The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-09-03
PRESIDENT S. B. ALEXANDER
REPLIES.
CHARLOTTE, N. G.. Aug. 81, 1895.
". S. Barnes, Esq Secretary
N. @. Farmers State Alliance

W. S. Barnes, Esq Secretary
N. c. Farmers State Alliance.
DEAR SIR: On my return from the
meeting of the directors of the North
Carolina Railroad Company, at which
the property of said company was
leased to the Southern Railway Com
pany. I~received your letter of August
14th, containing the following resola-
tions:
WHEREAS, There are reasons to be,
lieve that the directors OF the North
Carolina Railroad are seriously consid
ering the ACCESSIBILITY of leasing the
said road for a long periC d of time: and
WHEREAS, In the opinion of this body
no greater calamity could befall our
beloved State than to put this, with
one exception. the only railroad of anY
Importance remaining in the hands OF
it's original stockholders, under the
control of q foreign corporation: and
WHEREAS, There yet remains six
years before the expiration of the pres
ent lease, glvi e ample time for the
submission of this great question to the
people Of North Carolina for their de
cisiOn at the ballot box, Now. be it
ReSOlUed, By the North Carolina
Farmers State Alliance, assembled TT
Cary, hat we protest against any lease
Of this road before It's submission to the
people Of North Carolina as ~unwiSe,
ineXpedient. and al outrage upon the
righ'S Of Freemen.
2. That Il copy Of thGS3 resolutions be
fOrwaI ded to the Governor of North
Carolina. and to the President Of the
North Carolina r abroad, both OF whom
were formerly the hOnOred heads Of
this Order, and to the Hon. Charles
McIver, State proxy for North Carolina.
and who holds in truss fOr the whole
people Of North Carolina u MI )rlty OF
the stock Of said road"
There are only two c0ntentions in the
above protest
1. Against leasing this road before
submitting the question to the people
of North Carolina for their approval.
2. Against leasing the property to a
foreign corporation.
In regard to the first contention. l
will say the North Carolina r abroad
Company has a charter from the State
of North Carolina, and is managed by
a board of directors elected by its
stockholders, and l know Of no law,
rule, regulation or precedent hat re-
quires or permits the directors Of said
company, to submit questions in regard
to its management to the people OF
North Carolina.
In regard to the second contention
against leasing the road to a foreign
corporation-I will say there was no
one else to whom we could lease the
property, 50 that declining to lease
would compel the North Carolina r Ill
road Company to operate its road as
an independent line. Can this be done
and pay an an unt equal to the pres
ent rental.
This road runs bet Reen the interior
towns, Charlotte and G0lds0oro. TIE
part from Charlotte to Greensboro is
part Of the trunk line Of the S U5hern
Railway Company, aid that part from
Greensboro to GoldsborO IL a branch
line.
The Southern r 4itway Company has
more than five thousand miles Of rail
way, and our resuming c n rol of the
North Carolina r abroad would cut It's
trunk line in two parts between Char
lotta and Greensboro This would
compel tho Southern r iIway Com
pany to build a railroad from Moorea
vile to Mocksvilte, which would give
it an Independent track from Charlotte
to Greensboro, and c 81 it less than two
years rental paid for the North Caro-
lima r abroad.
The following statement is furnished
by the Southern Rlilway Company Of
the local aud through freights of the
North Carolina Railroad for the year
ending June 305h, 1895