Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-12-19
LOOKING AaEAD-.OUEt PROS.
Poets.

they undoubtedly possess, were never |
brighter than they are at the present |
moment All that we need is a party |
organization so thorough rs Ia enforce |
party discipline. Nor can w" b2g;n I.
too soon to effect this organization. ,
Indeed the weak point abont the Con /
sentative party has been its disineh- |
nation to enforce party discipline Euf |
it is not our purpose this morning to |!
enlarge upon the Importance OF dis
cipline to orr future success "a 1t IS to |
refer to the Issues that are everywhere
cropping ont as the distinctive charae-
teristics Of the Conservative party, and
they NAV be summed mp in very lew
words.
Conservatives everywhere demand
economy. retrcnci.ment IN! reform IL
the administration OF pnblic affairs !;
they demand honesty and capacity IN
their official ; they demand Il strict
construction OF the Constitution, and
restoration Of the States of this Union
to their former relations to each other
and to the Federal Government. Let
us consider for moment whether
these principles are appropriate to the
times. \ Radical Legislature and
Radical Convention have burdened US
with an enormous debt that Radical
Judges declare vie must pay and that
Federal Marshals want only the order
to collect at the point of the bayonet.
For this debt we have received no
consideration and if compelled to pay
it we shall be utterly ruined. Our
common schools and our University
have been by Radical legislation
brought to ruin, and must now lam
guish for years to come for wan of
means to restore them to their former
usefulness. IT is evident then that it
was fortunate day when the Conser-
vative party gained control Of the Leg
islature and began the work Of ccono-
my, retrenchment and reform. The
change from annual to biennial scs
the State one hundred thousand dol
lars every other year. Do we need
honesty and capacity III our public
| officers? Let The evils that flow from
the ignorance of public officers, within
the knowledge of every one, who can
be bought or duped answer, the ques-
ton. We ask every man who reads
these words to pause and count how
many public officers of his acquaint-
ance there are who can be dupel
| through their ignorance or bribed
through their want Of honesty. The
! number Of such men and the cost they
inilict upon the country is perfectly
! fearful to contemplate, especially in
! those sections where men are elevated
to office by the yotesof negroes. There
is abundant need then for honesty and
! for capacity i'll pubic officers.
With the rapid strides the Federal
| Government has made towards CEN
! tralizatiolI and consolidation in the
| last few wear, with the reconstruction
! laws ana the manner OF their enforce
! lnent fresh i'll our recollcctions, with
! the evils Of The interference OF Con-
! grcss and the Government il the bust
ness affairs of the country daily excm-
! plitied III Tie terrible panic that is now
spreading gloom and ruin over the
| country, there surely can lie go need
to give any reason for maintaining the
doctrine that the Constitution Oi the
United States ought to be strictly con-
. strucl. All Of these evils are SO fresh
! upon us that it is plain to every one
that we ought to return to the practice
Of former days that forbade any branch
Of the Government to exercise powers
not expressly granted 10 ii Iy the
Constitution. If this were done to-
day the Federal Government would
once more use its mighty forces 70
maintain rather than to violate the
riSllts o. lis citizens, in Il word would
! be powerful only for good. The peace
aud quiet ara secnrity IL :,erson and
property in former days was the fruit
OF q strict construction Of the Consti-
tuition The Iawlc5sncss and violence
and labituaI disregard, by the Govern
ment Of the lives, tho liberties and the
property of its citizens of the present
day Is the fruit Cf that br"a,i cynatrtc-
ton that has made it 50 easy for
power 70 escape irora the many - the
few.
Eor need We SAY nDy thing Of the
| importance OF the restoration of the
States TO their former relations to each
other and to the Federal Government.
This too will DO one of the first fruits
of strict construction Of the Federal
Constitution.
This is, III brief, the platform upon
which the Conservative party proposes
once more to 60 into the fight with
Radicalism, and upon it We confidently
expect glorious victory.
But there are other reasons Why we
expect to whip the next fight, growing
out of the special circumstances CT the
next campaign. 1t will be remembered
that for the first time since the adop-
ton of the present Constitution and
| for the first time since there has been
any semblance Of freedom of election,
that there will be an election for
Judges OF the Superior Courts. The
present Constitution prescribes that
there shall lie twelve Superior Court
Judges, and that their term of Office
shall be eight years, requiring, how
ever, those first elected to be divided
into two classes and to draw for the
short and long terms. This first lot Of
Judges were elected at al election held
under military orders before the Com
stitution Went iuto effect, and drew
| lots to decide who should get the short