THE ALAMANCE GLEANER
VOL. 1.
THE GLEANER.
PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY
PABEEB & JOHNSON,
Graham, N. O*
RATES OF SUBSCRIPTION, Postage Paid:
One Year 12 oo
Bix Months gg
Clubs! Clubs!!
For 6 copies to one P. 0.1 year slO 00
" 6 " " " " 6 months.?3&'. 660
" 10 - « « " 1 year 16 00
-10 « « - « 6 months 800
« ao « * « « 1 year 28 00
« a, « «_« « « months....'. 16 00
Ao departure from the cath syntem.
RATES OF ADVERTISING t
Transient advertisements payable in advance; yearly
advertisements quarterly in advance.
1 mo. 2 mo. 3 mo. 6 mo. 12 mo.
. 1 square *226 t 360 S4SO $7 20 (10 80
2 , " . 360 610 720 16 80 16 80
„ 8 " 640 720 900 16 20 22 60
,4 " ~6 30 900 10 80 18 00 27 00
•6 " 720 13 60 16 20 2260 82 40
y. column 10 20 16 20 18 00 27 00 '46 00
)2" 13 60 18 00 27 00 46 00 72 00
. 1 " 18 00 31 60 46 00 72 00 126 00
' Transient advertisements SI per square for the first,
and 60 cents for each subsequent insertion.
Advertisements not specified as to time, published
until ordered out, and charged accordingly.
All advertisements considered due from first inser
tion.
One inch to constitute a square.
ADNERTISEMENTS.
J A. LONG,
Attorney & Counsellor at Law?
YANCEYVILLS, C.
GRAH.Ut & GRAHAM,
i
Associate Counsel,
Gr- F. BASON,
Attorney at Law,
GRAHAM N. .
JgCOTT & DONNELL.
GRAHAM, N. C., •
Buy and sell
. . t.. •
COTTON, OORIV, FI.OUR, BACON
LARD, AND Atl. KINDS OF
CO(JNTRV I PBODIICB,
feb. t6-2m ' /
Q.EORGE W. LONG, M. D.,
PHYIICIAI and lIHCEOI
Graham, N". c.,
Tenders'his professional services to the pub
lic. Office and residence at the " Graham
High Sciiool buildings where he may be found,
night or day, ready to attend all calls, unless
professionally engaged,
feb 9-ly , • [
P. R. HARDEN,
Graham , JY". C ..
DEALER IN
Dry-Goods Groceries,
IIAK DWARF,
Drugs, Medicines, Paints, Oils, Dye- Stuff
Clothing; Hats, Caps, Boots, Shoes,
Rubber*. Tafeacc*, Cigars, Seed*, Tew,
KE ROSENE OIL, CROCKERY,
Earthen ware, Glassware, Coffees, Spice*
Grain, Flour, Farming Implements.
feb 16-ly
JJOUSTON & CAUSEY,
Wholelale and Retjx
GSOOfi&Bi
GREENSBORO, N. C.,
Haye now in store, and are daily receiving, a
large etocfc of GROCERIES, which they will
sell to village and Country Merchants on better
terms than they can buy elsewhere—which will
enable them to sell at a better per cent, than
purchasing North.
, cmT attention exclusively to Grocer
attenUon 6 ™ #o which shall havej>rompt
« Having claims against the County of Ala
mance are Irequested to present them to the
Register of Deeds before the first Mondav in
May, 1875. J
By order of the Board of r,nmmi..i—
T. G. McLBAN, Clerk.
febO-Sm
King Alfonso
!« giving the Carliats a lively time, and
A. B ' TATE & co.,
Bt S nd J rf Mnrr *y * Tate, in Graham,
to tonder »ell them a lively
P o ' areboth to™* l
V' ""V ** tte highest
$5 «
Wd Co., Portland, Maine. otihsoh
ADDRHNS OF THE RXKCI'TIVE
DEMOCRATIC CENTRA!, COM.
iltlTlEG TO THE PEOPLE OF
iXuRTII CABOLIiVA.
