Year: 1872

the North Carolina election, on the itn vi
August, is almost as interesting an occurrence
as the Saratoga Races The Secretary OF the
Treasury has been sent into that State 10 take
part in the campaign. Two more Cabinet OIL
GERS are there or going, and the Grant candidate
for the Vice Presidency is also on the way.
Nearly q quarter of a million Of dollars have
been drawn from the Treasury within short
time ostensibly to defray the expenses OF
North Carolina Federal Courts, which never be-
fore called for larger sum than five thousand.
Marshals and deputy marshals by the half
dozen have been appointed in counties where
there is nothing for such functionaries to do ;
and the whole civil service machinery has been
set in motion to secure victory for the Re-
nominationists Gen. Grants anxiety Is per-
fectly natural North Carolina is the first State
to hold an election since the two parties named
their candidates for the Presidency, and the
result next month cannot but have an influence
in November. The success of the Republican
candidate for Governor does not necessarily
imply the success of the Administration can
didate for President three months later, be-
cause there are many Republicans who will
vote for Greeley but will not vote the Demo
cratic State ticket. That ticket was made up
before the Liberal movement became fairly
developed 1t is consequently straight ticket,
and Republicans who support it must do
so with an eye merely to moral effect upon
the later and more important issues. On the
other hand, if the henominationists are beaten
now nothing can save them in November, and
they know it, and are working accordingly.


In many respects North Carolina offers an
easy field for their operations. The white
population is supposed to be eminently con-
servative, but experience has shown that great
and sudden changes in their vote are effected
by slight causes. In the State election of 1868,
for instance, the majority for Holden Rep)
was 1884, while Gen. Grants majority in the
same year was only 1916. In 1870 the result
was reversed, the Democrats having a majority
of 1895. Last year there was popular vote
on the question of calling Constitutional Con-
vention and the Republicans, who opposed it,
had a majority of 9,34j but the call he'd been
made by a mere majority of the Legislature
instead of by twO-thirds, as the Constitution
required, and it is fair to assume that many
honest Democrats joined the opposite party in
voting it down because it was unconstitutional.
At best, therefore, the balance of parties this
year is doubtful. The negro vote is for Grant.
Under the lead of Federal office-holders and
carpet-baggers, the cOlOTed people have been
well organized and drilled, and taught to
maintain themselves in determined hostility to
their late masters, no reconciliation with the
Southern whites beng everywhere the watch
word of the denomination party. Butthe
white vote is 10000 in excess of the colored,
and with the exception of the Oflce-holders
the whites are almost unanimous against
Grant. In the mountain region of the western
part of the State especially Mr.. Greeley is ex-
tremey popular, and in the central and sea-
board counties also the Liberal cause is max
ing rapid progress.


To counteract this large majority, the Ad-
ministration depends upon patronage, intimi-
da.ion, and money. This is a serious state
ment, but we make it advisedy. Personal in
fluence has exceptional weight in North Caro-
lima. Railways are few mails are infrequent; 4;
newspapers are not much read and there are
extensive districts where the United States
marshal, or the revenue collector, exerts a
moral force very much like that possessed by
the rural MARIE or pr@fet under the French en-
pre. A threat to prosecute for some technical





laws, or to arrest on suspicion of completely
in half forgotten Ku-Klux raids, or promise
to wink at illicit whisky and be easy In the
matter of Federal taxes, is often enough to
turn the vote of whole neighborh0Od And
where this is not enough, it should be remem-
bered that the people of North Carolina are
very poor, and handful of greenbacks, judi
cously distributed, either as fees to super
numerary marshals for constructive services, or
in the more vulgar form of direct bribery,
may go great ways


Now the duty of the North Carolina Liberals
is plain and easy. They are enough, with the
Democrats, TO beat the Grant men, money
bags, marshals, and all but they must do it
now and not put dG that desirable work till
November. If they want to show the sincerity
of the Cincinnati overtures of friendship, let
them go into this Summer campaign with all
their might, and give the Democratic ticket
generous and vigorous support. A slavish
adhesion to old party names, in the pres
ence of the new issues of this year,
can have no other tendency than TO perpet-
uate disunion and we call upon all who
mean to vote for Mr.. Greeley in November to
do their best for the election of Merrimon in
August North Carolina has proud place in
American history. She took the lead in sever
ing the allegiance of the colonies to the
mother country more than year before the
Declaration of independence was signed at
Philadelphia the people of Mecklenburg County
in North Carolina proclaimed separation
from Great Britain and established Govern
ment of their own. Let her now take the lead
in renewing the interrupted union of the
States and as she repudiated English tyranny
in 1775, so let her rebuke Capitalization, cor
rupton, and partisan intolerance in 1872. A


oo,Ia who were not afraid of the whole