Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-04-03
TH0UGHTS For THE PEOPLE,
NUMBER o.
RADICAL INNOVATIONS !


no person, much less any political party,
has ever assailed it, The dignity, the vir-
tue and learning Of our Judges have al
ways been above reproach ; indeed, these
distinguishing characteristics have been SO
prominent as to elicit the most honorable
and complimentary commentator at home
and abroad. No one ever before COM
planned Of our courts or our Judges.
The theory of our judiciary system has
been growing and maturing for centuries
and the wisdom, learning and experience
of the greatest and purest legal minds that
| ever graced the world have contributed to
It's completion, end have sanctioned it as
the best adapted 10 the Just and economi-
cal administration CT public JUSTICE
The particular system Of judicature in
this State has been growing and maturing
for moro than q hundred years, at a cost OF
study and money incaclnlable. 1t would
be impossible to estimate what it has cost
to settle the tens of thousands Of ques-
tons of law that have arisen under our sys-
ten, from time to time, and that must ne
ces5arlly arise under any system.
i good judicial system, We say, is the
work, not OF q day, nor week, nor year;
it is the work of centuries; it is not the
workmanship of one man or set OF men.
it is that of the wisest, greatest and best
thing. 1t takes long time, and a vast
expense of study and money, TO settle any
system, and whenever established, it should
not be abandoned except for the most
weiglty causes. 70 90 so, is to keep public
Justice in a constant state Of uncertainty
and TO give rise to endless litigation and
expense.
Our people Of all classes have tried aud
approved our system ; they understand it :
it secures their rights, meets their wants
and extends to every man exact justice.
Why, then, are we called upon to reject
our we'll tried and established system TO
what end are we invited to adopt the new
and untried system embraced in the pro-
posed new constitution ? The proposed
new system overturns absolutely the vitality
lof the old system it destroys the old dis
tincti0nS IN peadlngs and rules OF practice,
and many Of the principles OF law hereto
fore settled at immense expense, as above
described, and leaves the whole matter of in
risprudence and the administration of right
at sea- without a compass. The proposed
system is new and untried, and it will cost
millions of dollars TO settle it indeed, it
cannot be settled in this generation, and,
more than this, the Judgment of the great
est Judges in the world is that it can never
operate like our present system. Ten thou
liciy fOresee, will arise at once, that will
lead TO endless litigation, uncertainty and
cost.
Under the proposed Constitution, a new
system, entirely, of rules of practice, and a
new code Of LutcS, are to be established by
| three men; at the cost Of six hundred dol
lars per month, and these men are to sit
| and make rules for courts and new laws, at
| this price for an indefinite time.
! The Supreme Court is to consist Of five
Judges insead of three, as now: There is
no occasion for the two additional Judges,
except to tiX up two more places for DOiiti-
cM fayorites, who will thereby draw from
the Treasury OF the State Sc, 900 Or s., 900
Il year ! Tho present Judges do all the
work and are not engaged over a third Of
| the year.
The number of Superior Court Judges is
increased from eight to treL0e This makes
four more high offices for political pets, at
a cost of from 10000 to SIS 600 year.
This involves four more Scholarships, lu-
crative places for politicians.
The Constitution provides for the new
office of 1H0yneY General of the State, at
cost Of So, 900 or 81, 900 year. What is
lie for? The State has done without this
officer from It's foundation. 1t, too, is for
a p0!itjcaI tur0yite.
This new system provides that each
Judge shall reside in and ride his own cir
cuit-thus causing that he shall become IA
miiarized with every case on tho circuit
and exposing him to temptations of bribery
and corruption.
1t aboIishes the County Courts, the PEo-
PIES Courts, that have operated so well
for the convenience of the people; and
turns most OF the business of that court
over to the CyelL of the Superior Court.
Such Il system Of offices and confusion
never was set up before. Allthe lawyers in
Chriatendom cannot understand it; the
makers of it themselves can't tell all it
means and how it is TO operate it is g con-
fusion worse confounded.'
Then this new system provides that the
Judges Of the Courts shall be elected by
the voting population OF the State. Our
people have always been averse to this );
they have refused to adopt the system when
the voting population irGS W1bite and intelli
gent. This is, above all other times, the
worst to adopt this method of electing
Judges. Seuenty thousand negroes are to
vote ; they don't know how to vote, except
as they are told, and we see, by the light
Of sad experience, that they are mere tools
IN the hands OF the meanest white men in
the land. They have learned, in a few
months, to vote solidly against decency and
the white man.
See what this system will lead to If the
Radical ticket succeeds, with a few excep-
tions, land they were placed on the ticket
as pure matter of poicy,) what bench
Of Judges we will have ? One half of the
candidates of the Radicals for Superior
Court Judges, are utterly incapable, notori-
ous!y so they don't know any law, and
they never will, for the lack OF capacity to
learn it. With such men on the bench,
what safety will there be for right Or pro-
perty, or life What citizen can tell when
he is to have the laws of his country adj
ministered It will be solemn mockery
of Courts and law to place such men on the
bench but they will certainly go there, if
the negro vote will take them there. LEI
WHITE MEN CONSIDER THIS
These Radical and ruinous changes are
the offspring of the vanity and ignorance
of some Yankee upstairs i'll the Conven-
ton. They ruled it, and introduced these
innovations, without knowing OF caring
fig about the consequences to our people.
they want to be able to say, that they IN
troduced what they call reforms in Constl-
tution-making. These changes were not
ro1r;rn5 l,v t}o LEGISLATION Of CONGRESS-