The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-02-14
DEMOCRACY-TH BEASE-AND A
BIT OF HISTORY ABOUT
THE GOVERNOR.

| The lease of the North Carolina nall-
road for ninety years was not a
Democratic policy.
The act has never been approved by the
Democratic party or by any of its ac-
credited representatives,.
1t has been repudiated twice by Demo
cratic bodies, once negatively and once
afiirmatively.
The attempt to saddle it upon the
Democratic party as a policy to be de-
Tended or apologized for will not do in the
light of the facts.
Not few men have been in Raleigh
during the past ten days in the employ of
the Southern Railway, some of whom
have been highly honored by the Demo
cratic party in the past, telling Demo
cratic members of the Legislature that
they ought to vote. against the bill to
annul the lease because it was made by
the Democratic administration.
We deny that it was done by the au-
- ..;4r 20 +y,o To,,,ooraEi flo no r.fv. yUa have
shown that it was in direct conflict with
the Democratic policy as adopted by the
able and victorious Democracy of 1872;
and we are able to show that the lease
has not the sanction of the Democratic
party.
The lease was made by Governor Carr
and certain directors who were appointed
by him. The public is familiar with the
voice of Indignation raised all over the
State when news of it's execution was
published In no public meeting in the
State was the lease endorsed or approved.
Why do we say it was distinctly re-
pudiated by the party. Read:
/. For the first time in the history of
the Democratic party in the State, the
party in State convention assembled in
1896, failed to endorse, approve or COM
mend the Democratic administration.
Why?
1t was not by accident.
The Democratic convention was un-
willing to be understood as endorsing the
99-year lease, and it was not desired to
inject it as an issue in the campaign by
condemning it. Therefore it was decided
to make no mention whatever OF the
Democratic State administration in the
platform, though in every particular save
and except the lease it was an administra
ton worthy of all praise, creditable alike
to the officers, the State and the party
But the blunder of the ninety-nine year
lease was felt so plainly that all mention
of the administration excellence along
other lines, was omitted from the plat
form.
2. Near the close of his administration,
Governor Carr was informed by the
Southern Railway attorneys, and perhaps
advised by other able lawyers, that the
lease for ninety-nine years might not
stand because it had not been officially
approved by the Board Of Internal I'm
provements. One able lawyer gave it
as his opinion that, under the broad scope
of the law creating the Board of Internal
Improvements, it was necessary to have
the lease endorsed by the Board Another
gave it as his opinion that failure to Sc
cure such approval might invalidate the
lease AT any rate the Governor, acting
upon the advice Of able attorneys, de-
cided to call meeting of the Board Of
Internal Improvements and secure the
ratification OF the lease to make assur-
ance doubly sure. Accordingly, only a
| few weeks before his term of office ex-
pired, he issued call for a meeting of the