The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1889-05-30

iiiiilteu power Dy tH6 L6Slsla-
ture:
1st. By The provisions for ALL
naal elec ctioDs;
End. The body was composed
of property owners, representing
property owners-for by the pIo-
visions of the Constitution none
could vote for a Senator unless
a free-hoider, though a free ne
gro was not barred;
3rd. The East, which contain
ed about two-thirds of the
wealth, had about two-thirds of
the counties and about the same
proportion of members, though
the West zealously demanded a
new county for every one form
ed in the East, but on the other
hand the East succeeded in hav-
ing land taxed by the acre for
some time.
This condition of affairs was
considerable unsettled by the
canal fever, and many other pro-
jected schemes of internal i'm
prOvement in which the State
lost large sums of money. The
Doctors description of the vari-
GUS wild schemes for canalling
the State and making navagable
all rivers, branches and mud
creeks to their sourse was high
ly amusing and humorous.
The railroad fever of 1881
caused a more urgent demand
for more representation from
the West. Excitement ran high,
leading even to threats of civil
war. Finally the East yielded
to some extent, as seen in the
revised constitution of 1885. In
this constitution there were also
many other desired and impor-
tant changes. Under the old
constitution from 1776 to 1885,
the General Assembly was a leg
jslative aristocracy, a legalized
plutOcracy, but the executive
branch Of the government pro-
tected itself against the unlimi-
ted powers Of the Legislative
branch (as pointed out above)
by good conduct and social blan-
dishments to such an extent that
the Legislature elected most of
the governors three times in sue
cession, which was the constitu-
tional limit, and then to higher
offices. The Treasurer and Sec
rotary of State in several cases
were reelected for more than
80 years. The Judicial branch
sustained itself by wise decisions
and perfectin integrity. The North
Carolina Judiciary has the hon
or Of being the first court to re-
fuse to carry out an unjust mea-
sure of the Legislature, which
was in 1885, when Samuel Spen-
Ger, Samuel Ashe and John Will
liams were on the bench, and for
this courageous act the Senate
afterwards even voted them
thanks.
1t is a. coincidence worthy of
notice that from 1920 to 1885,
the time during which our peo-
pie were clamoring fer material
changes in our old constitution
toward increased and equitable
suffrage, that our cousins across
the sea were demanding about
the same changes in the organic
law Of the mother country,
which were granted in the
amendment of 1881.
Such had been the fear in
North Carolina Of the union of
Church and State that, by the
constitution of 1776, preach
ers were excluded from the Leg
islature, and Roman Catholics
were prohibited from holding
Office of any kind, but both of
these restrictions were removed
i'll 1885, and in 1861 the restric-
tions against Jews was removed
The only religious test now is
the denying of the being of AL
mighty God and the blasphemy
of Christ and Jehovah. Rep
Throne, Of Warren county, was
expelled from the Legislature
in 1874 for this crime, which is
the only case on record.
The new Senate, after 1886
founded on taxation continued
overwhelmingly eastern. The
new House, founded on federal
population, was also Eastern
though by less majority. But
since each county was entitled
to one representative, whatever
might be it's population, the
western statesmen continued tt
clamor and contend for The
formation Of more counties ir
tho West in order that they
might gain control of the House
and they followed up this de
termination with such wisdom
and pertinacity that by 1S4s
when internal improvements OF
a large scale by the State wer'
begun, the West had gained 1:
new counties and the East no
one; and by 1861 the West hat
gained % to 2 for the East
making a net gain of II conn
ties, and therefore 21 members
for the West.
i Next we go to our presen
constitution Of 1876, which il
the constitution Of 1868, with
few notifications and contras