The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-03-11
LEGISLATIVE ECHOES.
WHAT THE EDITORS ARE SAYING ABOUT
THE LEGISLATURE.
The Concensus Of Opinion is that the Ressona-
bic Expectations Of the People Were Met.
The Voters Will Approve.

be Expectations OF the People Were Met.
| The Voters viii Approve.
Representative Locke Craig. who has
returned to Buncombe. tells the AShe-
vile Citizen that the Constitutional
amendment will be ratified by 10000
majority. Speaking of it and the mem
bers from the West, he said:
! During the pendency of the consti-
tuti0nal amendment there was great I'M
certainty as TO the result. When the
! amendment was proposed in caucus seve-
raj Democrats expressed disapproval of
ii, and at first it looked as if the whole
| amendment might be rejected by the
| caucus. but when the Democrats began
to think about it and saw that it meant
! the restoration of peace and good order,
pure elections. the cessation of laWleSS-
ness in tho State, nearly all supported
it enthusiastically. The representatives
of the people desired to make forever
| impossible Il recurrence of the scenes
of the last election and the triumph Of
! vicious ignorance at the ballot box in
North Carolina. Mr.. Rountree, of Viii
/ mington, brought to the calculation of
this question Il mind well trained in poll
! tical economy and the thought of Il
great constitutional lawyer. He was
/ chairman of the Committee on ConSti-
tutional Amendment, and did his work
with the zeal and earnestness of a pa
triotic statesman. Mr.. Winson, of Rer-
tie. advocated the amendment with his
characteristic ability and eloquence.
Judge w. r. Allen, of Wayne, gave to
it the effective support which always
makes him a leader among the men
with whom he deliberates. Judge Con
nor supported it with conscientious
earnestness and ability that carried con-
viction to those who heard him.
THE members from the West showed
IA spirit of self sacrifice and devotion
to the highest interests of the State.
The Justices of Rutherford and Nc
Dowell. Davis of Haywood, Moore of
jackson, Leatherwood of Swain, Ray of
Macon, Fleming of Clay, Mauney of
Cherokee. Council of Watauga, Alex
ander of Rutherford, Curtis of Bun
combe, and last but not least Austin of
Yancey. all showed themselves to he
men worthy to represent the great peo-
pie of the West | was not intimate
with the Senators and do not know so
much about their work.
The Legislature did no one thing more
worthy OF the unanimous endorsement
of the people of North Carolina than
to appropriate $1,000 to aid in the cree
ton of bronze statue of Zebulon Baird
Vance in the square of the State Capitol
at Raleigh. Private persons have con-
tributed about $1,000 for this purpose.
and this with the $1,000 appropriated by
the State will erect statue worthy of
the great and good man whom it is in
tended To commemorate. As the bill
was originally introduced the apropria-
ton was for $1,000. but it was felt that
this was insufficient, and our young
Senator. James a. Butler. moved to
amend by making the amount $1,000
and the amendment was adopted We
feel sure that the people of Iredell.
Davie and Yadkin counties endorse this
action. North Carolina can never honor
Iebulon b. Vance too much He was
her first citizen-her greatest son, liv-
ing or misunderstanding Mascot.
The Legislature did nobly in electing
IS. l.. Rogers, of Macon, Frank M
Neill. of New Hanover, and Il. c. Bed
dingield, of Wake, Railroad Commits
siondrs. All are men of ability and
justice to the people and to the rail
roads. OF the three we have ner-
sonal acquaintance only with Mr.. Rog-
ers. He was Collector of Internal
Revenue for this district mder the last
administration. He was the best collec-
tor the district or the State ever had.
During his term strict business princi
pies were for the first time applied the
assumulations for years were cleared
up, petty politics was discarded and ire
most unpopular of all branches of the
public service was raised to the first
rank of responsibility. The same quail
fcations and business capacity and fair
ness which made Mr.. Rogers model
collector. will also make him model
Railroad COMMISSIONER Enter
prise.
Our people are disappointed lat the
Jim Crow law recently passed by the
Legislature We understand that it eX
empts all branch lines. If they were
going to give us Jim Crow law that
was one only in name they had bet
ter played hands off. Why did they
not hold up their hands in holy horror
at the idea of doing anything to displease
the railroads? We have no feeling
against railroads. But we have feeding
when we see white ladies having to sit
in the next seat to negroes on the trains.
The last campaign was fought out upon
the one issue and we believe in sticking
TO the text. Some of these timid legis-
lators must be remembered in the future
! and men must be sent who have CON
| victions and who are not afraid TO
stand by them Washington Progress.
The Legislature. just before adj
journment, passed bill approprating
one hundred thousand dollars, to the pull
lie school fund of the State. We hope
that the public schools under the new
law and by the liberal appropriation
will be greatly improved. Let our
public schools he such that there will
be no excuse for any child in North
Carolina to grow up in ignorance
Monroe Enquirer
The General Assembly of North Caro-
lima has come to an end and New Han
overs worthy representatives, Messrs.
nod 10,