THE STATE
May 2, 1936
GOVERNORS OF NORTH CAROLINA
No. 63- ELIAS CARR -
By Mrs. Max Abernethy
E
Will
Alii
lOUt
mug
the
race
I LIAS CARR, the Dem¬
ocratic nominee for
governor in 1892, wax
elected after a bitter three-
cornered campaign w i t b
Judge David M. Fu relics, Ro-
piiblican, and Dr. Wyatt I’.
Kxum, Populist.
Disaffection existing in tliu Demo¬
cratic party toward tin: elo.se of Gov¬
ernor llolt ' administration, particu¬
larly among tbe agricultural classes,
prevented Holt's re-nomination in the
Democratic state convention on May 18,
1892.
Л
number of compromise candi¬
dates were offered and ballot's! ujmn but
a nomination being reached,
ougli urged by hi* friends to enter
Mr. Carr had consistently de¬
clined to do so. After a stormy session
of the convention, however, contending
factions centered oil him and he wn*
nominated.
The Farmers' Alliance
The Farmers' Alliance at this time
was recognized as a power politically,
hut politicians in the Alliance did not
-how good faith in the ensuing cam¬
paign. Although they had participated
hi the Democratic primaries and in the
.State convention and had Im-cii largely
instrumental in defeating Governor
Holt, vet when one of their own mem¬
bers, Mr. <’arr, wn» nominated they
bolt'd tlie ticket and formed a third
party, the Populist*. Despite the dis¬
affection in the parly Mr. Carr was
elected by a plurality of 35.IHHI over hi*
two opponents. He was inaugurated
.1 a nuary 18, 1893.
Governor Carr was the soil <>f Joints
Johnston and Kli/als'lh Hilliard I'arr.
Hi* grandfather, for whom lie was
named, was Pitt County's representa¬
tive in the North Carolina House of
«
'ominous in 1810. The Carrs came orig¬
inally from Virginia and were resident*
of that part of Greene County which
was formerly Glasgow. Elia* Carr was
a resident and native of Edgecombe
County, having been horn at Brace-
bridge, the Carr estate, near the village
of Old Sparta, February 25, 1839.
A student at The Oaks, a famous
school in Orange County which was con*
ducted by William .1. Bingham, and
LI1ASE of Iho INorlli Carolina rail-
rood. a more juM lax system and
proper eiieoiiragenic'iit for (he Slate
Guard. . . . Those wore some of the
outstanding points in Governor
Carr's administration.
then at the
Г
ni versify or North Caro¬
lina for two years, 1855-57, he subse¬
quently attended the I’niversity of Vir¬
ginia. Upon the completion of his edu¬
cation lie returned to Kdgcconihe Coun¬
ty ami purchased his brother's interest
in Kruecbridge, tbe plantation which
had I
«осп
inherited jointly hv them upon
the death of their father, lie was mar¬
ried in
185П
to Miss Eleanor Kearny,
a daughter of William K. Kearny, of
Warren 4 'utility.
A Prosperous Farmer
For a number of years after the War
Between the States Mr. Carr was one
of the State’* most successful agricul¬
turists. He was prominently identified
with the Farmers' Alliance before the
organization
1м-ептс*о
largely political,
being one of the members who sought
to keep it out of partisan polities. In
18111 lie was elected president of the
Alliance and the membership, under hi-
leadership, grew to about ninety thous¬
and.
Governor Chit was a friend of educa¬
tion and urged better roads, saying in
hi- inaugural addro*- that "The present
system i* a failure and the road* a dis¬
grace to eivili/.ution." He also recom¬
mended a more just tax system, better
provi*i«n for the churitahle institutions
and proper encouragement for the State
Gun rd.
Two very striking changes were made
during Governor Carr's administration.
For some time the county commission¬
ers had been selected by the magistrates
of each county. The General Assembly
directed that thereafter those commis¬
sioner* should lie chosen by a direct vote
of the people. The General Assembly
also passed the six-percent interest act,
making it. unlawful for money-lenders
to charge borrowers more than six per¬
cent interest.
During Governor Carr's administra¬
tion and with his sanction the North
Carolina Railroad was
leased to the Southern Rail¬
way for a period of ninety-
nine years. This lease was
effected on August 16,
181>5. There was some ad¬
verse criticism of the gov¬
ernor's action, both Gover¬
nor Russell, in his official capacity,
and the Farmers' Alliance employed
counsel and brought suit in tbe courts
to have the lease annulled. Their ef¬
forts, however, were unsuccessful. It
was Governor Carr's contention a* well
as the contention of the private stock¬
holders that the lease at seven percent
was a good investment for the State.
A Timely Admonition
The Democrats were in a minority
in the General Assembly of 1895, be¬
ing controlled by the Fusionists, a
coalition of Republicans and Pop¬
ulists, In closing his message to that
l»ody Governor Carr gave this admoni¬
tion :
"The past history of a clean, success¬
ful stale government, free from reck¬
less ex|ienditure*, honest and economi¬
cal in administration, is behind you — a
part of the record of the party who now
turn* over to you the future adminis¬
tration of the State, so far as pertains
to legislation. Believing that you have
the best interests of your State at heart,
I trust that you will In* wise, judicious,
and careful in your enactments, and
economical in expenditures. I do not
counsel that economy which amounts to
rendering useless any institution now in
existence, and hope they will receive
your careful investigation and liberal
appropriations."
Governor Carr's admonition was
timely but history record* that it was of
little avail. The following General As¬
sembly, in 18il7, saw the Fusion is t8 in
complete charge with a Republican gov¬
ernor whicb left behind a disgraceful
record.
After the expiration of his term, Gov¬
ernor Carr ‘cturned to his home in
Edgecombe C unity, dying July 22, 1900,
in the same house in which lie was born,
at the age of 61.