ROOMS OF THE DEMOCRATIC COX- )
SERVATJVE CENT 'i. Ex. COM.,; >
11A LEIGH , June Ist. '7b. )
To the people of North Carolina :
The General Assembly at its recent
session called a Convention of the peo
ple to meet at lialeigh on the 6th day Of
September next, for the pftrpose of sug
gesting such alterations in our organic
law as may bo deemed wise and expedi"
ent. - '
NIC :SSITY FOK CHANGE.
The liecessity for. changing many of
the provisions of the existing Constitu
tion is generally admitted, and is too
apparent to require extended argument.
It is trno that some of our prominent
men at one time opposed the call lor a
convention; but their action was based"
on prudential consideration, and not on
an indisposition to have the Coustitu
tion thoroughly revised. They feared
that our purpose in seeking to reform
our' Fundamental Law, might be mis*
construed b/ the violent and illin.
formed men then controlling Congress,
and Ihe prosperity of our people check
ed, and the peace of the S ate jeopardi
zed by some harsh and unconstitution
al action on the part ot the United States
authorities. That tear no longer exists.
We now have every assurance (hat the
Constitution of the United States will
be observed by the officers ot the Gov
ernment, and feel a satisfaction in an
nouncing to you that the time has at
last arrived when the officials at Wash
iugton City concede that the people OF
North Carolina have the same right to
manage their local concerns which the
citizens of other States enjoy. We can
proced without apprehension to perfect
our Constitution and remodel it in the
interests of our people.
THE CONSTITUTION, THE CREATURE OE
Ml LITARY LAW.
This Constitution, the creature of
Military dictation, was born in the throes
of a Military reconstructioW-Its authors
were mainly Sciolists and
who had lived among us without pre
ferment, or possessed of qualifications
entitling them to it; others were our re*
cent slaves, Who had known no law
save the will of tneir masters, and oth
ers still were carpet-baggers, both black
and white—alien in feeliug and Radica]
in education—who sought positions
here that were denied them where
known—to despoil and humiliate lis.
And when their work was submitted to
the people at the polls, thousands of out
best citizens were deprived of the righ l
of voting npoii it, and over eighty thou
sand ignorant negroes were given the
ballot to secure its sdoption. It is no
exaggeration to say that not one person
in ten who voted for it could read the
in strument, and .not one in fifty had
read it or was even moderately familiar
with its provisions, and many gave it
their support believing it would be
merely temporary, and to escape further
agitation and revolution. It is natura
thereforc that a Constitution thus form*
ed and adopted shonld be found nnsuit
ed to our condition, and that we should
embrace the earliest opportunity consis.
tent with reason and prudence to se
cure such changes as time and experi
ence have shown to be necessary. Our
organic law should be expressed in
language clear, simple and perspicuous,
so that nothing may be left to infer
ence or construction; our rights, so pre
cisely defined as to be comprehended
by all men of ordinary intelligence; and
each department of tne government
should be so restricted, that while left
free to discharge its appropriate duties >
it cannot by unwarranted encroach
ments embarrass the proper action of
the others.
I THE CONSTITUTION CKSUITED TO OCR
CONDITION.
That the Constitution contains some
good provisions no one denies; it would
be singular if it did not,, but its abomni
ble characteristics were so manifest
that not a single Conservative member
of the Convention tbat passed it could
be induced to affix his signature to it;
as a fit instrument to be submitted to
the people. Indeed its provisions are
so loosely worked and so badly arranged
as to constitue but a medley of inconsis
tencies that defies the succesfnl construc
tion of the courts; in fact, to reconcile
the difficulties arising from its practica|
workings, the court has in some inslan
ces been driven to supply omissions,
and in others to introduce a new princi
ple, hitherto unknown in the juridical
history of our State, distinguished as
"judicial legislation" an innovation
anti-republican in character and invasive
*ot the rights and duties of a separate
department. Its provisions are so ob
scure tbat within the brief space of its
.GRAHAM, N. C., TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 1875,
existence many more decisions oil con
stitutional qucstious have been deman
ded tlnui in the entire previous history
of the State—and of late we have wit
nessed the extraordinary spectacle of
two sets of judges in both the 2d and
Judicial Districts, contending for the
samo position of which claiming to hold
by an appointment from the Governor
for a priod of ten years, an office that
the Constitution seems to say is to be
filled by the people ut theopolls, and
whose term is expressed to be only
eight years.
