Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-05-26
THE ENDMENTs-THE Of
FICEHOLDEhS AGAINST THE

ceases 70 0XlSCs
THE AMEN DMENTs-THE Of
FICEHOLDEhS AGAINST THE
PEOPLE.
The third article of the Constitution
relates to the duties and powers of the
Governor and other officers of the Elk
ecutive Department of the Govern
ment and is affected by tne amend
ments in only two particulars.
The last change made in this article
of the Constitution provides for tie
establishment of department of Ag-
riculture, immigration and Statistics.
and for the enactment of laws for the
adequate protection and encourage
ment of sheep husbandry. This
amendment was proposed at the
request of the State Grange and was
passed without dissenting voice, SO
far as the record shows, from either
party. 1t was put in at the request
of farmers for the benefit of farmers.
The first change greatly curtails the
power of the Governor. The one-man
power has never been beloved in
North Carolina. Our people have
always preferred to hold the reins of
government in their own hands. It
was so in 1915 and it was SO in 1885.
Indeed in the latter year when a dis
tineuished member on his return home
from the Convention of that year was
asked what power the governor had,
replied "only the power to draw his
salary"
A hundred years ago our people
went into o long and bloody war to
destroy the one-man power in North
Carolina. Wat led to the war was
the fact that the officeholders had all
the power and the people had none.
Aud SO it is now under the Candy
constitution. But more fortunate than
our ancestors, we are able to strip
oppressive power without going to
war. All we have to do is to 60 to the
ballot box. What it took them seven
years to accomplish We can do in one
day. Only let the amendments be
ratified and the people of North Car
olina will have the government of
North Carolina in their own hands and
beyond recall.
But the relief will come not a mo-
ment too soon. It will be RENE .nbe, ed
that since the Candy Constitution was
imposed upon US. Radical Governors
aided by Radical Supreme Court
have stripped the Legislature of well
nigh every power it possessed. It
must be remembered too that to strip
the Legislature of power is to strip
the people of power, for the Legisla-
ture represents the people. So far
had this gathering of power into one
mans hand gone that the most petty
Office created by the Legislature had
to be filed by the Governor. The re-
suit was that the Governor was all
powerful and the Legislature was per-
fectly helpless. The proposed amend
ments take from the Governor this
great power and restore ii to the Leg
islature, and in restoring it to the
Legislature restore it to the people
The Governor can henceforth, if the
amendments be ratified, appoint only
those officers whose offices are
established by the Constitution
itself, and whose appointments are not
therein otherwise provided for. With
this great patronage taken from him
the Governor will lose much of his
tyranous powsr and evil Influence
that have so injuriously affected the
State in late years.
Ii the amendments shall be ratified
our friends in Orange and Alamance
and Caswell need fear no more Kirk
wars with all the horrors that come in
their train.
The pc. pie of North Carolina have
found from bitter experience that
it Is not safe to put too much
power into the hands of their
Governors.
Holden, Caldwell and Brogden
have each and every one
of them shown that the one-mau
power ought no longer to be permitted
to exist in North Carolina. So thought
at least the Democratic members of
the convention, but so do not the Rad
ical members of that body. Not a
single Radical member voted for the
amendment taking power from tie
Governor and restoring it to the peo-
pie. while not q single Democr attic
member voted against it. It surely
needs no further proof to show which
party is the peoples party.