Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1852-12-08
FREE SUFFRAGE.


majority to the Free Suffrage bill and that meas
ure-the vote having been reconsidered-await
to-day (Fnday) final action in that body.
1t would be useless, at this time of day-in tn
high noon of the nineteenth century, and amid th
full blaze of political equality at the ballot-boz
which pours in upon US from thirty sovereign State
OF the Confederacy-to argue the question of Ere
Suffrage, or to enlarge upon its claims upon al
hearts and judgments as measure founded il
right, truth, and justice. The hour for argumen
has gone by. Three times, and in sounds g loue
as seven thunders uttering their voices, have tht
people of this State proclaimed for this change il
their fundamental law. pisregarded at first, o,
rather not sufficiently regarded, they issued thei,
commands again and again, until at length the;,
House of Commons, animated by sense of duty
and of right, gave to the bill more than the Con.
stitutional strength necessary to perfect it in tha,
body; and now it vibrates in the Senate between
defeat and triumph-in the Senate, where the land.
holders alone can speak, and where, if this meas.
ure Is defeated, excusiveness the remnants of feu
dal arstocracy, and all the preudces which belong
to class legislation will have won the day over the
ascertained, the undoubted will of the freemen
of the State. More than this-f Free Suffrage j,
defeated, that defeat will be recorded in the face
Of the fact that nearly too-thirds of the landhol
ders themselves are in favor of the change, as is
evidenced by the vote of the Senate on Tuesday
And has it come this? Are we still to be told
that the landholdes are to rule, if they choose
in both branches of the Assemblys Is it nothing
to the taxpayer who owns no land, or to the tax,
payer who owns less than fifty acres, that the land
holders elect one branch of the Assembly of them
selves and by themselves and then turn to the Com
mons box and cast, of the fifty thousand votes
thrown into that box, forty thousand? Is it moth
ing to the man of stocks, of money at interest," OF
who owns slaves and real estate, that his taxes to
the State are estimated in apportioning the Senate
and Senators actually based upon them, and then
he is refused the right Of voting for these Senators
Away with such an unjust discrimination Away
with the doctrine that the people are not to be
trusted with their own government! Away with
the idea that the nonlandhoders would oppress the
landholders. or infringe their rights of property
If the absurd notion of having one class of men
to vote in one box and another class in another is
to prevail, then provide at once that the 'andhol-
ders shall vote olv for Senators and the non-and-
holders, as now, only for Commoners. The truth
is, the leading and governing principle in establish
ing representation in all free government is this
The Senate is based upon property of all kinds
that is, upon the taxes paid this property, and
the Commons or House of Delegates on population
that is, there is one Commoner or Delegate for
given number of that population; and then, as
matter of course, all property, all classes and all
interests being represented provided for taken care
of in the basis of apportionment all classes ought
to be allowed to vote. This is the rule; and this
rule cannot be successfully assailed.
tits agratifying fact that every Democratic mem
Der of the Commons is in favor of this measure,
and that every Democratic member on the floor Of
the Senate voted for it on Tuesday-Mr. Hoke hav-
ing voted in the negative in order to obtain the
right to move reconsideration. Fifteen Wing
votes we're cast against it in the Senate, and some
of the Wings refused to vote. THE Wing mem
6ers of the Senate haze the poaoer to pass the b'H
and, if it should fail, the Whsg party sosU be held
responsible before the people for its failure. The
Wing members it is understood, hove caucased
upon it-caucused upon proposition to establish
equality between citizen and citizen at the ballot
box; and upon their heads therefore, as party, Ut
the bill should be defeated will the whitening judg
ment OF the people fall. We pledge ourselves to
this contest, now and hereafter. This judgment
shall find voices in every quarter OF the State.
shall peal, like the trump of docm upon the ear o.
many a Senator, who, at home, makes fine profes'
sions Of respect for the public WILL but who here dis
regards and tramples down that will. The East
the West, the North, and the South ,0iU speak a.
gain, but they ,oiA speak through other men unit
the work is accomplished.
But we still hope for better result. We still
hope that some of those Wings in the Senate wh'
refused to vote on Tuesday, or who voted agains
the bill will reconsider the matter and conclude t.
lend their aid. All that is asked of them is, t
mt the measure before the people if they APPROX
it at the polls it will be WE'LL for the act will be tn
peoples if they dsapprove it, we shall bow in 81
lence to their verdict. Is not this fair Can an.
one, sobo Is milling to- give The people final hea'
ina, object to ita We shall see. *s
The obsequies in memory Of Daniel Webste
which took place in Boston on the aoth instant
we're magnificent. The procession was immens'
Geperal Pierce was present. An Grafton was Dc
lvered at Fapeuil Hall by George s. billiard, Esq
Of that City. 4
>Tb. saecie entered at Panama during the mont
of October amounted to $5,200, 900.