The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1895-03-21
THE IEossLaTrgE or 1895.

The North Carolina Legislature Of
| 1895 was the tangible result of a po-
l'litieal State revolution. 1t was the
expression OF a rebellion on the part
fof the people against . regime apau-
ghrated and enforced in State and
eounty government.ty the Demo
cfstie psrty, which had held politi-
al -~as in the State For twenty
years. During that time the politi-
al meth DDS. or party machinery -
# 'he ruling party had been - thor
'uehly organized and established.
md was used with such a reckless
r rsr' gard ut b onesty aEdJ Justice as To
na kettle task of rsnoying that party
rom power in the State almost hope
less: and such a task would have
been hopeless but for the fact that a
large part of the party became. dis
tgusted at the methods praeticed In
both elections and administration
and left its ranks.
This secession ameuntetkjnl 1892 TO
AZ, 900, as counted by the Democratic
machine, and in 1894 the ranks of
these secessionists had swelled to
perhaps Is, 900, all of whom became
rnembeys OF the Populist party. But
ey1u this Nonid not have :nvalidatcd
sss bsnto@Fati1sYarty machinery had
she PopSlisfstd1st9d tEgpoliey of a
| straight party ticket ana the Kepub-
11ican party had put ouks its regular
ticket ip the eampaien,% Both these
parties knew THIS, hut they also knew
that until the seentra}izsd''. form
of cJunty goyernr1eht, Installed BY
the Democratic party was broken
up, thereseouid be ps hope of reform
in the administration> of connty or
State affairs. Te break npahis "cen-
tralization, "a 1pien Of ..f1sion" Or
co operation was .arrangeds by. the
Populists7 ana Repue hears. The
conditions Of the. fusion moveme Mt
| were that the judiciary of tAe2State
should be strictly non-partisan, and
that nominations for Congress, the
General Assembly, county officers,
etc, should be divided equally, as
far as possible, between the represen-
tatives of both parties. There was
slow approval, and in some cases
bitter opposition to this movement on
the part Of Ropulists and Repubh-
GALS. but-real,zing that such an ar
raagement- the only practical
way OF securing a fighting chance
against the machine, they endorsed
the arrangement as being a much
less evil, from their point of view,
than the conditions which existed.
The movement was successful. For
the first time in twenty years the
lawmaking power was wrested from
the Democrats, as ma jority power,
and was in the hand of the co-opera-
tionists. Neither party had a ma
Jority vote on joint ballot in the
legislature, but the fusion of the
Populists and Republicans was
sacredly observed by both parties,
and they easily. controlled all mat
tiers of State policy. .:......,
The eO-operationists came to the
capitol charged with the duty of en-
acting great reforms-in fact, the !
were practically charged with effect |
ing revolution in the State govern
ment, including revision of tn |
election laws, county government,
educational policy and nearly every |
thing else. With few exceptions, the
men by whom these problems we're
faced, were inexperienced in legisla-
ton. They had not been politicians.
They were men who had condemned
the work and practices. of politicians
and had been sent by their constitu-
ents to reform existing evils. They
went at their work crudely perhaps,
out with an honesty and a sincerity
hat foreboded and resulted in SUD
cess. In addition to their inexperi-
'nce they were hindered and hamu-
'red by such obstructive power as /,
lumber of professional Democratic
ingsters and politicians could exert.
fact, the Democrats, proving true
o their training and practice, agreed {
u caucus that obstruction should be
heir policy. These conditions. com
'lned with the caution and conserva-
ism OF the co-operat1onists, made :
heir work slow, but it was finally ac-
ompllshed. The greatest care was OBJ +
erved to prevent any sudden or vio- '
ent transition from. one system to a
mother, and the changes provided Il
or will be gradual but effective. e
g. = ,,.s
The new election law is one which r.
annot be criticised from stand 1t
oint of equity and justice. fit,be "
guilty and justice to disfran chise c
tlzens who have under the State f
right to the ballot, the n
CIV law is failure; for it seeks to n
rovide and does provide a system u
Y which the rights of all parties f
lall be respected and guarded, and a:
leir strength fully ascertained and W
ade known. UnGer its preyisions al
lere can be and will be q faire, ex. sc
'ession of the will of the people than az
ader any law ever before put on the !.
atute books of the State. .... 80, ~ ~
'a- t-a x = :. r ,a-- IL. ..... ! "a
The new county government bill D;
ay not be the best that could have III
zen framed, but it is the best COM Of
'omlse, representing various opin in
ms OF all representative that could a
we been passed. 1t gives everv - !
unity both ma orit y rule and minor vi
representation by administering
affairs through its board of county
mmlssloners, and carries with it a dl
teguard, for all parties; for it re- OF
Tres that one minority vote. shall s ue
given In all matters involving an Sc
pendltrsre Of money and levy. of of
res. County administration under wi
old law was, in principle, par ad
an farce. The county commission Ey
were elected by the magistrates sy'
the county; the magistrates were 70,
pointed by the legislature; the -.
.islature was Democratic. 1t will t no
'refore, be seen that in, every
lnty there was a full Democratic an,