The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-08-02
SHALL NORFOLK co
TONORTH CAROLINA?
Disgruntled Man of City by the
Sea Makes Wild Sug-
gestion.
ANCIENT STORY is REVIVED
Norfolk May Have Some Just
Grievances, but Is Not Just
Ready to Secede.
ANCIENT STORY is REVIVED
HY FRANK $. wOoDsoN.

revivcs an old-timc contention that
was supposed to have been dead and
buried long ago. This correspondent
bases his howl on some things that
have recently happened In official cir
cles. with which happenings | have no
concern and know but little. Being
something OF an old man. | do remem-
Der however that the time was when
Norfolk and Danvile and some other
parts Of the south sections of Vir
GINA threatened to do a secession act
cut off from Virginia and pay allcgt-
ance only to North Carolina.
remember quite we'll, some thirty
years or more ago when there was Il
bill in the Legislature proposing to
make radical changes in the laws per
tanning to the sale and inspection OF
loose leaf tobacco that did, not just
suit Danvillc and It's tobacco business;
that there was threat that certain
parts of the south line of Virginia
might secedc and 20 over to North
! Carolina. ii remember Alright, tho
late John r. Face. of Danville, broth
er OF James u; Pace, the present City
Treasurer of Richmond. was n big
seceder He vigorously advocated
a secession movement by the which
panville and II great deal of other
Virginia territory all the way down
to Norfolk should jump out of tho
Virginia line and get over into North
Carolina.
ANCIENT HISTORY THAT
WAS BROUGHT TO BEAR
Mr.. Pace brought out some facts and
figures which proved very conclusively
! that Danvillc and Norfolk and a whole
! lot of other Virginia territory really
belonged to North Carolina, and In
/ that connection he brought TO light
! some unWrittcn history about how
there was a good deal Of fraud in the
making of til" line that separated Nir-
! ginia from North Carolina. AS we'll AZ
| recollect. lie demonstrated that in
all honesty Dauvillc and Norfolk real
! ~ belonged to North Carolina, and. in
stead of being three miles over tho
| Virginia line. they should be two and
n half miles over the North Carolina
line.
am sure l do not know just how
; accurate were Mr.. Faces figures, but
do know that II any man with an
eye that is straight will study the State
line between the two states he Will
lind that 1t has Il very suspicious
! curve. MIR. Pace explained this curvo
I In way that WAS at the time per-
/ fectly satisfactory to me.
He said that when the original sur
| vcyors came along To make the state
line they found Il lot of large land
owners. who, for reasons that were
natural enough. wanted all of their
/ holdings to be in one State. and it so
happened that at the time Virginia
was the state hey preferred to be in.
Accordingly. they manipulated" tho
surveyors, and had the line run to suit
| themselves. BE MIR, PAGES argument
as 1t may. the fact remains that there
is kind OF curve or crookcdness In
/ the line that separates Virginia and
| North Carolina. and for all that L
/ know. II may be true that Danville
and Norfolk really belong to North
+, Carolina.
BUT NORFOLK WILL
REMAIN IN OLD VIRGINIA
But. anyway, Norfolk is not going to
( leave old Virginia. 1t is n part of Viz
ginia, and very important part OF 1t.
and the writer In the Charlotte OBJ
server will lind a hard job In trying to
change that kind of sentiment But.
all the same, his letter is interesting,
and, just for tho Joke OF the thing, L
am going to give II In full
| II IL addressed to the editor of the
/ Charlotte Observer. is dated Norfolk,
July %. and signed 'Junius." Hero
| 1t is:
II YOU think it advisable. worth
while and appealing to take up the
| question of North Carolina anncXing
/ that part OF Virginia. known as Nor
folk section, would suggest that pre-
( liminares be Immediately started, be-
| cause no time is moro suspicious than
the present. so far as Norfolk Is con-
Z cerncd.
! The Underwater section of Virginia,
and Norfolk section in particular.
! feels and has reason TO feel, much
aggricved by reason of thet hostile at
, titudc shown towards II by the rest
, Of the state and by the state govern
ment. The last straw that was laid
OH the back of this patient Tidcwater
{ camel and which wcll-nigh broke Ii.
was the position of Governor Stuart
| in declining to appoint any man east
/ OF Richmond on the Tax Revision
| Commission. one of the most import
ant bodies created by the last Legis
! laturc. the creation or which was of
unusual interest to the Underwater sec
| ton: Notwithstanding the fact that
| there were about ten appointments on
| this commission. and Notwithstanding
! the fact that more than one-third of
/ the population of Virginia is east of
| Richmond.
1 could easily ill your columns with
! cnuncrations of many slaps and sights
| this section has received from tho
/ state at large. but will content my
/ self by stating that this section is
practically ignored by the rest OF the
state. except when votes and money
are needed. ON the other hand, | am
/ sure that North Carolina and Norfolk
are and feel very close to each other,
and | am Weighing my words when I
say that Norfolk does more business
| with North Carolina, in fact very much
more. than she docs with Virginia.
! Again, and 1t Is a wcll-known fact.
: that tile number of North Carollnians
| ItSiNiuS w .N'il o'N 10 ShiiNieul To
! make Norfolk lin name, AZ we'll as In
fact. n North Carolina city. Not only
In number but In point of magnitude
4 Of business. | believe that North Caro-
\ liniaus, now residents OF Norfolk, can
make a better showing than native
born Vrginians. cannot help but
think that. ii Norfolk We're annexed
to North Carolina, 1t would be to tho
mutual advantage OF both. nor can
| see how Virginia, with much grace,
could make any serious objection. con-
| sidering how little notice OF and inter-
| est in us she takes.
would appreciate IT it you would
LOOK this matter over, and. II you ind
| II appeals to you. please say some
! thing and start something.