The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-09-20
AN OBJECT LESSON FOR NORTH
CAROLINIANS.

Mr. j. Richard Young, of Eender-
son, we know we'll. He is an active,
working member OF the Presbyterian
church. He has been clerk Of the
court of Vance county for many years
perhaps ever since that county was
erected He has furnished practical
lesson for North Carolinians. 1t
should be considered. 1t shows what
the present County Government system
has done for one negro county. The
Republicans demand the repeal of the
present system, and the Populists are
striving by foul conspiracy with a
party with which they hold nothing
in common as 10 principles, to help
the vicious, irazzled remnant to carry
out their plan that worked a great
harm to twenty-five or thirty OF The
best counties in the State.
Mr.. Young writes of what he knows.
He has been in position to know
whereof he aftirms. We believe h III TO
be scrupulously trustiul. What does
he know-what does he affirm ?
The larger part of Vance was sliced
from that noble old historic county
Granville-one of the best, the county
that has grown more fine and high
priced tobacco than any other county
in the United States. The time was
when the orders of that rich and
prosperous county were hawked about
the streets, rs we we'll remember,
selling for a triile-golng almost
begging, and fetching as Mr.. Young
states, only some 50 or 10 cents in the
dollar Then the county was controlled
by few Radical whites and lots of
negroes. Granville was heeced to the
very centre. We remember hearing
the late Lunsford A. Paschall, re-
putable gentleman, Jealous Episco-
palian, man of affairs, say that under
the Radical rule it cost more to take
care of the inmates of the county
poor house than it would have cost the
county to have boarded them at the
Marlborough House, at Raleigh, at S,
day. He spoke the truth. This
was in the flush Radical times when
plumber and extravaganza and rascality
were rampant.
But let our friend Mr.. Young be
heard. He says:
Let. us review the affairs in Vance
county. For the years 1881 to 1886 in
elusive the tax levy was only the con-
stitutiOnal limit Cog cents. For the
years 1887 and 1888 the levy was s!
cents and for 1889 it was IS cents. In
1896 the levy was IS cents. In 1893
the levy was Cos cents, and i'll 1894
the levy was 80 cents. Now kindly
bear i'll mind that in these figures are
included the levy of the State which
has been each year from 20 cents to fl
cents, while the amount levied tol
public schools has run from 10 cents in
the earlier years to l6 cents in 1898
"a. The average county levy has been
20 cents and III only four years has
there been any special levy and this
only at an average of 10 cents.
These were low levicS and and ligh,
taxes anu Yet during tnat time the
county government has been run anC
run well. y new court house, which
would do credit to any county, has beer
built. A new jail. with steel cages
has been erected. \ county home to
the aged and intirm. with all necessar,
and substantial buildings on a gooC
farm of nearly 500 acres of land. il
three and half miles of Henderson
has been bought. The new county
part lover $l0,O00) of the old countie
of Granville and Franklin has beer
paid. There has never been a tim,
when county orders were not onl,
worth dollar for dollar but would hay,
been paid on demand.
To-day the county owes nothing an,
has about 81 900 in her treasury.
All over the State you can fine
counties with some such experience
And yet there are Populists who wis
to aid the hungry and rapaciou
Radicals &c overthrow the count,
government system and hand over tn,
negro counties TO the tender mercie
of the men who devoured and RUNE,
in the past. We have a letter from
good, pious Populist farmer who want
the county government repealed. H
is his own worst enemy. We obtair