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


THE OFFICEHOLDERs. I'D
The Convention that was called to
propose amendments to the Constitu-
ton met and adjourned after a session
of thirty working days. Numbered
among the things of the past, il is now
evermore powerless both for good and
for evil. Its work is done and the fruit
of its labors may be summed up in the
brief but comprehensive declaration
chat at comparatively small cost it
has put it in the power of the people
of North Carolina henceforth to gov
ern themselves. ....s-.s.- g. g.
The apprehensions of friends favor
able to constitutional reform, but fear
full lest the movement that led to the
Convention might be hazardous polit-
ical experiment and the ISLANDERS OF
enemies hostile to any change that
promised to free the people from the
burden of the cast iron Candy Consti-
tuition, have alike proved groundless.
The question now is, not whether the
Convention can be trusted to change
the Constitution, but whether the peo-
pie of North Carolina can be trusted
with the government of North Carolina.
It was the purpose of the Candy Con-
stitution to take from the people the
power to govern themselves. 1t is the
purpose of the proposed amendments
to restore to them that power, and in
the amplest manner. It was the purs
pose, we repeat, of those who framed
the Constitution to fasten upon the
people of North Carolina q govern
ment that for years to come they
would be unable to change, and SO
has said one of the most influential
as well as one of the most unworthy
members of the Convention that framed
it. How successfully that purpose
was carried out is shown by the fact
that to-day after eight years of per-
sistent effort, wehave still to undo their
Infamous work, have still before us
the task of freeing the people from the
power of the officeholders.
The people do not need to be told
how anxiously and how unscrupulously
the enemies OF constitutional reform
have sought to prevent any and every
change in the Candy Constitution. Up
to the very day that it adjourned
almost, it was said the Convention
would take from the people the few
rights they still enjoyed, and that
their homesteads would be lost; but
the result proves the charge to have
been utterly false, and to-day the
homestead is as safe as any Constitu-
ton and laws can make it. Indeed,
the only proposition affecting the
homestead and personal property ex-
emption provisions presented to the
Convention for it's consideration was
introduced by a Radical delegate.
Whereupon it was promptly decided
to be within the restrictions of the act
of Assembly calling the Convention
and therefore beyond its power to act
upon in sany way. It was said the
Convention would discriminate in favor
of lawyers and rich men in exempting
property from taxation, but the Con-
stitution stands unchanged by the
amendments in that respect. 1t
was said that in order to keep
negroes from voting the Convention
would in the future require
of white men also property
qualification for voting, but the
amendments make no such require
ment. It was said the Convention
would not obey the restrictions i'm
posed upon it's power by the act of As
sembly calling it into existence, but
no man can point to single instance
in which the Convention disregarded
these restrictions. It is true that q
large number of the Radical delegates
In the Convention formally protested
in writing against being required to
take the oath to obey the restrictions
and against it's binding effect when
taken. The Democrats made no such
protest, but cheerfully took the
oath and faithfully obeyed it. It was
said that by the action of the Conven-
ton the sessions of the Legislature
would be heightened and the expense to
| the people increased and the truth is the
! amendments both greatly shorten the
sessions of the Legislature and greatly
diminish their cost. It was said that,
in round numbers, the Convention
would cost the people of North Caro-
lima the vast sum of five hundred
thousand dollars, and in point of fact
it has not cost in exact numbers as
| much as thirty-two thousand dollars,
| barely more than one-twentieth part
of five hundred thousand dollars. It
was said the amendments would not be
submitted to the people for ratification.
or if they were sui mitted, that not
more than thirty days would be given
for their consideration. But the Con-
vention did submit the amendments
to the. people for ratification and gave
thirteen months instead of thirty days
for their consideration and examin-
alton.
The work of the Convention has
come to an end and time has shown
all the charges made by the enemies
of Constitutional reform against it to
have been false, utterly false. The
work of the people is still to be done.
If they will only be as true to them
selves as was the Convention, all will
be we'll. Do we wish to be free from the
Candy Constitution or do we wish to
remain slaves under it still longer? That
is the question we have low to decide.
We can decide it just as we wish, for
the power to do SO is placed in our
hands by the proposed amendments.
If the Candy Constitution remains
unchanged it will be because the peo-
pie of North Carolina declare at the
polls that they desire it to remain IN
changed. If it be not changed now no
man in North Carolina may say that
its provisions do not represent the will
and wish of the people in North Caro-
lima. Which is the better for our State,
the cast iron Candy Constitution and
the rule of oficeholders, or the amend
ments and the rule of the people Let
the people speak out. The power to
do so at the ballot box is placed in our