The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1886-12-08
ExPLAxArIOE.

i IExPLAKATIoE.
| Wesissued no paper yesterday. VIZ
had begun work to that effect. But ws
took counsel Of prudence. Twenty-eighl
inches Of snow lay upon our fatroof
i Buildings apparently safe as ours had
i yielded to the same weight. Our heavy
j preag was under that roof and 30 Wers
our fomployees. The motion of that presI
Was very apt to produce Jar stronc
lenoth 20 bring down the roof upon theee
headS, and for their safety We dischaEg'
ed then, for the day.
'1THk WEsT AsD LEGISLATIVE Am. y
/ Under the above caption our con-
ttemporarythe Aduaacc comments
upon articles 10 the Statesville
Landmark and wilson a dUenee, and
does SO in proper spirit. Evidently,
however, the Advdnes hadnot read
OF had nos 5sllls rsa our arIieIs
supon WHICH theue jourpala Aste
based their unjust co1el elusiens, or L
would not SO saTnestiy have come
to the defence Of the West. There
was no occasion for such defense.
The West has shown no. disposition
to abuse the generosity Of the East !;
no intimation to suggest the sense
Of obligation, not the most distant
idea of regarding the county govern
ment question as one Of bargain and
sale. The West, with many induce
ments to a contrary course, took its.
position on the county government
question on the broad principles of
State comity, on the generous prin>
ciple of what was due, to the ope
pressed people'of the East; on the
high ground of the paramount rights
Of the white race. : No taunts, no
suspicion of motives, no imputations
of selfshness will move the West
from the stand it has taken.
In regard to the railroads We have
nothing to abate in what we said.
But our position was wrenched un.
generously from its context to give.
color to the assertion th&t we made
demands for the West coupled with
threats. We did speak plainly but
we did so with the belief that the
whole State is interested, though a
narrow sectionalism may not admit
it.
We reproduce SO much of our arr
ticle of Nov. 23rd as relates to the,
subject ON which the Landmark and
Wilson Adrdnce have sounded theRI
cry:
The sentiment in the eastern Sec
ton of North Garolin4, as WHOLE
has been disparaging to the importe
ance of the transmontane country.
The press has been short>sightedI
and illiberal. Legislation has been
sufficiently generous but its liberal
provisions have been denounced
and held IN terrorem over members
of the legislature and not two yeaIsI
ago the leading metropolitan journal
of the State, after the enactment Of
lust and necessary measures, openly
announced in dogmatic terms that
that legislation was the last of the
kind Western North Carolina need
expect.
Nothing but ignorance of the ca
liabilities of this section, nothing but
ignorance of its rapid progress, moth
ing but ignorance of the VASTLY
increased taxable value ofthe coun-
try affected by railroad construc>
ton, could have justified such a
threat. Western North Carolina
will have more to ask of the Legis-
lature in the aid of railroads, and
will not come up as an humble
suppliant, but as an equal. Not
Asheville alone, but the whole coun-
try from Madison to Cherokee, and
from Madison to Transylvania is
moved by the same impulse.
It is a necessity to the whole that
facilities should be given to the de-
Yelopment that is struggling for ex-
pansion. And it is not a sectional
demand that is made. It is not
Western North Carolina that is
speaking in the spirit of selfish iso-
lation, but is the voice.of people ofa
third of the State of North Carolina,
affectionatein their loyalty, proud
to be a part of so noble a common
wealth, but claiming its due share
of consideration.
Therefore, conscious of what it
has gained by liberal and judicious
legislation, conscious of the abun-
dant fruits that await future similar
Hesitation, conscious of their equal
claim to the favorable consideration
of its claims. Western N. &C, when
it needs farther aid, will not come
before the Legislature on its knees.
That may be relied on.
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