The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-05

amended Constitution of 1885 had not
| operated to quiet agitation, or TO in
spire hope. On the contrary, the very
able debates of 1834-'35 had rather
! tended to increase the discomfort by
i fully exposing the inequalities of our
whole State government 1t was not
a free and equal government in the
| American sense. The State was lag
| gard i'm everything. An eminent South
Carolina Senator had openly twitted
her as the "Rip Van Wrinkle of the
| South" and her devoted CASTOR had
written 1.-THE Old North State For
| ever virtually admitting the justice
| of the taunt!
| 181S-Free Suffragc--A State Cam.
patgn.
This year, 1S4S. was IN epoch in
| the Nineteenth Century. On February
22nd, lS4S Il small outbreak at {
| banquet in Paris had brought on E
conflict that made France a Republic
+, and shook half the thrones Of Europe
| The Mexican war had made new is.
sues in America, and the whole civ
! lized world seemed to awake TO The
mighty impulses of the age. But here
| in North Carolina an artful politician
was laying his plans TO draw his
people from the Whirlpool of nationa
politics and plunge them into one Of
local sectional strife. so much dread
ed by all classes OF citizens: and H.
stirred up an agitation wonderful il
| its results.
In 1874. James Knox Polk ha6
| beaten Henry Clay and so restored
| the Democracy to Federal power. Hu
North Carolina remained true to TN
| Wings, and in 1S47 Governor VIM.
| Graham had carried the State agains
James y. Shepard. an Eastern man
| by a largely increased majority. Pros
poets looked so bad for the Demo
Gratis that no one cared TO make
| canvass that was attended with 81
much personal labor and exposure
such as had already caused the dealt
of two of their best leaders--one
them in 1914. the lamented Michae
Hoke, i'm the very prime of life. II
this emergency the Hon. David
Reid. an humble member of Con
gress from the Rockingham Distric'
appeared i'm the field on a distinctly
new State issue. dubbed. Free SUI
frage." and which. it was charged
the time, the editor of the famou
Democratic organ in Raleigh, tn
North Carolina Standard. had man
aged TO get into the party platform
much against the wishes or the part
| leaders. Nor is it clear how the Hon
Mr.. Reid came to adopt such sid
| issue, in a great national campalg
as that then pending, with unite
party, and an acceptable candidate
General Cass. at its head. But Ger
| tain it is that it proved n maste
stroke of bold political wisdom, an
soon changed the party character
| the State--finally made Reid Govern
or and then United States Senator
and gave the State permanently
| the Democracy. AS a matter of fact
| owing to the local sectional trouhie
between the East and the West, tn
| leaders of both parties had lon
sought 20 avoid State issues and trustee
rather To National topics for popuia
| discussion But the story is, thu
after the great Popular Sovereisnt
Leader" Judge Douglas, began pay
| ing attention TO Miss Martin, of Rock
ingham, n. c., and making occasional
visits here. he was amazed To find
much of both Old England and Ne'
England ''fogyism' still peTyadng on
organic law. and that he singled GU
| the fifty acre qualification 70
voters for the Senate, as a text o.
which proper leader could carry al
before him. His iSinsman and frien
adopted exactly, this course. Reid we
| lot 6 popular orator: the Wing car
didate Charles Manly, was Yer
| sprightly and attractive; and at hrs
! seemed to carry all before him. Ii
ridiculed the hobby" aud he ofte'
! vas cheered alike by Eastern Demo
Gratis and Wings, many OF whom still
! c'ung with tenacity to the work
| the Fathers of 11.6. But when tn
votes were counted out on the frs
Thursday in August, as was then TN
law in State elections, the Wing ma
iority had fallen from many thou
sand 10 q few hundred. In the mex
race for Governor. 1850, the sam
candidates were nominated. and agar
made the canvass. But Manly nov
changed his tone, treared the cues
lions seriously, and even tried to e
further than the Radical David II
advocated the election of magistrates
judges, and all State officials by tn
people. But the latter saw the dodge
aud stuck TO Reid. And SO Reid anf
Free Suffrage" triumphed together
| The Constitution was changed by leg
islative enactment. and at the ballo1
box at least all white men stood
equal before the law.
Light BrealSing-NIiss Dix and Her
Mission.
In all the canvass OF 1S4S and in
all the discussions of that memorable
year, here in North Carolina scarcely
anything was said about schemes OF
internal Improvement, and least OF
all. about a great Central railroad
The Wings honestly wanted some
thing of the kind; but they were haf
hearted, and feared party loss. Vfhf
Democrats as I; rule, did not favor
State aid, and hated all talk about
Estate Reform. And as the His
.orian Moore. himself an Eastern
Democrat, we'll puts it, They said:
"If the West want Railroads, let them
build them themselves.
But the moment men got to think
ing, and were allowed free debate.
the scales fell from their eyes. And
then the true leaders began TO see
the long night of RIP Van Wrinkle
ism" ALREADY illumed with the hope
OF coming dawn. But as yet no one
man had spoken out, and there vas
no plan of action. ON the contrary.
the appearances were all exceedingly
unfavorable to any concerted plan of
action.
But during the fall of 1915 Miss
Dorothea L. Dix came South on her
wonderful work i'm behalf of the in
sane. There was then no railroad N
all the rich Piedmont section. west
of the line extending from Richmond,
Virginia. to Augusta Georgia, and