The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-02-12
INVITING GATEWAY.
Splendid Opportunity for
World Commerce.
Proximity of North Carolina Seaport~
to the Panama Canal-proiccted
Railroad Across Our Western
Mountains.

To the Editor: / ask your kind in
in regard to one Of the most import
ant measures before the present Cen
eral Assembly.
| had the misfortune ten DAYS ago
to be laid up with a severe attack OF
pleurisy and grippe. verging on
pneumonia, and | am still CON
fined to my bed. / wish in the OUTSET
TO say that l am here, the duly accred-
tied chairman Of the delegations
from the county Of Haywood and tha
city Of Waynesville. And have been
made secretary and spokesman Ton
the general committee from Transyl-
vania. Haywood, Buncombe, McDOw-
ell and Rutherford counties before
the committee in the interest of the
bill for better transportation faciIi-
ties for not only Western carolina.
but of vital interest to every coun5 y
in the state Of North Carolina.
The bill has been carefully draw J
by Genera Theo. Davidson. "f
Asheville, chairman of the general
committees. and assisted by ex-Gover-
nor AycOck and other able men. in
terested in the states development.
And the bill in all its aspects was TO
has gone before the committee under
explanation of General Davidson two
weeks ago today. but conditions Owe:
which he had no control rendered z
hearing inconVenient.
Conditions now of dangerous illness
in his family has carried him {,
Asheville. delaying his personally ap-
pearing this week before the con-
mittee.
So | had to get out Of my sick bed
this evening and appear before the
committee Of the House. and the fun
committee was in session and gaze
me and our Representatives and COM
mittee a careful and patient hearing
and voted unanimous to faVorably re-
port the bill, and our people ar
grateful and thankful for their imam
imous and hearty endorsement Of the
bill.
And fear this bill is not as yet
understood or comDrehended by large
numbers of the membership Of our
General Assembly.
Not because there is one sentence or
one paragraph in the bill that is nol
as clean, and as honest, n as open.
and as just. and as righteous in its
purpose for the service Of every citl-
zen in the safe of North Carolina,
as the noon day sun.
The reason it is not understood is
because not even the editor Of our
great leading daily State paper. whom
the people low TO. honor. has not. 50
he advises me. had time to sit down
and carefully read and consider the
III VI ~ fAAtl LIZ 3HA 4A3A '4ltN ~
our mountain section. bat to every
section in the state.
And | feel Inundated in being ad-
viSed by members OF our commit e
while living here on my sick bed, th1J
after the people Of our section. who
are as much an integral part Of tn
great state of North Carolina rs n
other section OF county in it. have tax
ed their individual pockets 70 send
delegations here with the bill, and
data and comprehensive maps. costly
ones. so that each member from each
county in the General Assembly might
understand for himself and not from
another. and have the facts befnr"
him. 70 know the righteousness Of our
cause and the business of the biz!
have dashed many OF them into the
waste basket.
Apparently without realizing th2I
every county and section Of the state
is dependent on the aid Of every other
county and section of the State ~
any hcln il may need q" want
through the channels Of state Leg =
lation. our committees CON hardly
feel thai any patriotic member Of tile
General Assembly would purposeiy