The sun. (Fayetteville, N.C.) 1883-188?, 1885-03-25
The Closing Scenes of the General
Assembly.
Correspondence New Berna .Iournal.1
RALEIGH, March IL. 1885.

itiiullieHt WHICH limits the ben
hal session of the General Assembly |
o sixty days is never more apparent
han when that session is drawing
o a close. The average legislator
# North Carolina. upon arriving at
Ralelgh, sees before him one of two
prospects. First, his return home
It the expiration of the session. and
lfter exercising the most rigid eco
nomy, with about the sum of $500
IL his pockets as the reward for his
self-deiIiaI and arduous duties. Ser
md, 4 long vista of the enjoyments
md terrible designations which four
dollars a day will afford in the capt.
al to II heretofore unused to lux
ury. Those in the first category 90
TO a cheap boarding house and con
fine their designations 10 peanuts
and other inexpensive articles of re.
galrment. frequently bought by the
quart at II nrighI"ring grocery.
These economical members tho
roughly represent their constituents.
or they doubtless would not be sent.
These in the second category al,
often young men with a smatterine
of brains and tongue. who swell
largely at the "larboro' in "A ready
made suit bought out of their first
daft on the State Treasury after Il
few days attendance. Ii is related
of several Of them that they reached
Raleigh with nothing but what they
stood in. and left II with a well-illed
trunk. These public spirited mem
bers are opposed to- all legislation
after the constitutional limit has
expired. They "are not going to re-
main in the capital and give their
time and brains to the State for
nothing, oh no. IF the State of
North Carolina wants our services"
| heard many of them remark, "she
must pay forthem." Asaconsequenc
when the sixty days are nearly over
we will say, to end on the follow
ing Saturday-a funny little farce
is regularly enacted. The gentleman
from Puff county gets up and asks
that leave of absence for one week
from and after the following Satur-
day be allowed the gentleman from
Mullet, Dodge, Fiddle, Paddle, and
a whole string of counties, ION press
ing personal business etc. and then
the gentleman from Dodge gets up
and asks the same thing for the gen
tleman from putf-and so on in reg
ular rotation till all of the a. Is"
(average legislatorsl get out of the
way, managing to draw the last cent
Of their pay in mileage allowed bv
law. This leaves the General As
sembly in the hands of two classes
first, those Jealous partisanS Of
corporations or railroad schemes who
have sharp axes to grind: second, the
few patriotic and able members who
stay to watch the former class and
keep them from running away with
the funds of the Treasury. or ell.
croaching upon the rights and inter.
ves& or tnt .'ote II the peoRi'
Then commences a lively scene. Th
! sharp-aNe men most always beat tn
! other fellows, for they are up to a
the tricks of the trade. 1t takes tn
t smartest of men at least one sesslo
d to learn the modns OperonN OF legl:
-, latOrs. Your new man, III nlnet,
nine cases out of a hundred. Is wort
nothing to his constituents. Thei
t are some small counties III this Stat
: which WELD ten times the %intiuen'
! of the largest and richest i'll the Gei
eral Assembly, even if represents
by mel of greater intellect tina
their smaller rivals, for the SNIP
reason that the citizens of the >a.
small counties have learned the in
: portance of experience III Legislation
! The most notable instance perhal
;. is that Of Macon, which has sci
2. James l.. Robinson continuously
the Senate OF House, including h
term as Lienr.-Goyernor. for near
a score of wears. Another case
e Mr.. Stanford. Of Duplin. and sever
Is more that | might instance.
Probably no man has ever had
fine ali opportunity of serving h
constituents as jim Robinson. al
being 81 upheld by them he has bee
i enabled to perform some herculea
efforts of legislation. His labor>
regard to the Western Nc. Raj
Il road have never been surpassed, al
= whatever may be thought of the il
Justice to other parts of the State
~ all that he has secured for this ente
prise. one cannot but admire Il
courage of the man. and the goo
sense Of the people of Macon. II
n passage of the act TO complete tt
;. Western y. c. Railroad to Murpl
# was a triumph of legislation: and v
:. give the people of the Ninth Coz
l. cressional district fair notice that v
Of the East and Centre expect the
le to support Us in aSimilar measure
20 the next session of the General A
: semblv. There Is a growing teeln
in u eastern section that the 4
IL lantlc \ n. c. Railroad should be
ID linked to New Berne and Morehe;
2. CITY that It's control can never pa
+ into the hands Of any person or co