us rivulets
of news which run out from the great
centres of information bear these awful
and horrible developments to the
masses .oI blS sPEe.Sl Hlssttoss suefe
will eomo forth such thunderings as
will shake the very pillars of the na-
tional capitol and hurl forever from
their places the leaders of that once
powerful but now disgraced and
doomed party. Il will he difncalt to
convinse the people that even if Grant
was not in this Infamous work he was
not aware that it was going on. But,
while this general stealing and corrup-
ton is coming to light the people of
Western North Carolina are aIamofing
for an Investigation hy eommitteeeof
the House of Representatives of the
Internal Revenue and other operations
of the Government, as they have been
carried on. in many of these West
ern counties. The conviction is
gaining ground that startling develop
ments in the line OF stealing, infsmv,