Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-03-10
Nlilnlington yomnal,
WILMINGTON, n. C.
FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 1876.
WHEN SHALL Dub CONVENTIONS
ME Ell AND SHALL WE HAVE A
SHORT Or LONG CAMPAIGN7

WHEN SHALL Dub CONVENTlOS
MEET AND SHALL WE HAVE A
sHORT OR LONG CAMPAIGN
We regret to see disposition on
the part of portion of the Democratic
press OF the State, to have a short
campaign this year, and looking to
that end to postpone the calling of
State Convention until the last of the
summer. Sharp, short, and decisive
seems to be the idea of our friends who
take this position. With all respect
however for the judgment of our friends
we think the policy of short cam
paign, promises no good for the Dem
ocratic party. Our cause has nothing
to lose and everything to gain
from the fullest, fairest and most pro-
tracted discussion. The longer the
campaign shall be, the more sure will
we be of victory, and the greater will
be cur majority. The people of North
Carolina are not q people to be
reused up to put forth their
full strength in a twenty or "a thirty
days canvass, even under the most
favorable circumstances. Certainly is
this true when we are laboring under
such a woful want of mail facilities
and while we have only the present
number of newspapers in the State.
Nor is the party in such stale of or
ganization and discipline as to make
any short campaign into which il may
enter certainly sharp and decisive. The
experience of last year ought to be
sufficient to demonstrate that the Dem
ccratic party cannot count upon its
full strength being brought out in
short campaign. If the Convention
CANVASS last year had lasted three
weeks longer the result would doubt
less have been far different.
The last census returns show that
there were i'll North Carolina about
21S, 600 voters, Of whom 140, 900 were
white and $4,000 were black. TIE
largest Radical vote ever poIied il the
State was that for Caldwell in 1872
He rece we'd ahou5 $4,000 votes, or
about 20, 600 votes in excess of the
negro vote, and this 10000 votes is
the outside limit of the white strer gtif
OF the RADICAL party III the State as It
counts as a lawful white vote eve1v
fraudulent vote cast in its favor
whether by white or black. Even,
therefore, if the Radicals do as we'll as
in 1876 as they did in 1872, and get
$4,000 votes, there are still left 20, 900
votes for us; that is to say, majority
of ZOO. Another consideration is,
that no matter how short a campaign
may be, the entire Radical vote will be
polled. The trouble is, that they
carry IN every election, whether tI,e
campaign be short or long, not only
the votes they have, but those they do
not have; that is to say, fraudulent
votes. The peculiar composition of
the party, and its perfect state Of dis
cipline renders this possible. Another
thing. The line between the races is
substantially the dividing line be-
ween the two parties III this State.
In this we have the advantage over the
Radicals. They cannot hope to draw
any recruits from our ranks, while We
can and do expect, By thorough Cali
vass, to gather i to our fold many OF
the misguided white men who have
hitherto through ignorance ard misap-
prehension voted the Radical ticket.
The outside limit OF the Radical party
then is 9S, coo votes, while our limit.
but not our outside limit. is
100000 votes. Our majority, and
not only that but our SUCCESS, de-
ponds upon the way in which we work
upon this margin. If We work hard
enough and long enough we can aud
we will win; if we do not We shall lose
When these things are remembered
it will be seen, it seems to us, with all
difference fer the opinions of those
OF our friends who differ from
us. that every consideration of
sound policy dictates that the CAM
paign should be 50 thorough and ex-
haustive as to reach every community
in the State. And this necessitates a
long active arduous campaign. We
must begin early and work late. If We
select good candidates they can not be
put in the field too soon. If we have hon.
est differences 20 heal in our own ranks
or if there be any refractory selfish |
spirits whom the good of theparty may
require to be br ught to a proper
sense of their allegiance to the party |
the delicate, and it may be the difficult |
task, cannot be begun too soon.
And all these considerations point to |
an early day as proper for the calling
of our State Convention. We beg
that the Executive Committee at its
meeting next week at Raleigh will care
fully consider these things.
IS GRANT CRAZY Oss IS HE ONLY
CORRUPT!
The eager preoipitate haste with