The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-03-03


That page was written just thirty
years ago, almost to a day.
1t ran blackly familiar enough at
that time, but in thirty years much
moss grows on the memory of man and
nation.
1t may not. therefore, be altogether
our OF place here TO refresh the mem
DRY and retrace again this page OF UNI
familiar history
AS the Impeachment of William w.
Holden. Governor CT North Carolina,
was the great event of our "Carpetbag
Era" so the Impeachment of Judges
Furches and Douglas viii be the clos
ing scene OF BLACK and-Tan Rule IN
North Carolina, more than quarter Of a
century later.
The one is, and the other will be, a
great historical event--of service to this
and all future. generations in that it
gives aid and strength TO civil liberty
and serves notice to all the world that
infringement on the peoples rights by
those in power will not be tolerated.
How darkly different might have run
the course of government in North
Carolina had Gov. Holden never been
inpeached. Equally rs wholesome a
lesson will be taught by the arraign-
mont and trial OF these two judges who
stand charged With the prostitution of
their high office for partisan ends.
The trial Of Gov Holden was a most
So.emn and impressive occasion. The
trisI Of the judges will be like unto it.
l;ut in many respects other than out
ward ceremonies do these trials resent
bic each other.
In both iInpeachments the defendants
are charged with violations of the Con-
stitution and the statutory law.
Holden was accused OF melting war
OF setting on foot vagaDond standing
army, of defying tho process of the
courts. of putting upon the rack honest
men unhappily delivered into his hands
and tearing Zip with ignorning the writ
OF habeas corpus.
The charges against the judges are
five in number. with many specifica-
tons each more serious than the other,
giving name and day and date and fact
and circumstance They stand charged
before the Senate with trampling upon
the constitution and putting in con-
tempt the acts of Legislature by draw
ing cut contrary to all law or forms of
law hundreds of dollars 10 pay salaries
to tRucu!ent partisan officials whom they
had been abolished by a solemn act OF
the General Assembly and the payment
of public money to them specifically
forbidden by statute.
Then. as now, a powerful lobby flock
ed to the city, filed the hotels ana
button holed Senators, telling them
that they were committing political sui
eide Then. as now. the independent
press asked was the game worth the
candle, and declared that they didn't
think it worth while to consume the
Time and waste the money OF the peo-
pie to arraign Gov. Holden before the
Senate on a presentation made by the
House"
We find the Salem Press, the States
Vile American and other publioations4ed
that section talking like this:
We. must say that We are utterly OPP
posed to-this business of impeachment
not because we consider it undeserved
but because it is untimely, impolitic, will
take up the time of the Legislature when
that body ought to be trying TO do some
thing TO relieve the people of the State,
viii cost more money, than the result
whatever It ma be. will justify, and is
altogether unnecessary. Why did not the
Legislature take the wise advice OF eY-
Governor Vance?
How wonderfully like the recent
speeches made in the House in favor OF
the Ccnnor Revolution of Protest does
the above sound.
: The Radical press was most pronounc-
Ell and bitter in its opposition to i'm
parchment. How strixingly similar to
the recent EXAMINATIONS of the Char
lotte Observer and the Raleigh Post is
the following editorial that appeared in
the Raleigh Standard December 18th,
the day after adoption Of the impeacn-
ment resolution by the House
The dominant party in the Legislature