State

Роде Six THE STATE April 11, 1936 GOVERNORS OF NORTH CAROLINA - No. 60 — ALFRED MOORE SCALES - - By Mrs. Max Abernethy - OK Alfred Moore Seales who succeed**! .In г vis as Governor in 1 М8Г» it was sai<| that his political career began, con¬ tinued and ended with the res|*ect and esteem of the |*eople whom he served. A native of Rockingham County where lie was horn November 2«, 1827 at "Inglesiilo," (he family hom«*stead, Alfred Moore Scales re¬ ceive*! his preparatory idia'ation at Caldwell Institute, a famous institu¬ tion at Greensboro. In 1845 he entered the University of North Carolina where he was a classmate of Generals Pettigrew and Ransom and with them left Chupel Hill before graduating to enter the Confederate army in defense of the South in the War Between the States, hike Pettigrew ami Ransom his name has been honored by the University in its Memorial Hall where marble tablets have 1ич»п placed in recognition of its illustrious sons. A Gallant Soldier With most of the Southerner* Alfred Seales believed that a State had the unquestioned right to secede from the union. He favored peace but with honor, but if war should follow a* a result of secession, then lie said: “If I must she*I my blood in battle. I will shed it for the South and for my people, and not against them." When war came ho volunteered and was elected captain of his company by the vote of his comrades. Because of his leadership, gallantry and brav¬ ery. ho was successively promoted to colonel and then to brigadier-general. Private, captain, colonel, general, he was an ideal soldier, loved by bis men ami praised by his officers. General Pender said of him that "He is as gallant a man as is to be found in the service.” Wounded at Chanccllorsvillo and again at Gettys¬ burg, Alfred Scales recovered and ren¬ dered great service to the people of the State. General Scale- served five consecu¬ tive terms in Congress, and was then elected to the governorship on the noket with Major Charles M. Sted- GOVERXOR SCALES was one chief executive of !4'orth Carolina whose work apparently was appreciated by Ills eon temporaries. The State Departments of Health and Labor were organized during his regime. man a* lieutenant governor. He wa* elected to Congress from what was then known as the Caswell district. In 1 874 lie went to Congress along with the following members from North Carolina: J. J. Ycates, A. M. Wad- doll, Thomas S. Ashe, J. J. Davis, William Robbins and General It. B. Vance. The other member of t h •• North Carolina delegation was J. A. Hyman, negro, who was elected fr«un the second district. During Governor Scales's term of office from 188.» to 1889 the State con¬ tinued to make progress although not in n spectacular way. The wealth of the State increased which enabled it to keep pace with its needs in the erec¬ tion of the Supreme Court and State Library building, now occupied by several departments of the State gov¬ ernment, including the Insurance and Education departments. Two New Boards Created Notable achievements of the Scales administration wore the creation "f tin* State Board of Health and the Bureau of Labor, the purpose of the latter being to gather facts and figures of manufacturing industries in North Carolina. The General Assembly also passed a new road law which was in¬ troduced by Representative S. B. Alexander, of Mecklenburg County, which paved the way for the present excellent system of highways of the State. Prior to his service in Congress and as governor, General Scales taught school for several years, read law under Judge Wil¬ liam H. Battle and was license*! to practice in 1852. He also served as county solicitor, clerk of court and memlter of the General Assembly. Although a na¬ tive of Rockingham Coun¬ ty General Scales spent the latter years of his life in Greensboro which was considered his home. A Democrat at a time when bitter¬ ness and party strife ran high in the •State, General Scales’s campaigns were considered models. lie did not ques¬ tion the motives or the integrity of his opponents and indulged in no person¬ alities. He was a gentleman at all times, even in political battles, and regardless of the party opposition against which lie had to contend, he never used means to secure a nomina¬ tion or election which were not those of a gentleman. In thirty-seven years of active public service, in peace and war, lie held no position which he did not fill with honor not only «** himself hut to his constituents. A Worthy Executive Typical of the spirit in which Gov¬ ernor Scale* entered upon his duties as governor are the opening words of his inaugural address: "Always re¬ membering that duty and honor go hand in hand." This also typified Alfred Moore Scales not only during his term a* governor but as a man. His immediate successor in office, Gov¬ ernor Fowlc, in reviewing his adminis¬ tration said: “The administration of Governor Scales was so wise ami conservative in its character that hardly a ripple disturbed the surface of public opinion during his entire term. The wisdom and justice of her Governor established peace and quiet through flu* length and breadth of the State." Governor Scale* died in 1892, three years after completing his service as Governor, leaving a record of distin¬ guished public service to the State. At all times he enjoyed the esteem, con¬ fidence and respect of the people whom lie had served.