Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1858-05-12
stump before the people, as Mr. McRae will find, be-
fore Judge Ellis ia done with him


form-that he will have sample freedom Of movement,
without danger Of missing the plank. He thus reads
himself out of the Democratic party and the Demo
cratic organization though he declares in the next
breath that he has always been Democrat, and
that the records Of the party bear testimony to"
his service and fidelity" He soas, then according
to his own showing at one time faithful party
man; but now, according to his own showing ALSO
he is a disorg"nizer. He must have been, at one
time, platform Democrat, for the party keeps no
favorable record of "service and fidelity" on the
part of disorganizing, anti platform Democrats. If
he is right now in his sample freedom" he must
have been wrong when she records" to which he
refers being made up; and if he is wrong now,
as he clearly is, then 1.-THE records" are the most
impressive preachers that could be arrayed against
him. In bringing them forward to attest HIS former
"service and fidelity" he only renders the ap
parent his Detection his fall from Democratic grace,
his treason to his party and his old friends who at
that day stood by and labored with him. 1t seems |
the gentleman knows his peculiar failing, and does
not wish get the platform any more lest in his
high leaps after Office he might miss and fall
through.
But in 1874. 1916, ls4s, 1850, and 1852, he did
not miss " the plank. He got the platform and
stood there, with one foot on the Southern rights
plank, and the other the anti Distribution plank
Mr.. McRae claims that in 1910 he Democrat
and if SO he must have been opposed to distribution
In December, 1e43, the Democratic State Conven:
ton which nominated COL Michael Hoke for Gov
ernor adopted the following resolution:
"Resolred, That in the existing state of the coun.
try, the worse than exhausted state of the pub
lie treasury, and already large and increasing
national debt, the distribution of the proceeds Of
the sales of the public lands would be a
absurd impotc; and further, that depre-
cate the proposition made by of oppo.
nents for the assumption of the debts of the States
by the federal government, whether the same be
proposed directly by distributing the proceeds of
the sales of the public lands, as specific fund for
that purpose, or indirectly by the imposition of high
duties upon foreign imports, with view to the cre-
alton of surplus, to be divided"
Mr. McRae, therefore, in the campaign both for
Governor and President, in 1914, opposed distribu.
ton and did all he could to defeat the measure
He denounced and opposed Mr.. Clay because Mr..
Clay dstributionst. and he did this both the
stump and in the Signal" newspaper, of which he
was CO Editor. The files of that paper will show the
positveness and the ardor with which he then oppos
ed distribution. He regarded it at that day part
of the great federal scheme to perpetuae high tariff
and render the States dependent the federal cen.
tre He did not then propose divide the lands and
thus squander them among the States; nor did he
the propose to beg a pttance from the general
government with hand, and pay it back with
the other, with thirty forty per cent. added in
| tariff. taxes.
Distribution having been so signally rejected
by the people in the defeat of Mr. CLAY in 1884, and
other issues having strongly engaged the public at
| <I,,D Dn, No. &c
| and 1850, adopted resolutions on the subject
| The battle had been fought and won, and diSribu-
| ton was regarded, like national Bank, as an" OBJ
| solete idea" The national Democratic platform,
during all these campaigns, aforetime, had de.
cared it be not only inexpedient but repugnant
the Constitution and every Democrat was, as q
matter of course, opposed 10 it. To be national
Democrat Mr.. McRae claimed to be, was to be
opposed to distribution we'll as to a national
Bank and high protective tariff. Mr.. McRae
knows all this quite well do, and he no
doubt remembers the earnestness and the ardor
with which, from $40 to 1852 inclusire he denounc-
ed distribution in all its phases. So long as &c the
plank promised to give him spring forward into Of
flee he stood upon it, and praised it of the best
planks that ever graced platform. There can be
no doubt of that. ....-
In 1852 Mr.. McRae a member of the Demo.
cratic State Convention, and presided over it. He
then approved the following resolution, adopted by
that body:
"Resolred, That the public lands are the common
property of all the States. he held by the General
| Government a common fund for the payment o.
the public debt and other charges upon the public
treasury"
Nothing is here said about distribution, or about
"North Cardinals share" The lands are spoken o
as &C. common property " like the forts, dock yards
and vessels of war; and the declaration is that they
are "to be held" by the General Government
The above resolution was adopted in May. Mr.
McRae voting for approving it, and in June of th
same year the national Democratic Convention as
sembled in Baltimore. Mr.. McRae was membe
of that body, and appointed the recornmen
} daton Of his co-delegates, member Of the Com
mttee resolutions. He was thus special,
charged with the duty, among others, of consider
ing and reporting on distribution What did he do
He agreed with the committee in reporting the fol
, lowing resolution, which was unanimously adopte,
!. by the Convention:
!, Resolced, That the proceeds of the public land
ought to be sacredy applied to the national object
specified in the Constitution; and that we are op
posed to any law for the distribution of such pre-
ceeds among the States, as alike nexpedient iL poll
9 cy and repugnant to the Constitution,
2 Z" Repugnant to the Constitution !'' That is, i
e 1852 Mr.. McRae regarded distribution as uneonst
e tutionaL How did he overcome his scruples o
this subject? What new lights did he receive? Fo
in the of 1858 he took the field for Congress
= against Mr.. Ashe, and advocated distribution S
: earnestly that the Wings of the Wilmingto
+ District rallied to him and would have voted fc