Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-03-11
Corruption In the state senate.


next State campaign"
Corruption In the State Senate.
We hope no North Carolinian will fall
to read the proceedings of the State Senate
on Friday last. The effort of Littleieldf
and Swepson's friends to screen them ano
their guilty confederates was as desperate
az il was shameful, and is, we trust, the
final overthrow of the aiders and abettors
of corruption and fraud to protect the
men who have brought ruin upon the
State.
We listened with painful apprehension
to the progress of this debate and relelced
when decency and honesty triumphed over
corruption and its friends. We wish every
honest voter in North Carolina could have
been present to have witnessed this final
victory in their behalf
The following shameful facts were de-
veloped in the course of the debate; MIR.
Swepsen had fed from Raleigh on Tuesday
night. Littlefeld was holding caucusses
with his party friends and threatening ter
rible exposures if they were not true to
MIN. He had been ordered TO appear
before the Bragg-Phillips Investigation
Committee at 10 o'clock Friday morning.
On Thursday night Radical Senatorial
caucus was held at the demand OF Little
field, which adjourned to his rooms at the
National Hotel, where an elegant repast
was served, and in a drunken revel nine
teen Senators pledged themselves in writing
to vote for repeal of the resolution ap-
During the progress of the debate Lieu
tenant Governor CALDWELL informed the
Senate that the Committee was well through
their Investigations and would report in
few days.
At 10 O'Clock on Friday Littlefield ap-
peared before the Committee and asked
for two hours time on some trivial ex-
cuse, expecting, doubtless, to secure the
repeal of the resolution. Smith, of Wilkes,
introduced the repeating resolutions before
IL o'clock, and at u O'Clock Littlefield
was sent for by the Committee. The final
vote rejecting the resolution was not taken
until o'clock.
The debate was very fine and exciting.
Messrs. ROBBINS, GRAHAM, JONES of Neck
ienburg, Love (Democrats) and Messrs.
LINDSAY and WE1KER Republicausj OPP
posed the passage of the resolutions in
able and telling speeches. Smith, Gallo
way, and Jones of Wake, only had the un-
blushing effrontery to urge their adoption.
Lassiter and Winstead kept away from the
Senate. We are glad to see that they were
afraid to sanction the outrage, even though
they were not brave enough to come for
ward and condemn criminals whom their
party desired to protect.
Poor Brogden, conscious of the wrong
he was committing and not entirely GALLONS
to the good opinion Of his constituents,
from behind the Speakers chair, almost
inaudibly muttered aye upon the call of
his name. In reading the proceedings af-
forwards we could see no trace his guilty
covardice had left upon the record. His
name stands there in eternal fellowship
with Davis of Montgomery, who embraced
his ignominy with bold defiance which
denoted partiality for such work.
Altogether it was the most disgraceful
scene which ever transpired in legisla-
tive body. There is something magnif-
Gently bold in this manWuvre of Little
field in striking contrast with the coward
~ pusillanimity of those Senators he had
purchased with brides of money and IL
quor, as charged by a Republican Senator,
to shield him and Swepson from detection
What care these Senators for the sufferings
of the people. What care they that seven
millions of dollars of bonds are gone and
nothing to show for it. What care they
that engineers and contractors and labor
els are unpaid. Little6eld is still gener-
GUS ; his wines flow like water and his
purse is still open. His exposure may i'm
plicate some of these very Senators and
will De fatal to the Republican party. It
is too late now to save themselves or their
party. They have forfeited the respect of
all good citizens and their party is dead.
The people will give it burial in August
next.
While this nefarious business was be-
ing pushed forward in the Senate, Messrs.
DURHAM, JARVIS and PoU opened an attack
in the rear, and the House by unanimous
vote adopted the same resolutions attempt
ed to be repealed in the Senate. French,
of this county, with one or two other ma
lignant parti.ans made feeble show OF
opposition, but gave way 10 the overpower
ing current of honesty and decency which
now appears to control that body.
Thus ended, we hope, the last effort up
on the part Of members of the Legislature