Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-07-26
THE SITUATION I'm NORTH CAR
0LENAs

cPSNec, 1nNOhoOhuS olu OpPASssArS ~ S~
people of the State, and is, in many OF
its provisions, i'll adapted 10 their wants
and condition" One of the objections TO
this Constitution is specifically set forth,
in that "the taxes rtQuired by said Con-
stitution to be levied upon the citizens of
the State by the General Assembly are
too grievous to be borne, and cannot be
collected without effecting the ruin of the
people" 1t wasnrged in the debates in
the Legislature that there are more offices
created by the present Constitution than
are necessary for the proper administra-
ton of public affairs. The men filling
these auperfluous offices must be paid
they will have good round sum for their
services by hook or by crook. They will
draw their salary from the funds of the
public, and if that be insufficient to meet
their wants they will resort to 'perquiS
ties" to make up the deficiency. They
will live from the peoples crib-right-
eously or unrighteously-by means fair
or foul. They are as the lilies OF the
field-they toll not, neither do they spin,
yet Solomon, in all his glory, is not ar
rsyed as one of these. The Wilmington
Journal states some of the Offices which
have been created by the Constitution
which the Radicals amended and forced
upon the people of the State. First,
there is q Superintendent of Public Works,
but there are no duties for the incumbent
to perform. He simply draws a large
salary. The number of Superior Court
Circuits has been increased from eight
to twelve, with Judge for each circuit,
at a salary of $4,000 year. And be-
sides, there are lightweight Probate
Judges in the State, whose average income
has been ascertained to be more than ST.
900 each, making an aggregate OF $780,
900 q year, which is wrung from an i'm
poverished, tsx-ridden people. The peo-
pie of North Carolina lived peaceably
and happily for century without
these Judges, and their services
can now be dispensed with without detri-
ment to the public interests. The entire
expenses of the State ought not to be
more than three hundred thousand dollars,
but the Probate judges take out of the
peoples pockets more than that sum.
But the Radicals were not content TO stop
with these offices. They created three
trustees for each township in the State.
There are Lightweight counties, averaging
seven townships each, making lS4S town.
ship officers, who think themselves badly
paid at an average of less than $500 a
year, involving an expenditure, which the
tax. payers have to foot of 1854, 400.
Here we have a number of offices created
by the Radicals for the sole benefit OF
eleemosynsry members of their party,
involving an expenditure of nearly OF
quite million of dollars more than had
been required for salaries before
the Radicals got control of the
State. No one who has not carefully
examined the facts, says the ST. LOUIS
Republican, can form any correct ides
of the outrageous abuses which the PEG
pie of North Carolina have suffered urdeI
the present Constitution. Framed by s
convocatioE Of renegades, adventureTs
crpet-bsggers and yagab3nls, this in
s,rument was designed solely for the per
petuation of Radical power, and to afforC
opportunities for Radical plumber. Ont
of these purposes, at least, it has full
filed admirably; for during the admins
tration of Gov. Holden the State debt
| which before the war was not more thai
| $14. 900, GOO, swelled to nearly $40, 900,
| 900; bonds were hswked about among
| Wall street brokers and sold at a shame
full discount, and the money thus raiseC
squandeIed in railroad speCulations, ant
worse than wasted by horde of hungr!
office-holdeIs, whose only apology for i'm
pudentrascalhy was their blatant 'loyalty.
a number of these blooming patriots
are already under indictment for embez
Element, and two of them are accused O
having appropriated not less thai
| $1,000, 600 in bonds OF course, tht
expenses of the state government
were increased in proportion, ant
now from 1850, 900 before the war
| 81 $780, 200 would have to be raised eacl
year, if the provisions Of the constitution
we're strictly enforced. The condition o
the state, however, is such that no reVe
nue. of this size can be obtained with
out absolutely running the larger portion
of the community; and the las
legislature, therefore, made no pro
vision Cor the outstanding in
| debtedness. In this dilemma the mass &
the people demand convention for th
alteration of The present, or the framin
of new Constitution. This is bitterl
opposed by the Radicals, black an
white, and more especially by the Office
holders, who have a show of law on thei
side, inssmuch as it requires two-third
vote Of both branches of the Legislator
to call q convention. The Conservative
had two-thirds Of the Senate, but wer
unable to obtain the same in the House
and in order to save The State from tn
dangers which threatened its destruction
they passed an act submitting the ques
ton of convention or no convention t
the people, and required the Governor +
issue his proclamation appointing the de-
of election. This he fatty refused to dc
and the Conservatives then passed an
other act, making it the duty o
the sheriffS and registrars of tn
several counties 10 hold an electio
on the frat Tuesday in August, when tn
people are to vote for or against conver
| fiOn and alqO To elect dol pOatna 70 col