Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1856-04-18
For the Journal.

! Mr. EDIT Your paper Of the 18th inst con-
tanned an article over the signature of g A Private,
advocat ng the propriety of making political eharac-
tdr and opinion test of qualification ter executive
Office approve of the views presented in that ar
ticle, an desire now. with your permission, to offer
some reasons why the Convention at Long Creek
Bridge ought to make a nomination for the office OF
Sheriff as well for members of the General AS
sembly.
The Sheriffalty is an exceedingly lucrative office,
and the knowledge of this fact renders it very al
Turing object to many If the County Convention
should fail to make nomination. there Will undouot-
eddy be several Demo ratio candidates IN the Held
AS consequence the Democratic vote Will lie scat
tered and the ever-watchful Know Nothipgs Will
seize upon the opportunity and elect candidate OF
their own party Should there be no more than two
Democratic candidates for the office, (and no nomlna
tion nv the Conventon,) look forward TO the same
result. And, If you Will 1olo" me IN snort caicu-
lation. think | can show that my apprehen
sions are not groundless AT the last Congressional
election the county poled about seventeen hundred
votes. Of this number the K. N. candidate, Mr..
Reid received sic hundred and trenty THREE being
considerably than one-third OF the whole vote
cast. Mr. Winslow, the Democratic candidate, re
ceived one thousand and seUentys1r roteS NOW,
should there be TWO Democratic candidates, neither
having the nomination of convention. and should
they divide the Democratic vote equally, assuming
the vote cast for Mr.. WinsoW basis OF calcula
tion each candidate would receive fUe hundred and
thirty eight voes just eightyUe votes less than the
number obtained in the county by the K. N. candi
date, Mr. Reid But will suppose another case:-
Suppose that the Democratic vote should be SO dv
Jed between TWO candidates that should receive
sir hundred and tWenyaro, and the other four hun
dred and fftyf four uotes giving one of them clear
majority of Democratic votes over the other, amount
ing to one hundred and siTtye'ght. Even In this
case the K ~ cote aCocld be sufficient to elect r.
~ Sheriff. IF there more than two Democratic
candidates, then the possibility OF defeat would be
still greater Is it not clear, therefore, that unless
the Democratic vote be concentrated on single can
didate, we shall run great risk of having Know
Nothing Sheriff? Do the people of New Hanover
desire sheriff from party characterized by blgory
intolerance, ana bitter hatred Of everything Demo-
cratic pa party which fails to seize upon any
Office within its reach, whose patronage and influence
can be used to subserve its purposes It's tor them
10 say.
But. there is another light in which wish to place
his matter If there should be no nomination, and
only two Democrats should be in the field one of
these might be the favorite OF the Democratic party
might actually receive three fourths of the Demo
cratic vote and still might be defeated. For, should
the remaining Democratic votes together with the
Know Nothing vote, be cast for the opposing candi
date it would elect him, and the Democratic party
would be substantially defeated IN county where,
with proper organization, victory would be certain
| can see but one way out of these difficulties
Let the Captains Districts hold meetings, appoint
delegates to the Convention at Long Creek Bridge,
and instruct those delegates how to vote In the Con
vention Let us have Democratic ticket for mem
hers of the General Assembly and for Sheriff. We
shall then know for whom to vote. Union and har
mony being thus secured we may laugh at the sub
terfugeS of opponents. TOPSAlL.