Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-11-03

swallowed up in oppressive taxation -
support So stem OF State government es,
'entislly expensive. and q Radical extrava
gance without parallel 10 the historv ..
free people. VI
During the first two years under N.
present constitution 81, 807, $50 were cnI
lected from the people; and every doIIor
OF This vast sum was expended in the Cd
mlnlstration of the State government
an average Of over 100000 wear i
ABOUT ten times what it cost to administer
the government before the war There
belonged 70 the School Fond, derived from
States the sum of $l22. 200. This sum
was invested mostly in Especial tax bond y
and the fund is virtually lost.
These monstrous evils are the legitimate
traits of the workings of the present cor.
stituticn and radical misrule under i
The present organization fastens on tbo
people system of government essentiaIIU
extravagant-the township system alonos
making necessary about three thousonJ
100000 to 100000. It esrabIisbas
public debt amounting to $40, 0OO Ooo
half of which is confessedly dishonest Wv,
fraudulent, and which the people are mn
able to pay. III
Under this organic law the peonle oro
subjected to an intolerable nis-rnIa a. 80
hands OF the radical party. By means of
notorious frand, force and the sword tbo,
parry had absolute control Of the convan
ton that framed the present consttn,ion
and Ike control OF the first Legislature
that assembled under If; and although tho
people were impoverished, this "a ]icaI con
vention AID Legislature increased the nnb-
lie debt from $40. 900. 900 to near 40 00o
900 In less tEa1 eighteen months. OF ths
wv, OOO, OOO, less than $500, 900 have gone
into the public works or to the benafit y,
the people. This party placed in office n
governor who absolutely suspended tbo
constitution and laws Of the State he or.
rested scores of innocent citizens without
warrant or any authority of law; he ens-
pended the writ of habeas corpus and
dened the Chlet Justice of the State he
made his warrant from time to time on the
Treasurer for large sums of money with
out the sanction of law; he raised a lawIess
and mercenary horde CT desperadoes and
armed them at the public expense to exc
cute his despotic will. This party elected
to the Sta'e convention and tho Legisla-
ture scores of men notorious for their 10
norance, RIGHTEOUSNESS, dishonesty and
corruption, who at the behests OF their
party and knavish spectators increased
the public debt to the enormous sum a.,
ready stated. This party degraded and
disgraced the Judiciary by electing TO bioh
judicial stations men shamefully Ignorant
and C rrupt. and others who have NOT
scruped to manifest the most blatant par
tIzan feelings while holding their Offices.
This party have ruined the credit of the
State-:hey have blasted the hopes and
prosperity of the people in the most shame
less and defiant manner-they have made
every department of the government by.
word and reFroach. To establish the truth
of these charges we need but point to the
history Of the State for the last three years
and appeal to the observation OF every in
telligent citizen.
This Constitution and this party. with 4
radical, reckless and extravaeant admin
ietration of the Federal Government make
up the manifest causes of the sufferings,
poverty and ruin that crush the people OF
the State. The Radical party have brought
upon us all these eviR, and there is no re-
lief from them but through sautary
changes If the Constitution, and q
= change of our present rulers for others
who shall be capable, honest, wise aad
: patriotic.
The pIes9nt constitution is loose, il.o-
gical contradictory and absurd in many OF
its provisions, and it were well if it could
be entirely re written; but this is not
practicable by the legislative mode CT
amendment. Action will be expedited
by amending it in a few very important
particulars, for tho present, and leaving
general amendment to future time.
: In the judgment Of tie Executive Com
mittee, the Constitution should at once be
amended in the following particulars:
Section 6 of Article / should be so
\ amended as to strike out all thereof that
provides the iuviolabilty of the public
debt.
: Section 9 of Article 2 should be so
} amended as to provide that the Legsla-
ture shall meet regularly every two yearq,
instead of every year, ard it should be
: provided that the members of the Legisla-
} ture shall receive but $500 per day ard
10 cents mileage, and such pay for no
longer period than 100 days during their
term of Office.
The Office of Superintendent of Public
Works should be abolished.
Article 3, Section l, should be SO
amended as the Governor and other cfli-
GERS therein mentioned shall hold their
Offices but t1CO gears, instead Of four years,
as now provided.
Section 10 of Article 8 shouldi be 80
amended as to provide that the Gov
ernor shall nominate the officers there
in mentioned, by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate, unless other
wise provided by law.
Article 4 should be so amended as to
strike out section and 3, thus abolishlng
the Code Commission.
Section of this article should be strlck-
en- out, leaving the Legislature to regulate
the number and style of Courts. Instead
of five Supreme Court Judges, and twelve
Superior Court judges, as now provided,
there should be but three Supreme Court
and eight Superior Court judges, who
shall be elected every eight years. Sec
tions II, u, ID, IL. Is, 1G. II, Is, 10, o.
27, %, 81 and 80 of article 4 should be
stricken out, and it should be provided
that the judicial powers of the state shall
be vested in one Supreme Court and N
such Superior Courts and inferior Courts
as the General Assembly may establish.
Section of article 5 should be stricken
out, thus striking out the mortgage PROV
sion on all the property of the State for the
interest of the public debt.
Section of article 5. should be so
amended as to enlarge the class OF exenp-
tions so as to include "stock and proVi'
sions."
Article 6, section 5. should be go amend
| ed AZ tn nrovide that the persons therein