The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-02-17

| 10 vote are we gong to keep our
promises to the people? | tell you. this
thing is fraught with danger You are
going to have a judicial campaign that
will be disastrous to the State"
MR. STEWART'S SPEECH.
Mr. Stewart. of Harnett followed Mr.
Patterson with a brief. but forcible and
eloquent argument in favor OF the i'm
parchment resolution. He said in part:
1T is the duty of the legislature of
North Carolina to maintain and preserve
inviolate the Constitution The ancestors
! of this House when they cast off the
calling yoke of English tyranny and un-
dertool TO establish a government for
themselves and posterity, made these Sc
parate branches of state government.
They have by their chivalry and heroism
forced out Of tyranny and oppression this
charter Of our liberties, and a constitu-
| ton, and have confded to us the trust of
keeping it sacred and invioate.
The Constitution of North Carolina
| contemplates that the legislature shall
| have absolute control of raising rev.
/ enue and appropriating it's funds We and
! similar bodies are the guardians of the
| purse strings Of the State treasury and
whenever a coordinate branch of our
government issues its order to take these
funds from their legally constituted re-
pository: il is violation of this great
charter Of our liberties.
1T has been argued that this sum is too
| small to justify this action Ii is not the
amount of dollars but the principle in
yolvcd- James I. when he sought to es-
tablish The divine right of Kings and
| crush out of existence Magma Charta
which had been wrung from the unwilling
hands Of King John in the valley of Run
nymede, commenced his unhallowed en-
crcaehments on the Constitution Of his
realm and the powers and privilege of
parliament by leyyng a trivial custom
tax That invasion eliminated in two
bloody revolutions the burning Of Eliza
| beth Gaunt at a stake the suspension Of
habeas corpus and the Punishment
OF James H. from his throne into isolation
! AT st. Germans in France and under the
protection Of Louis XIV.
1T is said this impeachment viii put
blot on the Judicial history and put
! our judicial system in contempt and dis
/ repute, | would ask if North Carolina s
! chief executive is not honored and re-
/ spocted more than it was before Holden
was impeached. The judicial system Of
| New York Pennsylvania and Kentucky
! is respected and honored as much as be-
! fore a judge was impeached. If you wait
/ }ste--pttt thet Judiciary Of a State where il
| Will be critized and scorned. let it in
| wade this charter of liberties, the consti-
! tuition. Then you will have criticism.
/ scorn and general revolution You say
| the people. OF North Carolina do not ap-
! prove this resolution. ! say that when
| they learn that we are passing this reso-
! luton and taking this step to preserve
| to them and their posterity their rights
! and to held inyiolate. this constitution.
| they will approve. They will not only
| approve our action but they'll go further
| if necessary. The history of this State
! shows that he people are Jealous of en-
| croachments like this. North Caroin-
| ian would sacrifice his property his wife,
! his children and bis own dear life for it's
! preservation.
/ SPEECH OF MR. SHEETS.
! Mr.. Sheets, Republican, OF Davie de-
| liycrcd the following eulogy on Judge
| Furches:
Il feel that | would be derelict TO my
| duty as a Representative on this floor,
| were | 10 quietly keep my seat and say
! nothing. for Chief Justice Furches who
! Is charged with a great crime. l have
| known Justice Furches for a number of
years. He was originally from my county
| Dayie, his brothers live there and are
| among the best citizens of this great
/ State. Knowing him as | do with his ex-
| alted character and with the esteem with
/ which he has always been held regard
| less OF party and with the present lights
| before me, it is more than | can believe,
! to think that he acted in the matter re-
! ferred to. with impure or servile motives.
! He may have erred as all men do,
/ but | cannot believe it. for his motives
| have no right to impugn
This grave charge is not only a refec-
| tion on the living but our honored dead.
! for when We impeach Justices Furches
| and Douglas, we enter the hallowed
| grave of the honored Faircloth and i'm
| peach him. sThe charges are here high
crimes and misdemeanors in office the
arguments insinuate corruption; but ii is
clear to my mind that the evidence does
! rot sustain it.
Il know that Chief Justice Furches has
| always been held in the very highest
| esteem by all our people.
He is indeed great man intellectually,
| morally and religicusly, and | am sure
there has never been time during the
| whole period CT his public career when
our people were not conscious of his great
powers and qualities and have ever stood
ready to lend Il helping hand to promote
him to wear, as he does today, the highest
judicial ermine of our State.
For truth, honesty integrity, fidelity
and judicial ability no man stands higher
| in cur State than Chief Justice Furches.
! He stands at the head of the greatest
I tribunal of North Carolina, which shows
most skillful adjustment of powers, a
| halmonization of conflicting claims a COM
| bination of apparently opposite principles,
n balance of rights and duties, a union
of liberty and law, an example of unity
/ in diversity such as cannot be found in
any other civilization. eastern or west
! ern ancient or modern. So Mr. Speaker
! if greatness ever dies, it dies to live and
/ and lives to die no more. Chief Justice
| Furches has always been d brave. gener-
! Gus and magnarmous man; every pulsa-
| tiGn Of bis warm unselfsh heart is kind
ness and love for his fellow man.
He has always manifested from his
first public career that the good of his
State, the glory of her people. the honor
! and welfare of his country has been the
! Polar Star ever guiding him onward and