Wilmington journal., 1875-02-12
EDsToxEAL RstESPoSDENt NtE.
RALEIGH, n. c., February, =, 1875.

long and tedious fight. All of ou
New Hanover negroes spoke. Brewing
ton, Lloyd and Moore, and like thei
colleague in the Senate, Mr. Cantwell
they all claimed to represent the white
people of our city and county. 1t wa.
specthcel long to be remembered. bu
one to be witnessed with far more
patience than that of Mr.. Cant vel
when the bill was on its passage
before the Senate, for the reason that
while the poor negroes excited pity
because of their ignorance and want
OF opportunities to know better, Mr.
Cantwel could lay claim to no such
exemption.
The negroes claimed that the bill
did violence to the wishes even OF the
Democratic party in Wilmington
that it was the work of only a few
people of that party, &c. Bill Moore
even went SO far as to say there were
two factions in tue Democratic party
in Whining ton, one headed by the
JOURNAL and the other headed by the
Star, that the Journal favored, and
the Star opposed the ball then before
the House. They were all, We believe,
constant and repeated in their deciar.
atoms that there WAS a division IN our
party IN reference to the matter, bur
as there was no Democrat here to
rouch for the truth OF their state
ments, no one credited them, aud the
bill passed by strict party vote.
With the government Of ;he city
OF Wilmington in the hands uf
a Board of Aldermen controlled by
majority of competent and proper
men, and the administration Of the
criminal law in the hands of an un-
psitzan and impartial solicitor aud an
unpartlzan and impartialJndg the peo-
pie of Wilmington and of New II ,novrr
generally will experience q degree of
peace and quiet and law aud order to
which they have for long yeare been
strangers. The law abiding men OF
the city have it in their power. by law
ful, peaceful means, to control the
municipal government. If they fail to
do so it will be because they lack the
will
WHEN THE NEW BOARD GO T:STo OFFICE
And just here it may be well enough
to correct an error into which the
Star has fallen in reference to the
time when the first Board of Aidvrnl>n
to be elected under the new law shaIi
entsrupon the discharge of their duties
The Star says that time Will not arrive
until August next. Ii the text of the /
Bill had been more closely noticed ii
would have been seen that the act ex- /.
tending the term Of Office of thepreseu6 .
Board until August had been express /
ly repealed. If, therefore, the repeal |
shall be effectual the new Board Will /
go into Office Immediately upon their
election and qualification. So the star
spoke a little too confidently. It is
true, however. that thereis a question of
law involved just here, and it was to
insure an honest adjustment OF that
question, by the advice of the best
il the Bill making it a misd. meaEor,
prInisha bic with fine Of two Thousand
dollars and imprisonment in the Peni-
tentiary for two years. in case any Al
dermsn of the city shall refuse to sur
render his Office after it's expiration
by due course of law. Two years IN
prisonment in the Penitentiary, after
conviction before an unpattizan Judge,
with the certainty of an unparhzan
Governor before that time, for lie
gally holding over will, | think, en-
sure the employment of !he very bes
legal talent by the present Board.
There will be no bluffing on either
side, nor any violence, nor any force
used. The question is one purely of
law, and one that the present Board
will decide wrong y at very great peril,
for it will be seen the Judge has no
discretion in the matter, but upou
conviction will be compelled to iufict
both the prescribed fine and the pre-
scribed Imprisonment. 1t WAS to put
the matter precisely in its present con-
dltion that the term of office of the
new Board was made to begin when
the term of Office of the present Board
of Aldermen shall expire by operation
Of law" that she act of extension was
repealed and that the penalty for iIle-
gsliy holding over was inserted.
THE UsURY QUESTION.
The best opinion here. / think, Is
that the Legislature will take no step
III tue direction of free trade Ill mOuey.
Ii any change is made in the present
laws, IN regard to usury, it will be to
make the penalties more severe, and
possibly 70 lower the rate of legal in
terest. The question has been much
discussed, but the end has not yet
been reache d by auy means. Nor do
object to this, for / am not one of
those who clamor about discussion i'll
Legislative bodIes. Discussion does
not do half as much harm as the want
of 1t. Ii is from the want of discus
sion that We have SO much crude. i'm
perfect and Injurious legislation
Wien laws are made without debate
aid critical examination OF their pro
visions, Legislation, as general rule,
amounts to little less tiIau log
rolling, in which one man votes for his
nelghbor's bill because ms nej4hhor
Will Sc for his bii. Certainty D
1u1nortant measure ought tn be passed
without thoro Igh and fulj exautl"a
ton aud discussion. And how can It
be determined whether or not u meas
ure Is "importaut' without exanoina-
ton and discussions One OF the
poorest tests of the inefficiency Of
legislative body is that based upon
the number of bills it passes. Il far
better test is that based upon the
number of bills r iected. The great
eVii OF the day is that We are governed
too much.