Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1852-12-08
RALEIGH, WEDNESDAY. DEC. 8, 1852.
FREE sIIFFRAGE DEFEATED!

Friday, that on that day the Free Ouhi"Se Vi" "<'S
defeated in the Senate. This was the work OF hf
teen Federalists and of the Speaker of that body,
the Hon Weldon n Edwards. The vote stood
tb;rtvthree for the bill, and fifteen against it. The
Constitution required that two-thirds of the whole
representation in the Senate should sustain the bill
in order to pass it; two-thirds of ffty-the whole
number of Senators, the Speaker included-is
thrty-four; consequently, the Speaker, in declin
ing to VOTE deliberately defeated the bill. If he
had voted in the affirmative the bill would have
passed; and so, if any one of these fifteen FEEDER
alists aforementioned had voted in the affirmative
the bill would have passed. and equality between
free white men at the polls would have become an
established fact in North Carolina
We have been thus particular in order that the
neople NAV know, accurately and fully, who are the
men who are responsible for the rejection of this
great measure.
This fundamental principle of free government
has been passed upon thrice by the people OF the
State. and ON two occasions they have approved
# bv sional and commanding majorities. Stron-
ger than party it has literally forced its way until
thousands of Wings have endorsed 1T even III OPP
position to their party interests and at this hour
from the centre to all the extremtes of this broad
State there are not twenty thousand voters out OF
ninety-five thousand, who will stand forth and de-
clare it as their opinion that the measure IS UNJUST
unwise, or hazardous to persons or property And
what it NAV be asked By citizens of other States,
is this measure What is it that the masses so
strongly demand, and which is so stubborniy refu-
sed by the distrustful and selfish few! Here 1t IS
let the other States of the Confederacy hear and
be astonished: Up to 1885 the Constitution OF
North Carolina provided for representation IN the
Assembly by Counties-that Is, each County had
Senator and three Commoners, without regard
to population or taxation. Under these circumstan-
ces it was deemed advisable that one branch of the
Assembly should be chosen solely by the landhol-
ders and every citizen who owned fifty acres OF
land and upwards, privileged, as now, to vote
for Senator'S and no others were privileged.
Land, or in other words, territory, was then the
only basis of representation but in 1885 Con
venton was held, the basis was changed to taxa
ton in the Senate and population in the Commons,
and the for this restriction upon suffrage
if reason it can be caed-ceased to exist. FEEDER |
era population was provided for and protected in
the amended Constitution, by basing upon it one
hundred and twenty Commoners. and these Com
distributed among the Counties ac-
cording to their population; and property of all
kinds, land included, provided for and protec-
ted by basing upon the taxes paid upon it fifty
Senators. Still, from some cause or other, this
restriction not rcnoved-it not provided, |
as the people seek now to do, that all classes, as
they are taxed shall be permitted to vote at the
polls for Senators well as Commoners.
1t is now Proposed-not to change this basis |
but to alter the Constitution so as to allow every
free white man, who pays taxes, to vote for Sena-
tors. The landhollers cannot suffer by this change
because they protected in the basis and because
they are not required to part with their present
privilege, but to share it with the non-landhoders
As it is, they elect all these Senators themselves,
and then throw into the Commons box nearly one
half the votes which are cast for Commoners Is i
this just? Is it right that they should have the
exclusive control of branch and in addition to
this, share with the observation-disclosures the privilege
OF voting for Commoners? Mono! Let Justice,
then, be done. Let the landholders either be res
trlcted to branch, or let all classes non-land-
holders as we'll as landholders be entitled to vote
for Senators. But this is no time to argue the
question. great principle of free government
has been outraged, trampled down, spurned from
the Senate chamber by the arrogant and selfsuf-
heent few; and that too, not merely against the
earnest remonstrances of more than two-thirds of
the non-landholders, but in opposition to the wish
eS' as the vote will show, of nearly twotEirds of
the andholders themselves! The people are in
dignant-they demand sentence of condemnation
against those who have defeated their Just expecta
lions, and not arguments.
The Free Suffrage bill, we are gratfed to state,
has been offered again in the Assembly, by those
unfaitering champions CT popular rights, Messrs.
D. T. Hill and Berry and we repeat the elo-
quent words of Mr.. Hl in offering this bill,
You may defeat this measure again and
again; you may imagine you have buried it /
put 1T will come forth again !; it may be defeat
eu' out not destroyed-it shall live, and not die !"
we raise once more that glorious flag. Justice
anu equality Of rights are the inspiring words
WHICH CLEAN from its ample folds; and triumph,
'D0ugn long delayed, SHALL crown the principle it
represents We repeat what we said few weeks
since, the people have demanded Free SUFFRAGE
and THEY SHALL HAVE IT. But thew m1st
fho,