Year: 1872

GOLDsBORO, July 1, 1872.


Both parties claim they VIII carry this State by
10000 majority on the first Thursday In August;
and as there has been no former election in which
the issues were at all alike or the influences
brought to bear the same, on which an estimate
could he based, the public will have to wait
patiently to which party will substantiate Its
claim That the State will be hotly and closely
contested can easily be seen from the number OF
speakers now on the stump. There are two cand
dates for the Governorship In the field, twelve cand
dates six on each side-for the State offices, two
United States Senators and their friends, sixteen
candidates for Congress for the eight DISTRICTS and
candidates for both branches OF the Legislature be-
Sides The great struggle here will be the Leg
islature, which body has to sanction the bill passed
by the last Legislature proposing certain amend
ments to the constitution; and besides this tho
same Legislature will have to elect United States
Senator In place or John Pool, present republican
incumbent. Now, besides the prestige Of carrying
the State In August in view OF the Presidential
election In November, the republicans will make a
desperate effort to carry this Legislature for the
purpose of defeating the proposed constitutional
convention, and II possible, return Pool to the Sem
ate. These are the two grand objects OF the State
campaign, and In comparison oil other issues
become minor and insignificant Vance, who was
elected Senator, but could not have his disabilities
removed in time to take his seat, to which Ransom
was subsequently elected is now politically free
as any man in the country, and is already on the
stump, having spoken yesterday at Wilson, will be
on aspirant for this Senat0rship Pool will also
take the stump in few days, while Senator Ran
som, his colleague, but political opponent, is
already In the field.


HOT AS THE CANVASS NOW rs


1t will be still hotter after the meeting of the





for Greeley and Brown, or endorses
them, then understand corps Of re-
publican speakers from the North, including
some distinguished United States Senators and
members OF Congress, will come down here to speak
during the remaining three weeks OF the canvass
Funds will be freely used and, If report speaks
truly, the indicted and unsuspected Ku Klux will
be pressed into service as good republican voters
ana forever after go their ways, to be no more
molested. The attempt made last year to call
convention by majority Of the votes of the people
was defeated by nearly ten thousand, but that was
party triumph. Democrats and republicans voted
alike for and against the convention, without re-
gard to party but more with q view to individual
opinions and interests Sixty democrats were
elected to the convention proposed to be held
politics. So that In the event the convention had
been called there would have been about an equal
representation OF both parties, and II amended at
ali the constitution would scarcely have been very
materially changed in political way.


CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM


is however, badly needed in North Carolina. There
is no shallow political trickery in this effort to
amend the present constitution. This is the honest
an instrument which they had no voice in framing,
the handiwOrk of the carpet-baggers, ratified by
the votes Of who for the first
them cumbersome and expensive system OF
local government, State taxation and debt, which
in order to amend the provisions OF the present
constitution that bill specifying the changes pro-
y 70 1e vote DC oy
bill was passed by the last Legislature. Six months
publication Of this bill is then required prior to the
election Of new Legislature This provision of the
law has also been compiled with, and nothing now
remains to complete the constitutional process but
be e IN % r
wards by the people, to make the proposed amend
ments part and parcel Of the constitution of North
Carolina. AS the political complexion Of the
next Legislature must in great mea-
sure decide whether the proposed bill
on this constitutional issue If this bin falls on its
passage before the next Legislature 1t will be i'm
possible to amend the constitution for nearly three
years. and then only by calling convention. The
proposed changes are OF vital importance to the
people Of this State, who, unquestionably, are the
poorest and most unfortunate OF those victmiZed
by carpetbaggers In the South. Reform they may
call it, but retrenchment is what Is really aimed at
The bill, in the first instance, proposes to strike
from the constitution the clause which declares the
debt Of the State shall be regarded as inviolable
and never be questioned, and the clause requiring
the General Assembly, by appropriate legislation
and adequate taxation, to provide for the prompt
and regular payment of the interest," and also after
the year 1880 to levy special annual tax, to create
q sinking fund, to provide for the payment of the
principal of the debt. Few OF the readers Of the
HERALD are not familiar with the


ENORMOUS RAILROAD swINDLE PERPETRATED
by the republican Legislature of 1s6s-69, which in
creased the antwar debt from O0O 900 to nearly
$40 600 ooo The principal OF the debt now amounts
to $29 90O 045 with past due interest amounting to
$s,566,6 ,6O4-making $3s, 6,649. The amount of
revenue required to pay the interest on this debt
would be s1.7940o2 70 and this, in addition to the
taxation now annually levied to defray the ex-
penses OF the State governments. This amendment
ITSELF II properly understood by the negroes, would
carry the Legislature, and consequently all the
other proposed amendments as they are as much
opposed to oppressive taxation as their white
brethren.


LEGISLATIVE INFRINGEMENT.


The bill further proposes that the Leg
two atuys sha nstead ct nv in
the law now stands. This provision meets with
the cordial approval of the radicals, and they
tutional enactment could be passed in every other
State as well as In North Carolina. If there Is one
thing more than another the American people are


TOO MUCH LAW MAKING


and too little enforcement of the laws. A meeting
OF the Legislature once In two years is quite enough
and II any special occasion should require 1t the
Governor has the power to convene the body in
spec,a & ; OF G EHra @ Session 10 meet the emergency
makes it more forcibe and striking still. 1t pro-
poses to limit the per diem and mileage Of the mem
bers to leave no inducement for long sessions
This is clincher and ought, perhaps, to be one Of
the most favored amendments with the people.


EXECUTIVE INFRINGEMENT.


Next in order comes proposition to abolish the
office OF superintendent of Public WOrks-a mere
sinecure.to reduce the term OF the office of Gov
ernor and other officers OF the Executive Depart
ment from four, as ut present, to two years. as 1t
used to be before the war; Besides, IL proposes to
abolish what Is known as the "Code C0inmision'-
numDer OF lawyers who are paid heavy fees for
overhaulng revising and correcting the statutes of
the State-which would save the people thousands
of dollars annually now expended uselessly. The
judiciary then comes In for its dose OF reormatory
medicine. Several changes are proposed to be
made in the Judiciary system. First, reducing the
number OF Supreme Court Judges from five
to three, and the number of Superior
Court Judges from twelve to nine re-
quring the latter to ride their circuits in
regular turn as before the war; second it abollshes
the defective system OF special courts and third,
confers upon the Legislature the power to reuuate