Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1853-04-06
FREE SUFFRAGE AND IN. T.S STANDARD

AK
This great fundamental principle If lit
in the Senate of the last General Sy Tas
OF North Carolina, by The refusal of The SSmSly
vote In its favor. 1t received, If mistake oa 10
votes OF twenty seven Democrats and six VIII, the
Ii, and fifteen Wings against it. Tins ,y ulSs Tor
Mr. Speaker Edwards, OF either of these 6ftso That
mad 1t IN their power to have caused This orea,
lean measure TO have triumphed. 1t will t,n nePGb
he sovereign people of North Carolina bava ph
ecreed 1t, and IL shall be so. How Iong n c"lce
OF liberty! shall the will of the majority - ends
gardPd and foiled, by sach men as those sri, Sfe'
fifteen, aided by Mr.. Edwards, who remai"e5d0c
silent as the tomb? The people, hone. will as
that republicans are sent to the General Aee
bly,, instead Of these self wiIed arislccrate em'
as destitute of regard for the will Of the m.;ars
rock is of elasticity. The Wing party 5svoyy'as
twice beaten, in the eubernatorial elections "eeH
this local question, and with able candidates aP0R
SIDE Tor the next tour years they will be beaten aos
and again, and Free Suffrage will be trium,bs sla
What is Free Suffrage, this great question It.
which so much fuss is made 1t is, feIIow.ci,i"
nothing more nor less than extending to the man GUS
has not fifty acres of old field, the privege "a nO
for Senator well as Commoner: who 10 h. I'VE
present CONSTITUTIONS Of North Carolina unius,I ne
PIIved of that privilege. There are numerous A.
and demagoguical objections to this contemnIa,y
change in the Constitution Of North Carolina 80
which the people allowed 10 choose viii
equal voice. the servants who are to legslae fo, L
honor and their interest. To them, Mr. Edit,
need not reply, as they well known, and a. ~;
mere recital is sufficient reply in the minds or .m
( intelligent men. Who, fellow citizens, wopId ~
injured, should Free Suffrage be incorporated into ,S
Constitution of our State :? lrespond nobody W.
then do we haYe much opposition TO this ra,nl?
can measure? Whence does this opposition comaf
! All, fellow-ctIzens, we receive opposition from b
source whence all opposition has been received wba
ever attempt has been made for the extension ~
| liberty. This party which opposed this great ~
publican measure has been found ever since the s
nation of the Constitution of our Union opnos;U-
every movement that contemplated the extenson 4
liberty. Then We see, fellow-citizens, that the nT'
damental principle of this party, is to keep the DOW
er out of the hands of the people, whence it all CAM
and to place it in the hands of the few. need no,
mention that this is the Wing party, which protpc
strongly against the extension OF republican prin
cipses. Now, fellow cit liens, Free Suffrage !,
truly republican and harmless within ITSELF wbv mn
cease all opposition and let right and justice prevail
/ Why not yield TO the will of the majority No,
| withstandng the innocence and repubIicansm If
! Free Suffrage, and the desire of maiory of tho
/ people that it should become part Of the Copsin
ton of North Carolina, there those who still On
! pose 1t, with as much zeal and activity as if il,
| influence was as baneful as the adders bite. Fellow
citizens, all those who oppose this great Fundamental
principle of liberty, from principle alone, as good a,
TO you, that you either incapable of exercising
The power which Free Suffrage contemplates giyiDS
to you, that you too dishonest to exercise il
According TO the present Constitution of our State
| the wealthy people o. those who fifty acres of
land have the privilege Of voting for Senator'S who
represent their property, and also for Comm0ners
whereas the poor man is only allowed 10 vote for
! Commoners who represent persons. Now, fellow.
cizens, if the rich man has right to vote for the
Senator and then for the Commoner, contend that
the poor man has an equal right to vote for the Com.
moner and then for the Senator. There are within
the confines of my county several persons who pay
from fifty cents to dollars tax and vet, they arc
permitted to vote in the Senate, while there are
others who pay ten times the amount, made
stand back simply because they have not got fifty
acres of poor old worn out land that's worth fifty
dollars Although, Mr. Editor, am in favor of Civ.
ing to the poor his just rights, am nevertheless
for the performance of his duty to the government,
before he shall be constituiionaly privileged
else this rig hit. There as you know, numbercf
people, in each county, who. after having paid
tax, vote the remainder of their existence without
another. This is nothing but imposition and cheat,
and the mode, as | conceive, by which this may be
reneded, is to- 80 alter the Constitution TO gveO
each free white man. who has attained 10 the ageOl
twenty years, the privilege to vote for a Senator
as well as Commoner, provided he has paid his tax
for the year preceding the year in which he offers
his vote, and in he has not paid his tax, 10 be
disfranchised entirely. The why am opposed
to extending the elective franchise 10 them who pay
no TAX is, because when persons live in government
which is supported by the people, it becomes the
equal duty of all 10 contribute TO the support Of gov
eminent, and IL there any who unwilling to
perform this required dnty, they should be dsan
cnlSeo IOr the a00llIonaL reason tnd Iney receive
benefit of government by having all their rights pro-
tecled without giving up any of them. The PGInct
pie upon which government was formed, was that
should give up portion of our rights for the pro-
! lection of the remainder. This is just and wise
principle, one upon which all men should act. BY
Incorporating this just and conservative principle,
with the Free Suffrage Bill, we will obtain for lis
support some of the bitterest enemies of Free SUI
frage alone, and carry il through the whole constu
tional routine, with hurTah and triumph unparaL
al cd in he oil Carolina
NORTHAMPTON.
Pleasant Hill, N. c., Feb. Is, 1853.
PROPORTION OF Com To PAPER. Hunts Morch