The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-08-25
MAJ. GUTHRIE ON COUNTY
GOVERNMENT.

Mai. w. A. Guthrie, Of Durham,
writes the News and Observer letter
touching the county government quest
ion which is at least interesting. He
calls attention to decision OF the Su-
preme court last September, the opln-
ion being given by Chief Justice Fair
cloth, all the Associate Justices con-
curing, which makes it possible, ne
saws, for a whites mans government In
the different counties by virtue OF
legislative enactment.
The decision he referred to was Har-
r,s VS. Wright in 121 N. G. Report liz.
It related to the municipal government
of Wilmington, and was based on Art
ic]e VII of the Constitution.
Mai. Guthrie says the doctrine OF
law therein applies to townships and
counties as we'll as cities and towns.
He argues that the General Assembly
can, therefore, prescribe one kind OF gov
eminent for one county, and differ
ent kind for another county.
To quote Mai. Guthrle's own words,
he says:
"For instance, the General Assembly
might prescribe that the voters should
elect all the county and township OH
GERS in the counties OF Wake, Durham,
} Chatham, ETC., and on the other hand
provide that the voters of Halifax,
Northampton, Edgecombe, Craven,
etc., should elect part only, or none OF
the county and township officers in
: those particular counties. For In this
matter of municipal government, there
| is no restriction or limitation which
requires uniformity throughout the
whole State in county and township
governments. And as above pointed
, out, counties and townships stand pre-
, cisely on the same footing with cities
!, and towns in this particular, and fo'
, the reason stated by the court In Har
! ris VS.. Wright-because the Constltu
ton is so written"
n After giving the grounds for such
b possible legislation, Maj. Guthrie pro
i ceeds to call upon the patriotic people
8 of the State to consider seriously TIT
matter of redeeming the State to goot
It government.
n We quote the remainder OF his al
E tlcle as follows:
r Then, why should not the whit
| 1t Coro1s e,n,,a NJ
II patriotic representatives to the mex
General Assembly who will put tn
general interests of the State above a
q mere partisan considerations and them
selves elect good men Tor the count
" offices, or frame such system OF ar
IN pointive local county and township o.
fcers, Gas well as city and town officers
ID to take charge OF the affairs of such {
ct our eastern counties as are unhappll
N for both races cursed with continue
20 wrangle and broiL about their corrul
and inefficient local municipal govern
Il why 0itr1zirrut0 -t4'r, r.-zs-
question to this extent at least frOr
State politics, and while laying legi
latlve restraining hand upon the co
nj ored citizen for his own good, thereb
. pIOtcCb Uu0 ludtCLldl AutCICooo VI q
races in these exceptional localitie
as without at the same time doing an
is. violence whatever to the rights OF th
on citizens in the white counties to ele'
ar their own county and township officer
as is now being done, and to manas
and control without restraint their ow
Us local municipal affairs? The decisio
e. of the court in Harris VS.. Wright b1az
ist out the road for our lawmakers
IRE travel, if they see fit to do 1t, and clea
ng away all legal doubts as to the constit'
St tionality OF laws such as have SUI
tie gested, to relieve the vexatious stu
he tlon. Let the people next Novemb
ap- elect an honest and patriotic leg'sl
&c, ture, and something on this line w
ng be done to set at rest the negro que
nd tion in the local politics of our easter
counties, and give those counties
7s cent local government so long as Il
OF white people in the rest of the Sta
mt desire it to remain so. Can any m.
ng who really loves our State wish to S
70 anything else but good government
he each and every county of the Stat
icy What affects one county In some wa
md to greater or less extent. must
e ; necessity affect every other county, ia
not ing the State as whole, and in tt
on matter of good local municipal Cover
ON ment every voter in the State is CO
a cerned, or ought to be.
i'd