Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-05-19

stitution, is divided into fourteen arti-
cles, ten of which are changed moreA
or less by the proposed amendments.
It is our purpose from time to time to
discuss honestly and carefully ALI OF /
these changes SO as to give the people
as much hight as we can upon guess
ton of such vital importance to them |
and to their prosperity. 70 will be
seen that the constant effort of the
Democratic members of the Conven-
ton in the amendments proposed was
to take unnecessary power from the |
hands of the officeholders and TO restore |
it to the people and to reduce the eKpen
ditures of the government. What
they sought to bring about was the
rule of the people and an economical
expenditure of the peoples money.
Let us see how well they succeeded in
their purpose.
The first article of the CONSTITUTE On
is called a declaration of rights.
Among these rights, the right to bear
arms is conspicuous. The convention,
without denying this right, yet deemed
it wise to condemn the practice of car
rying concealed weapons and to elothe
the Legislature with power to pass
laws Furnishing the practice. Whether
the Legislature will ever exercise that
power will depend upon the people,
for whatever power is given to the
Legislature is given to the people.
Both political parties concurred in
proposing the amendment.
The only other change made in this
article was also made without dis
sentlng voice so far as the record
| shows. and declares that secret politi-
cal societies are dangerous to the iber-
ties of free people and should not
be tolerated. The history of Radical
Union Leagues in North Carolina dur
ing the last eight or ten years ought
alone to be sufficient to convince white
men, at least, of the necessity for this
| amendment There can be nc possible
objection to the changes made in the
| first article.
The second article of the Constitu-
ton relates directly to the Legislature
and is affected by only two of the
amendments, as Sthe others relating
to it serve only to strike out dead mat
ter about elections already past
and gone-that is to say those that oc-
Cured in 1870. The first change is
that which requires the Legislature to
meet on the first Wednesday after the
first Monday in January next after the
election instead of the third Monday in
| November as heretofore. The reasons
for the change are obvious to any one
! familiar with the course of Legislative
| bodies whose sessions cover the Christ
mas holidays and New Year following.
Both business and pleasure make al
most every man desire to be at home
from Christmas to New Year. So gone
rallyis this true that with the increased
| facilities for travel offered by the many
railroads in operation the public SER
vice has suffered. IF the amendments
| be ratified the members of the Legisla-
| ture will be able to remain at home
during the busy time before and after
New Year and then with minds free
from care about private matters can
go to Raleigh and attend to public
affairs. The amendment plainly tends
to tie prompt and intelligent and
economical dispatch ofpublic business.
The other change in the second
| article relates to the per diem and
mileage of members of the Legislature.
1t fixes the pay of members at four
dollars day and ten cents per mile of
travel by the nearest route, but mem
bers cannot draw pay for longer than
sixty days for regular session and
twenty days for a special session. The
ordinance proposing the amendment
was adopted by vote of 83 yeas to 81
nays. No Democrat voted against it
and 81 Radicals favored it-precisely
as many as opposed it. It will be well
| to consider for a moment how much
money this single amendment will save
| the State.
The Legislature of 196S-'69 cost in
| per diem $176, 100.
Special session of 1068-'69 cost IN
! per diem $50, 900.
The Legislature of 1969-'7O cost il
per diem $159, 460. -...-
The Legislature of 1S70-'71 cost in
per diem $97.750.
The Legislature of 1S71-'72 cost in
per diem $63, $50.
The Legislature of 1872-'73 cost in
| per diem $4,000. .'
| The Legislature of 1S73-'74 cost in
| per diem $61, 200. ....... a..r-r
If the amendments be ratified no regu-
lar session of the Legislature can
| hereafter cost more than 81 600. and
no special session can cost more than
S14, 900 for per diem for it's members.
| This is certainly good start. The
saving in this one amendment alone in
one single year, compared with the
! average cost of Legislatures since the
adoption of the constitution, will very
nearly, if not quite, pay the cost OF the
convention twice over. The average
cost of regular sessions of the Legis-
lature since the imposition of the
Candy Constitution has been over
100000 for per diem alone for each
session; but if the amendments be
ratified that cost cannot possibly be
more than $41,OOO In other words,
the money saved by this change, in
| the first session alone, will pay
for the entire second session and
half the third session after the ratifi-
cation of the amendments. Is this
money worth saving to our impover-
ished people? We think so and we
believe they think so too. The only
special session of the Legislature we
have held since 1868 lasted IS days
and cost $50, 900 in per diem to its
| members. IF the amendments Der at