The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-03-18
They Dared 10 Do what they 3 C.
Iiesed Right


The Senators whose names are hereto
subscribed, avaIlICg themselves OF their
constitutions privileges. ID hereby enter
their solemn protest AK tInst the passage
OF the bii entitled y Bi / 10 be entitled
an act To secure the completion of the
W estern North Carolina Railroad from
the north OF the Nantehala River to the
town OF Murphy Tor that,
lst. At a special session OF the General
Assembly, tlSSO. called for the purpose Of
selling the State : interest IN the " Western
North Carolina Railroad, a contract was
made with W. j. Best and his associates
by which, IN consideration Of the transfer
OF property OF immense value il was
stipulated among other things that
.Lc a~signces should deliver to certain
commissioners a written contract signed
by themselves and binding them to
the State to pay certain interest, and to
finish the road to its Western terminus
at Paint Rock and the Georgia and Ten
nessee line near Ducktown, and to com
plete aud put in operation the road to
Point rock, on or before the lst day OF
July, 1881, and to Murphy, III the county
of Cherokee, on or before the first day Of
1900, duu tudl WllIlu lNO
months from the ratification of said act,
work should begin aud be carried on with
diligence and energy until completed
BY said act (see laws Of 1880, special ses-
sion, chapter 26) the State contracted to
furnish on said road, five hundred con
victs for which it was to receive in quar-
terly lnstalments 1925 each per annum.
Upon the passage of this act, it was
announced that the State had parted with
its interest in the road and was forever
relieved of all liability for the construc-
ton thereof; that the heavy burden of
taxation, imposed upon the people was
removed ard the road to be completed
without further cost to the State.
The contract having been assigned to
the present owners of the road, they
failed to carry 1t out and demanded relief
from certain provisions.
The Legislature in 1888 (see laws of
1888, chapter 24l) for the purpose of en-
abling the work to be prosecuted, parted
with certain securities, held by the State
and in consideration thereof, the road
among other things stipulated that it
would, in sixty days after the passage Of
of the act, place and keep continuously
at work on the line of road from the
mouth of the Nantahala river westward
to Murphy, force of seventy five con-
victs. The road has avaled itself Of all
Of the benefits of the act Of 1853; has
sold its bonds, rendered valuable by the
act. and it is stated now refuses to build
the road TO Murphy, although it has
twice covenanted to do so and has receiv-
ed the consideration therefor,
Under the contract of 1880, amended
in 1888, the road owes the State balance
Of about $2S, 600 for the hire OF conyicts,
and it IS now said that it refuses to per
form its contract unless we will donate to
it this amount and give them free of
charge for an indefinite time the use of
so convicts worth to the State SIS. 75OI
per annum. We are told that to refuse
this is to violate the pllghted faith Of the
State. We cannot Tor moment admit
the force of any such argument, especially
when the corporation sought to be bene-
fitted has failed to comply with It's obi
cations and contracts.
The State of North Carolina and the
Democratic party. have kept faith in this
matter and, in order to do so, the people
have borne with patience heavy and
onerous burden of taxation until the work
was ass umed by others.
We can see no reason why the people
should again be subjected to taxation to
build a railroad for which they have al
ready paid, and when fined, presenting it
to corporation So utterly unmindful of its
promises and obligations. Surely to pay
the SUN, SIS, 600, Tor the privilege OF do
ing this, is going beyond what we think
lust to the people of North Caroliua.
l., 81 -. i
The Bill is either so drawn as to leave
its construction obscure, with all doubts
against the Stare, or it is SO inaccurately
and loosely framed as to leave its meaning
in many respects in painful uncertainty
while it holds out the delusion that cer-
tain bonds are to be received, it also pro
vides that the State treasurer shall in
dulge in the useless and absurd ceremony
OF receiving with one hand and returning
with she other the bonds Of the Road For
it says that upon completion of the work |
the bonds due shall ali, including those
for S2S 900, be returned to the company.
hat the S2s 900 is now justly due the
State is admitted. To receive bonds for
that amount and hold them for awhile
and then return them to the company does
not accord with our ideas of proper leg
islation. If it takes that amount from
the Taxpayers to induce this syndicate to
perform its covenants, most solemnly en-
tered into by two acts of the general as
sembly, how much more will be demand
ed the future alone will develop.
Public taxes should be used only for
public purposes and when voted to cor
porations or individuals without consider
alton a wrong is done which we cannot
endorse and against which we earnestly
protest.
A. w. Graham. Goth district; H. G..
Connor, 7th district; VIM. NJ. Bond, lst
district; James Parker, lst district; W.
R Williams, 9th district, NJ 5. Robins
25th district; w. |. Everett, Goth Dis
trict; A Horne. 18th district; J. w. Todd
3lst district; Robt. W. Winston, 2lst
district; j. w. Wiseman, Goth district,
J. L. King, oath district; r f. Lewis,
18th district; Jas Holeman Goth district
lby authority, A. w. Graham) 18th dis
trict; Joshua Perry, 7th district.
....Hon. 5. f Phillips. Solicitor