Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-08-16
CaIdwelI's Election 10 be Contested

SRIuWeAl - EAecIIOn 10 ne
The Conservative press Of the State is
coming out every where in favor of con-
testing the so-called election of Caldwell.
This action of the Conservative press re-
fleets the wishes Of the people and is emil
nently just and proper under the Circum-
stances.
Let every fraud be exposed, no matter
| by whom it may have been committed, SO
that henceforth every man and every party
attempting to carry an election by unlaw-
| ful measures, may do so with the full
knowledge that there is a tribunal, both
willing and able, to detect the crime and
to bring the criminal to punishment.
| When this is done, and not until then,
will we have an old time-honest North
| Carolina election.
The following extracts show tie current
of popular opinion:
| [From the Raleigh Sentinel
We sincerely hope that our candidates
! will take immediate steps to contest the
election if, upon the final count, it should
turn out that Caldwell Il Co. are elected.
! They owe it to themselves, they owe it to
|
| pure ballot to test this matter before the
| proper tribunal. Let the ballot box and
the jury box become corrupt and there is
no such thing as liberty or equity left.
From the Raleigh News.l
Ten fraudulent votes proven in each
county will pierce the Radical bladder and
! expose the hOllOWnesS of the Oilice-hOlder' s
triumph An average of L single illegal
vote proven in each township will assure
us success. Freemen of North Carolina
| do you need to be urged to work in this
! good cause? on who live in the border
counties must be particularly active. Num-
bers of negro voters from Virginia and
| South Carolina were poured i'll upon you.
Expose these frauds Collect testimony.
| Keep stout heart, and all will yet be well.
From the Greensboro Patriot.l
In view of the facts and the conscienti-
| Gus conviction that great wrong has been
penetrated Oh the people of North Caro-
! lima, we call upon Judge Merrimon to take
| the necessary steps to contest the election.
| He may have some .elicacy about this,
| but it is nst on his account that ask.
! 1t is 4 duty that he owes to the people who
supported him, to the sanctity Of the ballot
| and to the vindicatiOn Of a great principle.
| Whether he or some one else occupy the
seat or not is but a secondary cOnsidera-
ton, but we do want the world to know
the system of corruption and pecfidy by
virtue Of which Tod Caldwell signs him
self Governor elect of North Carolina.
[From the Tarboro' Enquirer.l
| In view of all these evidences of fraud
| and intimidation we unite with other pOr-
| tiOnS of the press i'll urging upon Judge
MerrimOn the duty of contesting Cald-
| wells election before the next tgiSlatIIre,
and may God save the right
| [From the Newbern journal of Commerce. ]
TIE EIECTIoN-JUDGE MERRIMoN-HIs
DUTY.
The annexed article from the Whining
ton JOURNAL will be read with approval
| by every Conservative in North Carolina ::
1t is high time that election frauds and
wholesale intimidation OF voters in Moth
| Carolina should cease-that bribery and
! corruption should be baniShed from our
elections, and that the guilty should be
brought to punishment, and that Radical
ism should be taught that it can no longer
do these things with impunity and to party
advantage.
Let then, we say, an appeal be made TO
| the Legislature, and let thorough inVes-
tigation of tie recent election be had. If
the Radical Il ct has been elected by a
majority Of me legal voters of the State,
and III the returns OF the several counties
have been legally and properly made, then
all, of every shade of political opinion, will
| give their concurrence 10 the inauguration
Of the Radical State officers but on the
other hand, if it shall be found that gross
frauds and great informalities, for party
ends, have been committed, then let the
Legislature SO declare, and let it proclaim
boldly, not only the wrong committed, but
who are the parties justly entitled to Office
for the coming four years.
| Read the article from the JOURNAL.
|. - **
| -. From the Rockingham Observcr.l
! -4 MERIIMoN's DEFEAT. f.
/ Just before going to press, we have the
intelligence of the defeat of MerrimOn by
a very small majority. If it be true, that
Caldwell will be found on an official count
| to have majority of votes, then we de-
mand of Judge MerrimOn that he contest
the election, for we do not believe that
Caldwell received majority of the LEGAL
votes cast If, on fair Investigation
before the proper tribunal, it be established
in evidence, that Caldwell is fairly elected
then we shall acquiesce in their finding
otherwise. we shall not be satisfied, fol
the great amount ofillegal voting practiccc
by the Radicals is shocking to a people
making any pretensioEs to civilization.
Hartford, Conn.,, is making dozen IaWI