Wilmington journal., 1871-01-13

counties was entirely suDVerteu.
These are only Instances by way of illus
tration. of the evil effects OF electing par
tiean judiciary. But the elective system
entails another curse. At times OF exclt-
ing elections, men who are entirely urht
for such offices, are elevated to exalted po-
sitions on the judiciary, simply on the
score of party availability, because they
are good party men
Thus we have his Honor, Judge Jones'
indecent in conduct, disreputable in asso-
citation. and disqualified by drink so,
also, -Tourgee-the Cain marked, who
s ickles at nothing to serve the base pur-
poses Of a vile party. SO. also, his Honor
of SIS 900 bond notorety and him, who
mistakes brass for wisdom and petulant ar
roeance for legal ability.
Such Judiciary is curse to our peopl, !;
but in addition we have sable Justices who
cannot read, administering our laws and
determining our rights. fhen who practice
at night what tseis duty reapires them to
punish by dSys and Better acquainted with
the path to hog pens than with the plain
precepts of common justice. Farcical-
criminal result Of al elective Judiciary ! !!
Shall not such things be changed by a
Convention Shall not an attempt be
made to restore our old system that
during u hundred years preserved our
Judiciary so pure, so spotless, that no i'm
putation was ever cast upon il, and no
eh arge ever brought of incompetency or
of partisan bias against the Judges :?
FINANCES.
But by far the most important reasons
for having a Convention at this time is to
be found in the following sections Of the
Constitution
"IHe public debt, regularly contracted
6sfore and since The rebellion, shall be re
qarded as inriola6le and neuer be questioned. "
Sec. 6, Art. 1.
"JHe General ASSEMBLY shall, by dppro'
PIRATE legislation and By ADEQUATE TAX
ALTON, proUide for lie prompt and regular
payment Of tie interest of the public de6t -
Sec. 4, Art. 5.
Each member of the Legislature shall
take an oath "to support the Constitution
duo 10 1dlLAIulIJ u1oCud1S hAo uuOJ 40 q
member. Sec. 26. Art. 2.
In these sections plain duty is en-
joined on our Representatives they are
forbidden to question one cent Of the State
debt, and are forced by their oath OF
Office to provide by adequate td.cation for
the prompt pay ment of the interest upon it.
The majority Of the last Legislature, tC
curry popular favor, to delude the people
and keep their party in power, were rec
reant to their oath of office. They did mo-
provide for the payment of this interest
They did not do their sworn duty under
their own Radical Constitution. We viii
not say that they were men Of easy con
science, but only this, that for party pnr
poses they failed to discharge a duty i'm
peratively required by their oath. TIL
present Legislature is composed of mel
of different stamp, who cannot fell t.
obey the terms of Constitution they hav
sworn TO support, and to discharge dutie
imperatively enjoined, even should thei
action work great hardship upon them
selves and upon the rest Of the people.
But they are maOiHing to do this duty
They therefore earnestly appeal to th
people to change the Constitution in thi
particular that it may not be their sworl
duty to levy oppressive and destructiv
taxes to pay, ut this time, the interest ol
the public debt.
Now let us see what this interest is tina
must be 'Tpromptly paid by adequate tax
ton 2"
According to the Treasurer'H report, tn
interest due on September 80, 1870, wa
, So, 1874. 500 Is; the interest for the curren
year, in round numbers, is ST., $50, 900 OC
interest to be paid by taxation this ear
SIS, ,O34, 500 rs.
The people are oppressed ;lthe State well
nigh bankrupted, and a large portion Q
each county in the State has been sold b
Sheriffs 10 raise the taxes for the curren
year-not one cent of which can be ar
? propriated to the payment of this inte,
. est-all of it being needed for the ordinar
expenses of the government. Therefore
9 in addition to oul present State tax on
educational tax, our county tax, our spe
oial tax and our township tax. We will hav
another tax-greater, more oppressive
: more destructive than all of these CON
s bined-the interest tax for over S., 600,
7 900 OO'!
Can our industry stand this Will
not PROSTATE Us beyond human power t
recuperate Who can pay it !? Ho
many homesteads will be sold under it
n How many persons now struggling man
a fully to provide decent maintenance fc
their families will be rendered houseleG
g and homeless if this destructive tax L
/ levied ?
i How many farmers. how many artisan
, how many merchants, can provide tt
s means of paying their share of this into
: erable public burden. and thus save the
: homestead from going under the Sheriff
= hammer
But why levy it .? Why create all ii
# evil and misery in the land that this ne
1 levy is sure to produca Why impose