Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-03-22

session of 1s0s-'09, Sl01, i02 Nd, and far
the session OF 1S69-,70, Sig. Ar 10.
making a grand total of four hundred and
thirty thousand nine hundred and ffty-
eight dollars and sixty cents, ($430, 958 90.
or In other words, the Radical Legislature
was paid by the impoverished people Of
North Carolina nearly half million of
dollars. The cost CT the Conservative
Legislature is as follows, viz for the ses-
sion of 1S7O-'71, including ffty Thousand
dollars for Impeachment, $117,649 II: and
for the session of 1871-'72, the exact
amount cannot be stated until tire Auditor
makes his next report, but it cannot posi-
bly, exceed SIS, 900; making a total of less
than two hundred thousand dollars, so that
the difference in the expenses of the two
Legislatures was $238,OO0 43, or nearly a
quarter of million of dollars Did not
the late General Assembly then redeem
their promises of retrenchment and re-
form? To draw more striking compari-
son between the expenses of the two
Legislatures, take the amount paid to, say
for instance, their Enrolling clerks. At
the session of 1S6S-'69 Mr.. John A. Nc
Donald, the Enrolling Clerk, and his as
sistants, were paid the sum of two thou
sand three hundred and seventeen dollars
(2,317,) while ut the session of 1S70-'71
Mr.. w. j. Wilson, the Enrolling Clerk of
the Conservative Legislature and his as
sistants were paid the sum of seven hun
dred and forty-one dollars ($741,) so that
the radicals paid more than three times
as much as did the Conservatives for doing
exactly the same work. This comparison
in detail might be drawn dd infnit,n,
greatly to the establishment of every one
who has not examined the Auditors re-
ports, but let us pass by the smaller items
and compare the public expenditures as
reported by the State Treasurer. During
the last year of radical misrule, the year
1870, the expenses of the State Govern
ment are reported as one million one Eun-
dred and twenty-seven thousand two hun
dred and fourteen dollars and ten cents,
Isl, 1915 1O,) while during the very first
year of Conservative rule, the year 1871,
the expenses were only six hundred ard
forty-five thousand five hundred and sew
enty-nine dollars and ninety-seven cents,
($645,579 90 reduction and saving to
the tax-burdened people of nearly half a
million of dollars in ono year! With these
facts and figures, who will have the audaci-
ty and mendacity to say that this General
Assembly has not fulfilled its pledges of
retrenchment and reform? The only in
stance of fraud ever charged, and the
charge has been fully refuted, against the
Conservatives was in connection with the
public printing. But even granting that
the State was defrauded in the printing
matter, which has been proven to the con-
trary, yet the public printing for the Radi-
cal Legislature of 1S69-'70 cost twice as
much as the Conservative Legislature of
1S70-'71, the cost of the former being
$34,503 43, while that of the latter only
about 1900, excluding the three large
volumes containing the impeachment trial.
1.,.4.x Al
character of the members ofthe two Legis-
latures would be wasteful and ridi .ulous
excess. How refreshing indeed TO COM
pare such men as Warre1R Gilmer, Worth,
Graham, Jarvis, WEIGH, Waring, Ashe and
others with such rare rascals as Latin,
Estes, ParsOn Sinclair, Cuffee Mayo it al
Onlle genus! Against the character of the
former the venom tongne of Radical hate
and SANDER cannot breathe the slightest
suspicion of fraud and corruption. while
the names of the latter have become house
hold words in every corner of the State
No member of the Conservative Legisla-
ture has ever been charged with receiving
bride, whereas the sworn evidence, as re-
ported by the Ship Committee, proves
that hundreds of thousands of dollars have
been paid as brides to the Radical Legisla-
ture. The two bodies may therefore we'll
be said to be the proper representatives OF
their respective parties, and to aptly illus
trate the difference between the Conserva-
tives and the Radicals. In the coming
campaign these two parties will be arrayed
against each other, and will each call upon
the people of North Carolina for their sup
port. Which party then will the honest
yeomanry, the oppressed taxpayers and
the true men of the good old North State
sustain and endorse by their votes?-
CHOOSE We between them" Each party
has been in power, and it remains for the
people to decide which has truly repre-
scented them, for "by their fruits We shall
know them" HAL.
Pittsboro, n. c., March 9Th, 1872.