The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-04
THE CAMPAIGN OPENS EARLY.

The call by the State Executive com
mittee for the holding of the Democrat
ic State convention will make it neces
sary for county conventions to be hel,
early in May to select delegates to TIT
State convention and also to the judi
cial conventions which must nominate
Superior court judges in the first, second
fifth. sixth, seventh and eleventh dis
tricts. The term of every Democrats
Judge on the Superior court bench eX
pres next January, as does also th'
term of Judge Spencer Il. Adams, of tn
Fifth district. AS the Superior cour
bench now stands there are five Demo
crats-Judges Brown, Bryan, Allen, Nc
Iyer. and Hoke; six Republican-Judgei
Robinson, Adams, Coble, Starbuck
Greene and Hoke; and one Pritchar(
Populist- Judge gTmberlake. The tern
Of all the Democrats will expire in Jan
uary. All the others have four years
yet to serve except Judge Adams, whose
term expires insJanuary. If the peopl'
of the State believe in preserving some
thing like q balance in the party affilia
lions of judges, in order to have a mon
partisan judiciary" the present Demo
cratic judges will be reelected. W.
shall see whether this practical cyl
dence of faith in ''non-partisan judi
cialy' will materialize. : -,-~s@
The State convention will have M
business except to ratify the nominations
of the judges, as made by the seyera
judicial districts; selecting a State ex
ecutive committee to conduct the cam
paign to.a successful issue; and the adop
tion of platform upon which the cam
paign will be waged. These are impor
tant duties, and the absence of con
tests for positions will givt
opportunity for the consideration
of questions of party policy
which, in the rivalry incident to nomina
tons upon the State ticket, is sometime,
not given the necessary consideration.
cial conventions before the State con
vention meets. The times for candi
dates for Congress and Solicitor and th'
county offices will be determined fol
each district and county for itself. Tbs
4Asheyille Democracy seems to favor al
early Congressional convention. AS ;
rule, the counties have not found i
wise to name county tickets before Sep
tember. -
The Mspes and the trend of publi
sentiment indicate the complete over
throw of the gang now in control o
anairs, but it will not do TO presume
that victory will be won without th'
exercise of the highest wisdom. Witt
wise action and thorough organization
success will follow the action of tn
State convention, and the indications al
noirt 10 the exercise of these necesssr.
qualities to win success.
This is going to be no ordinary cam
paign year. The Democracy has ever.
argument and advantage it had i'll 1877
except that it has no Vance, in who's
patriotism and wisdom the leaders an
the rank and file of the party trustee
implicitly. Lacking n leader, STANDING
like Saul head and shoulders above hi
brctnren,it behooves the party to remeEl
Der that sin the multitude of counse
there is wisdom" There will arise differ
enccs of. opinion as the campaign pro
crosses. and these differences may en-
gender hard feelings. Thus early it ma
not he anIiss to counsel federation ar
to urge upon all good men to settle tnei
differences by an appeal to the legal
constituted party authority. The neccs
sity for cleaning out the gang that ha
brought disgrace upon the State is $
Imperative that all men who desir
good government ought to be willing t
lay aside their own ideas if necessary (
promote the common veal. Happily ther
are many evidences of the spirit of tai
ing counsel one Of another and the
marching as solid phalanx under til
leadership of those chosen as the gel
erals to lead us out Of the evils of ba
rule into the promised land of decent an
just government. If that spirit predon
mates. as we believe it will. the reign c
corruption and disgrace will soon com
to an end. NIX.