The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1888-03-02
CAPT. ALEXANDER AND THE
FENCE LAW.
To the sslaW and the testimony: What
says the Record! Turn on the Light.
Especial Cor. STATE CHR,

Especial Cor. STATE CHRONICLE.
The name of Capt S B. Alexander. of
Meckleuburg has been prominently men
toned in connection with the high office
of Governor of the State. But his friends
have been surprised to find, that with all
his admitted qualifications and his high
character as a citizen and legislator,
there is something connected with his rec
ord as legislator which would .'handi-
cap the party" 1t is freely and persist
emily asserted and l may say, has been in
dustriously circulated, that ''he is the fa-
ther Of the fence law, and that his fence
law record would defeat him" In what
does his record on this subject differ from
that of the Democratic party? When did
the Democratic party repudlate its record
on this subject! How long has it been
since certain prominent Democrats en-
poyed the columns of Democratic papers
to prove their claim to the honor and dis
tinction of being 1.-The father of the fence
law" Is this the real objection to Capt.
Alexander When we reflect that all leg
islation on this subject is of comparative
ly recent date and that the records on the
subject are easily accessible, it is a matter
of astonishment that he should be singled
out as ''the father of a crime to-day
which was yesterday considered as a Writ
ue But what are the facts? What does
the record say? Will those who charge
that Capt. Alexander is ''the father of the
fence-law' believe it, when | assert that
the law was enacted at least six years be
fore Capt. Alexander ever entered the leg
islature and before he had ever held an
office of higher dignity than that of over
seer of a road; and yet the record says 50.
What is it
find that in the year 1873 Mr.. S. ".
Reid of Mecklenburg introduced the first
fence law bill that became law and three
townships accepted it. In 1877 it was
passed for the whole county of Mecklen
burg, the bill being introduced by Capt.
W E. Ardrey, of that county. In 1879
l find that Capt. Alexander was elected to
the legislature for the first time to the
Senate branch. He was made chairman
of the committee on agriculture As
chairman, he was instructed to Introduce
a bill for those counties which had sent in
petitions embracing two hundred and IF
ty names or more, but the bill failed to get
the support of the representatives from
those counties and it died. He voted for
several bills introduced by Senators and
they all passed. He had nothing to do
with legislation on this subject in the ses-
sion of 1881 for he was not a member. In
1888 he again appears in the Senate. The
only bill he introduced was one presented
through a strong petltlon from cltlztnS OF
New Hanover. 1t passed the Senate but
failed in the House. His record during
this session on this subject, was the record
of the Democratic party. In 1885 his peo-
pie sent him to the Senate. The only bill
he introduced on the subject was one
again presented by the citizens of New
Hanover. 1t passed the Senate but failed
in the House. l find that subsequently,
Senator Chadbourne, Republican, Of New
Hanover introduced and passed bill III
the Senate, but it too, failed in the House,
thus showing that it was not regarded as
a political or party measure. His record
on all these questions during that session
and through the session of 1887 Of which
he was again a member, was SIMPLY AND
| STRICTLY THE RECORD OF HIS PARTY. Then
why all this talk about his fence law rec
| ord" Again | ask, is this the real obJec-
ton to Capt. Alexander
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