The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-09-09
MR.. BEcKwrrH,s STATEMENT.

We AXE the statement of Mr.. B.. c.
Beckwith, given below, from the Morn
ing Post of Sunday. Now that the
| question Of lease of the Atlantic and
North Carolina railroad has been set
tied and the contract made. we think
it is time to stop discussing the merits
Of the question. Two members Of the
board of internal improvements, mine
out of ten Of the directors, n a large
majority Of the private stockholders
favored acceptance OF Mr.. Howiands
proposition, and they have the Appro-
val in their action OF a large major
ity of the people OF the state. The
matter is settled and let II drop. We
think though. we should in justice to
The Messenger, publish Mr.. Beckwith's
statement and make reply to one or
two Of the assertions contained there
in. The Post saws:
Mr.. B. c.. Beckwith of the state board
of internal improvements, who return
ed yesterday morning from Morehead
City was asked by The Morning Post
il he had anything to say about the
lease Of the Atlantic and North Car
DINA railroad. He sat down and
wrote:
NO, not now; but 1 must congratu-
late The Post. You and the Charlotte
Observer and the Wilmington Messen-
ger have accomplished that which you
undertook. You've forced a lease Of
the road You are PT-no doubt of
that. Your guns have silenced the
others or captured them. and knocked
me out.
Il see that my colleague, Mr.. b. W.
Ballard, has received the formal thanks
of the Charlotte Observer for standing
with Governor Aycock, without which
the lease could not a been affected
1t took his vote and the governors to
authorize the states proxy to vote for
a lease. Without his vote it could not
have been done-I opposing. Well, I
am glad to see The Observer has So
completely changed its opinion of lily
friend Ballard, and now thinks so
highly Of him. for it held him and the
board of internal improvements in
mighty low contempt in April last, dur
ing the investigation Of the affairs OF
the road-and SO did the Messenger.
You knew better, or at least your man
nerS were finer.
well, you've been persistent. insis-
tent and consistent in your efforts to
force a lease, and you've won. I like
a fighter. I despise a gutter"
This paper has not taken part with
any other in attempting to forca a
lease of the road 1t has thought all
along that it would be better for the
road and also for the state that it
should be leased, and we have per-
sistently urged that the state authori-
ties should take this course. We have
not attempted to force any one to this
course. because, in the first place. we
knew that should We desire to force"
onu limo - ooft4~ ~~ 4ho IL
had this matter in hand we would ut
terly fall, for they are not the kin C
men to be forced by newspapers; IL
the second place. there was no occa-
sion to attempt to force. What we I'M
dertook to do and We are glad to see
that Mr.. Beckwith gives US credit for
having succeeded in our %endeavor, was
to convince those in control of this
matter, n the people of the state.
that the property should be leased.
We acted for what we thought the
best interests Of the state and the
railroad. If our efforts have been ef-
fective. as Mr.. Beckwith says they
have, we rejoice in the knowledge that
we have been of some benefit to the
state.
In reference to Mr.. Beckwith's state
ment that The Messenger "held the
board of internal improvements in
mighty low contempt in April last,
during the investigation of the affairs
of the road" We make positive denial
| and assert that not a line can be found
in the columns of this paper during
the month of April last, or at any 9TH
er time in which The Messenger used
any language c~ontemptuous of the
board of internal improvements, or of
IN member thereof.
During the whole time Of conten-
ton over this road. The Messenger has
done what it conceived to be it's duty
to the people of North Carolina, and
it has no apologies to make for h
course pursued. If our efforts have
been in the least degree instrumental
in convincing those whose duty it was
to pass upon the question of lease Of
this property, that such course should
be taken then, we feel repaid for our
labor and cheerfully submit to ad-
verse criticism from those who refuse
to yield to the verdict in this matter
of the overwhelming majority against
them.
If the Messenger has been partly in
strumental in bringing about this
lease, as Mr.. Beckwith says it has, We
feel we'll repaid for our labors in
knowing that We have brought about
a condition which will bring into the
state treasury thousands of dollars
yearly. where heretofore there was
an annual drain to keep this property
afioat-to say nothing Of the dividends
which will for the first time in the his
tory of the road annually drop into
the pockets of the private stockhold-
ers. Twenty-Five years or more ago
1 the stat had On annortnnitx 70 1o,Sa