Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-08-28
gsrC as IsASI. 4 cory s:N'zssr.

t.nrIy has just 81. cto1 ,.vt.i rt Tia
eight Congressman, six OF tho s'IEla
Ju.lgaa, ana more imiartnnt still, two
thirds of tho mcmbors of each Hons
o. the General Assembly. The. ca!
tin, Il be no doubt i.s 70 .!,o power .
that pnrty to u,lmiiistcr the STATE
governmnnt IA it may desire, nf "f II
responsibility for the eX"rcito "f !hr
power How then Gnos the Demo
cratic -C,nvervntive purity propnac t.
execute the great trust ooniidcd to 1T
1t will not do merely to say that We
propose to administer tho government
for the best interests Of tho people oi
the state. The people domniifi. and
properly demand. something more
definite and substantial than more
empty declarations; nor will they long.
er listen to excuse or pardon dolny-
The time for excuses and for delaye
has passed and fail, final action must
now DO had. There is now no check
upon the Democratic party i'll any pol
icy it may desire to adopt. Nothing
can now thwart its will. If there be
obstructing statutes. they can DO 70
pealed if there bo an obstructing
constitution, it can be changed. TIE
Democratic Conservative party is now
nll powerful i'll North Carolina. With
it's two-thirds representation IN the
Legislature it can Call q convention of
the people and without delay change
the Constitution so as TO conform its
wants. There il no grievance grow
ing out of the Constitution that tho
sovereign people in convention assem-
bled cannot remedy.
Are there any grievances then p? If
there be no grievances growing ont Of
the Constitution and beyond the power
of the General Assembly to remedy by
ordinary legislation, then is the Dem
ocratic- Conservative party fraud and
its whole life lio
From the adoption of the Constitu-
II'pH, ok AuClLSI 1IoLI oi ltS liz
position upon rs by Canby's bayonets,
to the present time, We have constant
" protested in the most solemn man.
ner that under its provisions, peace
and prosperity, and good government
are simply impossible, nnd that to
degree, unequalled IN the history of
written constitutions, tho Radical con
B.itution of North Carolina is unjust
and oppressive rs we'll in the prOvis-
it docs contain, rs in those it doos not
contain. Livery day That l'asseH de-
velopes some new proof Of this.
What is palmer now, for instance,
than that Judge should not be con-
fined to his own circuit ? Is thoro n
man who does not ace how greatly it
would tend to purify the administra-
ton Of our laws, if our Judges were
required to ride tho several circuits in
regular turn? And then too, will it
not be be an act of simple irsticH to
the white people in the negro circuits
to relieve them from the constant
burden OF Radical Judges II it inst,
is it generous to forget onr vhito
brethren in counties liko Halifax and
Craven and EdgcCombn and Pitt
Is there an honest man III North
Carolina who thinks felon convicted
OF larceny or forgery or perjury or
other infamous crime, orght to be al
lowed to vote And yet until o'lr
Constitution shall bo changed snch
feIons can vote equally with the best
and purost in the land ! How many
convicted felons ai 10 there i'll the Etnte
who voto regularly and with which
party do they vote
Is thore a man In the State who
thinks citizens ought not only to ro-
ceivc tho protection of The government
without charge, but also to have
voice in shaping its policy without
contributing something to its support?
And yet our tax books show that The
Ought not every voter to be required
to show his poll-tax receipt before he
votes 1t can not DO done, however,
30 long az tho present Constitution re-
mains unaltered.
Two years from now there will be
hot contest in North Carolina. A
Governor is to be voted for and q
President, and we havo no time to lose
II we would fight that great battle
from the vantage ground that n good
constitution, good laws and good gov
ornmont will give us.
1t will be we'll to remember too that
the Supreme Court of North Carolina,
composed Of five Radical Judges, III
four of whom the people have no con-
tldence, Is now considering the Iues-
ton whether the eight amendments to
the Constitution, ratified last year,
were legally adopted. Solomon Pool
claims before that Court to be still
resident of the University for the
reason that the amendments to the
Constitution authorizing the Legisla-
tnre to appoint the new Board of
Trustees that turned him out were
not constitutionally adopted. The
case ought to have been decided at
the June Term of the Court. 1t was
not decided, but was postponed until
January Term.
Ii IL be true, rs is believed, that the
Nouft has in fact decided that the
amendments, in spite of their ratifica-
tion by the people. are not properly
parts OF the Constitution, in what con-
uition will we find ourselves. The
debt obligation will still be in force;
the census must be taken next year at
a cost to the State of at least $3.50, 900;
Solomon Pool will still be President of
She University; the State must still 20
:" tie expense of having annual ses-
slons of the Legislature; old man Silas