Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1899-04-14

not carry a scintilla Of reason
upon their face and the littleness
of their force is palpable to every
thinking and fairmirded person.
1t is the drowning man catching
at d straw. The last throes Of
him who has been reduced to an
extremity by sound argument
aud reason A plea of namby-
prmby sympathy when all rea-
soc has fed. The argument of
those, many of whom are persons
ally interested in the rejection of
the new ferry since they have
long been pensioners Of Lamb
ferry and these parasites realize
that they will be b9reft of their
pensions whenever their infu,
enc= is worthless in sustaining
the old ferry free from compe
tition. They know that the new
ferry will declare no pensions
for influence and will pay no ten
cert per Individual to have pe>
titions signed.
1t is the intention Of the Pc
titioners for the new ferry to
construct q good shell road to
maintain it at reasonable COM
pensation, not to purchase or to
conhscate Lambs ferry. They
do not want Lambs ferry be
cause they believe it to be in the
wrong place and because they
believe that there should be two
ferries, nor is 1t the intention of
the petitioners to conhscate
Lambs ietry. They do not want
to conhscate the old ferry no
more than they desire the old
ferry to con6scate the rights of
the new. But they want two
ferries and the same right to es-
tablish and construct a ferry be-
You'd the legal limit of two miles
as the owner of Lambs ferry
has. If the owner Of the old ter
ny will put his rohd in as good a
condition as the new road, then
there will be no dan ger of cons
fscation. The .erry franchise is
a public franchise and the people
have a right to the Best ferry
and road that can be afforded
whenever they pay a fair com :
pensation for the same.
1t is true that the new ferry
will be constructed and operated
by a corporation. But is that so
as is claimed by the
opponents? Are corporations a
curse to the country? Are they
the opprcssors Of the people7
Are railroads to be abandoned
because they are controlled by
corporations? Are all our inn
portant industries that caused
the prosperity of our nation to !
be discarded as All evil? On the
other hand in the exercise OF a
public franchise a corporation is
desirable, because they do not
plead for personal sympathy be
tore legislatures and commission |
ers, because they have a system
Of regular laws, because they ex~
tend impartial rights to all and
because they cannot claim per-
'ouai property exem ption nor
hom estcad. 1t will be a corpor-
alton, not of one individual taxi
ng all the revenue and returns
ing rome to the people in the
shape of better roads and better
service, but a corporation that
to grant every one the
privilege to stock and share in
is gains, that will give the peo>
Die better roads and a corpora
Ion that is willing to turn ove1
heir franchise to the county
whenever they desire the same.
Yet the cry is corporation, when
corporation is already being
ormed with the opponents of the
lew ferry at its head to pur~
hase Lambs ferry and negotia>
ions are already being made to
the purchase. Con
surely thou art Jewel"
Will it then subject the county
o a heavy burden or any ex>
No unparalleled mind
viii entertain such a principle
or moment. The petitioners
propose to construct, maintain
nd operase the ferry without
ne cent of cost to the county
nd to bear the brunt of all bat
les that may be necessary to
ght. The petitioners only ask :
ne privilege constructing and
perating the road, but if there
e any loss it will be the loss of
ne petitioners and not the loss
the county. So that if the
ew terry amounts to nothing,
nd IT the new roads bring about
condition of affairs that will
lake a better road, will reduce I
ates and enhance the material :
'terest of the people. the COUNTY,