Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-02-27

1859. is $271,1s0 During the last
year the amount actually expended for
public printing by the present Legis-
lature was 1881, ,945. That is
$50, ,765 moro than it cost the
State for sixty years before the war.
Committees have received large sums
| as compensation for reporting favor
ably on private bills, and strong rea-
sons exist for believing that a large
amount of State bank bills, funded BY
the State to discharge her liabilities,
have been reissued by those entrusted
by the Legislature with the duty of
the cancellation. In the Judiciary
Departments evils equally as grievous
have been produced under the pres
ent State Government the Judges hold
their Offices for short terms; their con-
tinuance in Office depends upon the ca
prices of the legislators. The result is
that the duties of their high Offices are
discharged under influences and re-
sponsibilities necessarily adverse to
the independent and pure administra-
ton of public justice; the jurors, more
over, are selected by three officials, of
whom two are the appointees of the
Gov. The consequences are that the
defeat of an obnoxious itigant may be
made certain by these elections of a
jury, or if the object be completed by
these officials, the choice frequently is
made simply for the small pay of men
who are unable either to read or write.
In either case the ends of Justice are
defeated. In the Executive Depart
ment all evils culminate and it is open
y asserted and believed that the Off
ces are the subject of barter and the
manner in which such offices are
administered proves that qualification
has little influence in the appointment
of matters under control of single
individual; it is difficult to prove cor
but there is one state of facts
that always should stand for proof: A
large expenditure of money by an
official who is withcut an estate, and
receives small salary, establishes
beyond a doubt that the money
must come from some illegal source;
on this principle the two Governors
elected under the present Constitu-
ton stand condemned in the public
opinion. To detect and punish these
crimes is impossible; the Governor
the avenues of justice. In
deed, the entire system is one of self |
sustaining and self-protecting corrup-
lion. In most of the States there |
might be some chance of redress |
through the ballot box, but here again |
he State government interposes in |
barriers the elections are |
conducted by persons appointed in the |
interest of the officials and the returns
ire under the absolute control
If the parties in power under
'uch circumstances voting is
orm, and elections a mockery. Suffer
ng under such grievances. and des-
pairing of relief from the State gov
your memorialists come to
7our honorable bodies for redress; the
which th1s oppresses us
vas virtually established by Congress,
md while we believe they did not
oresee the evils to which it has given
ise, we cannot doubt that they will assist
n removing them so soon as they are
ltisfied of their existence. All we
ave asserted is capable of proof, but
as we do, that the evils of
which we complain are certain in their
xistence, and more likely to increase
han diminish, your memorialists most
arnestly ask your aid in providing the
roper redress and relief