New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-06-29
NORTH CAROLINA.

rFRoM THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THB TBbVNEJ |
RALEIGH n. c., June M.-North Carolina Is
in the heat and turmoil of contest for state OnceIS
and the people appear to have put off to great extent
the consideration of national politics unin they nave
tonight out their local battle. The election takes place ON
Thursday August l. so there viii DE plenty OF time aite
ward TO organize for the Presidential campaign
Governor and full set Of State officers are 10 DC ohos
and also Legislature members of Congress ana county
ofscers The entire state Government from top 10 DOT
TOM is therefore the Prize for which the contendng
parues are struggling. The present State Government
&c divided between the two parties, tho Republicans nav
ing the Executive and the Judiciary, ana the Democrats
the legislature The Governor and other executive
officers were chosen four years ago by the RepuoeahS
who were then the ascendency; but their reckless ex
travagauee and the gross frauds in railroad oohds per
petrated the ensuing Winter by the Legislature reused
such inclination that two years later the Democrats OF
Conservatives as they styled themselves carried the
Legislature aided it is charged, by powerful KuKux
organization in some of the close counties
once in power in the Legislature the Democrats
thirsted for the other Offices, especially for the Judge
sbps which ran for long term Of years. The only way
10 get at them was TO change the Constitution Ihey
we're not strong enough in the Legislature to do TINS IN
the way prescribed by the Constitution but they hlt
upon method not mentioned in the organic law al all
and claiming that the people had the reserved nghto
hold Constitutional Convention whenever they WlSheu
they called q special election last Summer to decide
whether there should be Convention OF not Az TINS
election the Democrats beaten they deserved TO
be The majority against them about $780, The cleo
ton scarcely furnished fair test of the relative strength
of parties in the State, although the winning
party claimed that it did. Indeed there Las
| been nj no time since reconstruction an cleo
tion which furnishes basis upon which to predict
the outcome of the present contest Both parties ap-
near equally confident of success and each claims ma
iorty IN full poll of from 5000 to l2OOO Inc coloieu
voters in the state number about $4,000 ana tue WHITES
about 10000 party lines and race lines were synony
NOUS as in most Of Southern States the Democrats
would of course have large majority. They are synony-
nous as far as the blacks are concerned Tor every
negro is Republican, but there are between 2OooO ana
$4,000 white Republicans in the State This is the pee
liar feature in North Carolina politics, ana tRunder-
| stand it requires some explanation.
The wedgeshaped western part OF the state is mass
of high mountains, lying ridges, spurs and separate
short chains and peaks in bewildering confusion.
number of beautiful and fertile valleys lie among these
mountains inhabited by hardy, independent race OF
small farmers who owned slaves, were opposed 10
Secession and were faithful UnIoniss all through the
war hundreds Of them making their way into Tennessee
md enlsting in the Federal army. These men compose
the greater part of the white element in the Republican
| marty There are. beside few settlements. Of
| Quakers east Of the mountains, and these excel
ent peope are also for the most part Re
publicans. Scattered through the State, and es-
peeally in the counties controlled by the negroes
is a small element of who belong to the Republican
party because they get Office from the blacks Icy so
doing The small white element constituted of Bepubli-
cans from conviction gives TO the party IN North Carolina
a respeoabiy which it possesses in no other Southern
State IT has not however saved it from frgltful
corruption that has characterized its rule throughout
| the South.
Carpetbaggers and corrupt natives secured complete
control here elsewhere, and during the two years
when they had possession Of the Legislature frauds so
stupondou to be almost incredible were perpetrated
upon the people. The State, already impoverished by
the war; loaded with burden Of fraudulent debt,
and the proceeds Of the sales Of millions OF her bonds
were pOcketed in bulk by ring of thieves More than
100000 bonds issued Ostensby TO and in the
construction of railroads, and all there to show for
| this vast debt is bridge and mile and half OF
| road, built by Republican railroad President and 80
miles of road built by Democratic President The
! bonds were all sold in New-Iork, and, with
| the exception of the small amount expended as
stated, the money received was divided by the plum
derers 1t testified before the Fraud Commission Of
the Legislature that s24 900 paid by the Ring to buy
the necessary legislation 1t will be interesting to our
Administration friends who got enthusiastic over the
speech Of j. H. Harris the coOred delegate from North
Carolina in the Philadelphia Convention, to learn that
this Mr. Harris got $4,000 Of the corruption money
Harris was member of the Legislature at the time,
and received according TO the evidence the following
SUMS at different times compensation for his services
i'm helping put through the of the Ring $50,
s5OO $780, and $3.50 Ex-senator John G. Abbott re-
ceived the handsome slice OF $2OOOO-for legal advice,
|
no doubt.
These frauds naturally furnish the chief capital of the
Democrats in the present canvass. They swept from
power two years Legislature that concerned
in Them and they after the state officers Sew
eral OF these officers including the Governor, not
shown 10 have had any part in the jobbery, but they
were in bad company the time and have TO bear some
of the odium Of the rascaty of their political com
! panions The only answer the Republicans can make
10 this terrible indictment Of fraud to show that few
Democrats shared in the plumber This Is said to be
proyed It does not mitigate the crime however of the
party that the guardansh hip OF the States treasury
and credit to prove that portion Of the millions
which they stole and permitted to be stolen, found its
way into the pockets OF belonging TO the opposite
marty To demand relief from responsibility for the
robbery upon this plea is If thief should ask for ac
auttal because he had passed share Of his pnder
to receiver of stolen goods. The Republican party is
unquesonably fairly held accountable for the whole
| sale plumber by its Legislature
The mos1 effective campaign cry Of the Republicans
the charge OF KuKluxism against their opponents This
is their strong point and here they hit their adversares
bard and in a vulnerable spot The wretched crime and
or apOlOgiZed for by considerable portion OF he DenOc
racy of North Carolina now returns TO plague the men
who invented AZ or permitted IL 20 exist II the Demo
Gratis the coming election, II VIII be solely because
OF the Ku-Klux outrages which were perpetraed two
were revived last Summer to extent in Rutherford
and other counties The character, objects and crimes
courts and have shocked the moral - sense
all decent cSr %hSG weTo pdt BY anS
means, bat all Ku-Klux were Democrats. and their
Object was TO aid the Democratic party TO establish
white msn's government. This fact works principally
against the party in the state canvass now IN progress
and will have some effect, though In much less degree,
in the Presidential campaign II the Republican orators
could not retOrt "Ku-Klux" when the Democrats cry
"frald aud theft" they would be driven from the
field The Democratic leaders this and think sin
cerey regret that through The reekIessness ana oy OF
members OF their party, the KukluN monstr0slty was
0Ve