The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-12-10

by the Constitution. have been
potent factors In the evolution OF re-
mocracy in North Carolina. One OF
these is the party state convention.
the other, the prediction canvass OF
the State by party nominees Tor state
Offices. So long as the governor was
chosen by the legislature, the peo-
ton, but had even less voice In Sc
Letting the party candidates.. This
was done by a small coterie Of party
leaders,-in modern political parlance,
the ring-Whose followers in the leg
islature merely ratified their choice.
We may concede, and history
will bear us out in doing so,
lie life many able, honorable
men who would never have entered
into a political scramble for office.
Nevertheless it was not democracy.
The change from this method OF Sc
lecting party nominees, to selection Dy
conventions defects, was a long step
toward democratic rule. Under the
former method, inasmuch as the peo-
pie had no voice in deciding political
issues, there was no reason tor dis
cussing them from the stump. When
the election of the governor was given
to the people, however, it brought
with it Of necessity the prediction
campaign. Foreseeing this result,
many conservative statesmen opposed
the amendment changin" the mode
of electing governors. One of the
delegates in the convention declared
that he had lately seen a gentleman
from Tennessee, where the governor
was elected by the people, who told
him that candidates were travelling
through the State on an electiOneering
campaign at expense n trouble to
themselves and great annoyance to the
people" Although all Of US will prob
ably admit that at times this custom
has proved annoying, nevertheless
none will dispute, I suppose, that it
has brought the people into closer
touch with their government, imposed
upon them a greater responsibility IN
the determination Of governmental
policies, and greatly advanced the
cause of democracy.
To such public discussion may I'M
doubtedly be attributed the success Of
the next step toward democratic gov
eminent in North Carolina. ThOuph
the convention Of 1896 lie much fine
work for democracy it did not purge
the Constitution entirely of it's I'M
sectarian test for office-holding, but
substituted for it a religious test
broader, indeed, in its scope, but suf-
ficiently undemOcratic in its limita-
tons. 1t abolished the equal repre-
sentation of counties in the Senate
but it adopted q scheme Of represent
tation by districts, based not on pop
ulation but on the value of property
assessed for taxation; and 1t did not
disturb the property qualification for
the right to vote for state senator's.
The Senate, therefore,, was left as the
commemorative Of pronarfu not pnnn1n
1t was against this provision Of the
Constitution that democracy made its
next fight. The movement to abolish
the property qualification for electors
for senator's, like the movement for
the reforms OF 1885, originated in the
ScotcE-Irish counties Of the State. 1t
became the leading issue in our polit-
ica1 campaigns, thrice suffering de-
feat; before it's advocates succeeding
in forcing a referendum to the peO-
pie, thus assuring it's triumph. With
the adoption Of this reform both
as well as the chief Of the executive
department, were brought under the
direct control OF the people.
The triumphs Of democratic princi-
pies which We have been considering
until now were the results Of growth
from within: those which we are next
to consider were the results Of force
from without. The changes made in
the Constitution by the conventions
of 1866 and 1868, as the result of
the Civil War, which were in line with
tho development Of democracy as !
have traced 1t. have become perma-
nent features Of our government. The
most important Of these were the
abolition Of slavery. the removal OF
all religious tests for off%ice-holding,
the placing o. the election Of all state
and county officers. judicial as well
o. ovno71tiuo i'm the hands Of tho
pie, The overthrow Of the life tenure
Of judges, and the striking out OF
all property qualifications for voting
and holding Office. Had those con-
v%entions stopt there. history would un-
dcubtedly have pronounced their work
GOOD. But unfortunately they wer1
controlled by men either ignorant OF
defan Of the history. traditions aid
character Of the people for whom they
were framing q government; and n