The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-07-25
DR.. WORTH'S LETTER
THE VENERABLE PATRIOT SAYS POLITICAL
CONDITIONS ARE RETROGRADlNG.
Col. Cars Speech on Dorothea Dix Recalls to
the Doctor His Service as Member of
the Legislature in l848-9.
(For the Courier.)

Il
On reading the speeches of Col. Carr
and Mr.. Page at the Greensboro Normal
college commencement, | was taken
back to 1913, almost half a century and
had brought fresh to my mind many incl
dents that had long since been forgotten.
was a member Of the Senate at that
time. and ON reading Col. Carr's speech
/ could see Miss Dix as she looked at
that time, the first sight of her gave
me feeling OF philanthropy or SYM
pathy for her and her cause-sOmething
that made me have full confidence in her;
at her first talk ] went to the mOurner's
bench. at the next ! was fully converted,
dosing sight of the burden of the tax
to be levied to build the Asylum after
the defeat of the bill to build the asylum
and it's reconsderat ton and Mr.. Dob
bins speech. If sanctification means
something you can never let go | became
sanctified and was n fixed and fast
friend to the bill In looking over the
Legislative Journal of 1S4S-49 | cannot
find name but my own that is living.
If any one who sees this article and
knows of any one who is living | shall
be glad to hear from him.
Wing and Democratic and were so even
" divided that it took a week to elect
a speaker There were many prominent
men in that Senate, Andrew JOyner, of
Halifax, w. n. Ii. Smith, of Hartford,
w S. Ashe, of New Hanover, VIM.
Albright, of Chatham. j. a. Gilmer, of
Giulford, n w. Woodfin, of Buncombe
and many other men. In that we had a
few men, nothing like it is at present,
looking out for office or to get back to the
Legislature. In that day when we made
an appropriation we provided for its pay
ment: and the only thing in the way Of
passing the asylum bill was the tax
question, and we managed to get the
members so afraid of the tax, to allow
the bill to pass without calling the yeas
and nays.
The whole country is Dragging on our
great advancement in everything in the
last half century, / make one big eXcep-
ton, that is the politics and politicians
Of our State and nation.
/ send you the Journal of our State
Legislature of 1913 and 1910. If you viii
read the names of State officers and
members of both Houses and examine
their business transactions from Gov
ernor to door-keeper, and so to Wash
ington and look back to 1S4S and 1S49
all the way down from President to
page and compare them with our pre-
sent State officers and members of Con-
gress for the two last sessions of Con-
gross and our State Legislature and
point out any material advance in our
political condition, you will be entitled
to my last years straw hat with a new
ribbon My own opinion is that the
political condition of the country is de-
cidedly retrograding. 1t must be stopped
or lead to ruin.
]. NJ. WORTH,
Asheboro, n. G..
We publish the above with pleasure
and heartily agree with our venerable
friend in his opinion of recent legisla-
ton. The last Legislature cost the State
of North Carolina nearly ten times as
much as the Legislature of 1S49. DR..
Worth was sc years old on June %, and
while he is rather feeble physically, yet
his intellect is as clear and active as
ever. He looks after his business affairs
and takes a deep interest in the public
welfare. He has held many positions Of
trust and honor, and never betrayed con-
fidence, and hates the shams and hypo-
cricy Of demagogues as much in his old
age as when in years gone by he con-
tributed so much to clear the State of
the gang of carpet baggers and SCALA
wags who controlled North Carolina for
the period following the civil war.