The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-03-14

THE LEGISLATURE REVIEWED

THE nv hIN IIW ELI
We shall not fill these columns with
extracts from leading Republican legisla-
tors to show that the proceedings Of the
Republican Legislature disgraced the
State. The declaration of Mr.. Spencer
Blackburn, who was chosen the Repub-
fican leader by election as Speaker pro.
tenn. is sufficient. He said on the floor
of the House:
Republicans in North Carolina
have denounced Democrats for sup
pressing the voice of the majority. No
such gag rule has been put upon any
class of men as has been put upon
us to-day by leading members of my
own party. Men who denounced rev.
olution, have usurped the chair and
are applying danlnable gag law. The
Republican and Populist parties are
responsible for the conduct of this
Legislature. We have denounced
Democrats. | am Disguised
and / protest against such damnable
treachery as We have had here to-
day"
temporary presiding officer was ever be
fore made in North Carolina. This of
itself is enough to damn ct in the eyes
of all good citizens.
We have said that the Republican
party was solely responsible for legisla-
tion. That is true. 1t is also true that
an many instances they were checked in
their mad career. 1t is equally true
that so greatly interested were they in
devising schemes to divide up all the of
fees in sight and to create more offices,
that in other legislation they permitted
others at times to take the lead. This
was true of the most important statute
that passed the General Assembly, to-
wit: the act abolishing the fellow servant
law. This was introduced by Mr.. Hart
ness, a Democrat, who made the only
speech in support of it in the House. 1t
was true of most of the other valuable
legislation that will be found on the
statute books.
In putting the responsibility upon the
Republicans and the Assistant Republi-
cans called boiling Populistsl it is not
our purpose to say that the majority
Populists and the Democrats made no
mistakes. The majority Populists help
ed to organize the bodies, and put the
fhaE
sought to destroy them. They could not
escape censure only by repudiating the
whole concern, which course most of
them promptly took after the election of
Pritchard. The Democrats, as party,
had nothing to do with the organization
Of the Legislature or it's management
from start to finish, and therefore had
no scintlla of responsibility for what
was done or not done.
1t would be wanting in truth IF we
did not say that, in the main, the Popu-
lists C'don't call the bolters Populists,
said DIR. Alexander, of Mecklenburg,
''tlley are nothing but Republicans') who
voted against Pritchard stood with the
Democrats against the revolutionary
measures and jobs that were enacted.
They stood together ON the silver revolu-
tons which passed the Senate and were
destroyed in the House. They voted in
almost every instance against turning
over the city government to the negroes.
But for their firm stand in this regard
every town and city in Eastern North
Carolina would to-day be in the hands of
the negroes. A few Western Republi-
cans did in certain cases also come to the
rescue in eases where their caucus had
not bound their action, and they are to
be commended. But with few
exceptions the Populists stood
almost as firmly against negroiz-
ing tho East as did the Demo
rsals themselves. They also fought,
even aarc bitterly than the Democrats,
Grants infamous election law which
was mere damnable than any South
Carolina scheme invented to protect
tise Feople against corrupt rule. Grants
scheme fastened ignorant and corrupt
rude upon the people by methods as dark