National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-12-26
North Carolina Coming Into the Union


Last summer S campaign in North Caro-
lima was most singular one and but lit
tie understood. 1t was not for the cleo
tion of officials, but merely for the rati-
fication or rejection of a statute i'hmitted
to the popular vote by Bourbs. lcgisla-
ture This proposed law was but the sup
Elementary part of a most unprecedented
and tyrannical policy pursued by the
Bourbon leaders, namely The absolute
extinction of all political power in the
counties and the Capitalization of the
same in the hands Of the State govern
ment. This was because many counties
had Republican maiorities that could not
be bull-dozed. The policy referred to
was enforced by the passage of laws
abolishing county governments and de-
priving the people of the several counties
of any voice in the selection of officers
and agents through whom their local af-
fairs should be administered. The Bour-
.bons, who once were Of q party which
clGmored for home rule, became the ty-
rants of the people. Think of State
Legislature depriving communities of
the right, never before denied, to
choose their local officers. Clerks, assess
ors, collectors, sherifTs, recorders, road
oversecrs, fence-viewers, and pound
masters-all the creatures of acentralized
State goyernmcnt-and this in order to
make sure that Republican counties
should not be able to have Republican
officials 1t is wonder that the Legis-
lature did not propose an amendment to
the constitution, empowering it to desig-
nate its own successors. If the State
Legislature can best select local officers
for the people why not extend it to rep
resentatives? But this monstrous tyranny
sorely chafed the people of all parties
The Democrats We're unable TO see any
adequate compensation for the loss of the
right Of local self.government in the fact
that the Republicans were suffering the
same treatment The defeat of Radical
rule, as il was called in Republican coun-
ties, was too dearly bought by the de-
struction Of popular liberty everywhere,
The Bourbon leaders, blind TO everything
but their own thirst for power, assumed
that their method Of suppressing Repub-
licanism would have only Republican
opposition. Seated on their car of Jug
gernaut, they drove it triumphantly over
the PROSTATE bodies of their own fol-
lowers, not needing the fact that all were
not 80 prostrating themselves.
Having conquered the local power OF
the Republican party, as they had before,
by other tyrannical processes, subdued
the party in the State, these imperial
rulers conceived n plan for Kidding the
State Of the Republican influence which
attached TO the presence within its Dor
ders of Federal linternal-reyenue collectors
and their subordinates. The only way
they could do this was by having nc
manufactures in the State requiring the
presence of those officials. They did mo-
propose a la,U TO prohibit He sale Of liquors
They disclaimed any temperance pro
clivities. Rum, whisky, and beer should
still be sold, but il should be brought
there from other States. Dstilleriesand
breWeries were to be abolished The
manufacture ofliquOr was TO be prohibited
and that would virtually abolish the in
ternal revenue system in North Carolina
A law was accordingly passed by the