The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-06-13

STATE tO pay IUOSe TduuuicuL SpE1idi
tax" bonds seem to be determined to
10Y heaven and earth to secure Sue
cess. We publish in another column
an editorial from The Daily Observer
Of Charlotte, based upon a letter which
recently appeared in the New York Sun,
written by a lawyer i'm the employ of
Mr.. Carlisle and his associates with
reference to the course of action to be
pursued by the committee in securing
payment of these bonds. This New
York lawyer certainly is not deficient
in brass. He has the gall to pretend
that he thinks the state of North Caro-
lima should be glad to surrender her
seven million dollars worth of railroad
and turnpike property to settle this
debt, now, principal and interest, to-
falling about thirty-fve millions. He
tells us that the holders of these
fraudulent bonds would be willing to
assume the states Indebtedness on the
North Carolina railroad construction
bonds and would relieve it of that bur-
den, in consideration of the surrender
to them of all the states holdings in
these corporations. What a generous
proposition that! The state to surren-
der property worth seven million dol
Owe a cent on condition that they will
assume q state obligation of less than
three million dollars.
These parties demand nothing more
than the states railroad and turnpike
holdings. They really must be "as-
founded at their OWL moderation" We
certainty are when we think they
might have demanded that the state
throw into the scales to balance this
fraudulent claim all the thousands Of
acres of public lands within her Dor
ders and her public institutions for ed
ucation and charity with their hand
some buildings and grounds. They
might also have contended for the
capitol and other public buildings and
the governors mansion.
No doubt Mr.. Carlisle and his asso-
GATES think the people of the state
should feel grateful to him and his
committee for demanding that they
surrender only the seven million dol
lars worth Of railroad and turnpike
stock. Maybe we are ungrateful. If
we are we will be ungrateful still and
will remain so to the end of the chap
ter.
Any honest debt, old bonds or any
other kind which the state owes, we
say she should ray; but we raise
our voice and make our solemn pro-
test against any compromise of such
claims as are based upen frauds prac-'
ticed upon the state by the sharks and
thieves who had their grip upon the
states finances in the days of econ
struction.
In connection with the plan to force
payment of these bonds we quote the
following from yesterdays News and
Observer regarding a recent enactment
by the legislature of New York as to
any future gifts to that state by any
person or corporation of any bonds or
other evidences of debt OF another
state:
On May sixteenth a law was put on
The statute books of New York which
gives the Empire State the right to
sue a sovereign state in somewhat the
same manner that South Dakota OBJ
tanned bonds Of the State of North
Carolina and brought suit upon GER
ain bonds that We're recently COM
promised. The act passed by the New
York legislature is as follows:
Section /. Whenever any person
or persons. copartnerShir. corporation
of association shall give. beaueath or
assign to the State of New York any
bonds. warrants. chooses in action Or
other obligations Of any other state.
the governor is hereby authorized. in
his dicreticn, to receive and accept the
same for the benefit Of h state, and
the right and title thereto and therein
shall thereuron pass to and vest in
this state. and the same and all the
proceeds thereof when collected shall
be held by the Comptroller in a special
| account of fund subject to be aDpro-
priated by the legislature only for the
support of common schools. or for the
| promotion of some educational inter-
est in the state.
sec. 2. Whenever it shall be neces-
sary to protect or assert the right Or
title of the state to any such bonds.
warrants. chooses in action or other obs
legations SO received. or to collect or
| enforce the same or any part thereof.
principal CT interest. the Attorney
| General is hereby authorized and di-
rected to take the necessary n prop
| er proceedings or to bring suit there
on in the name Of h state in
court Of competent jurisdiction state
| or federal. and to prosecute all such
suits Or proceedings to a termination