In many counties, there is a practica'
denial of justice, the courts are inade*
quate to the public demands, and thus
they arc driven to resort to special
terms, which are expensive and unsat
isfactory, and persons acused of crim
inal ofienses aro often confined for
months without trial. We need a spee
dier justice and a less expensive judicia
ry system. We should abolish every
useless office, which is now filled bya
mere consumer; for only by a rigid and
prudent economy, in onr public as well
-as private affairs, can we hope to res
tore the State to prosperity. It is be
lieved that the laws will be more im
partially administered by a return to the
old practice of a rotation of the Judges-
AMENDMENTS TO TIIE CRIMINAL LAW
NECESSARY.
It is also hoped that a greater incen
tive to honesty and a purification of the
ballo box might result from depriving
those who are convicted of infamous
crimes of the elective franchise.
Tbe matter of the 'Penitentiary winch
already contains more Limit six hundred
able-bodied men, also demands careful
aud practical attention, to remove in
some measure that burden from our
shoulders. Most of our private legisla
tion should be excluded from the Gen
eral Assembly. However, our limited
space does not permit us to catalogue
the numerous defects and imperfections
of the present constitution or to enu
merate the remedies to be ottered.
There should be some general ordi
ance adopted in relation to private en
actments, th reby reducing (lie expen
ses of the Legislature, and in order to
prevent hasty and inconsiderate legisla
tion that no new matters be brought
forward within days of their ad
journing.
CAREFUL .SELECTION OF DELEGATES.
As to the specific changes that ought
to be made, these are to be considered
by the citizens of the various counties*
who should be careful to select as dele
gates those who will properly reflect
their wishes. Men of enlarged and
practical statemanship, spotless integri
ty, representatives of all classes of socie
ty, and whose positions among them
will entitle their labors to C9ufidence
and support— and in their hands they
certainly can more safely confide their
rights than iu tne Convention ot 1868.
METHODS OF CHANCE.
Of the two methods prescribed for
changing the Constitution, that by leg
islative enactment is expensive, uncer
tain and dangerous; the sevcraal a
mendments recently sobmittod to and
ratified by the people encountered the
greatest difficulties in their passage,
and even after the will oi the people
was declared in their favor by over 40 j
000 majority, serious aaprehensions
were entertained as to whether they
were properly adopted; again, legisla
tors when possessed of qualifications
for such duties, are encumbered with
numerous matters, and cannot bring
that attention to each provision present
ed for consideration, without meeting
snch criticisms as may .imperil their la
bors.
The Convention method is speedy
aud economical, the body is composed
only of the same numberof members as
comprise the House of Keprescntatives,
aud their minds are directed alone to
constitutional reforms and their work
may be completed and ratified, if neces
sary, in six months. 'r ■
The restrictions imposed by the Leg
islature, fully and amply secure the
Homestead, Mechanics Lien, Bights of
married women, and Personal Liberty,
and should quiet the the most
timid, for they are recognized as of
binding efficacy and are chiefly enjoyed
by the friends of constitutional reform.
Indeed they were incorporated in the
bill mainly to remove partizan clamor,
and anticipate unscrupulous agitation.
They are not the property, of a mere
party, but bad their origin in the neces.
sities of civilized society and were found
among the. statutes oi various States
previous to the war.
QUALIFICATIONS OL DELEGATES.
It is useless, however, to seek to qui
et the mere caviller; the keen optics of
some persons defy all law.—The mere
fact that the honor of the best men in
the State is pledged to their preserva
tion, should satisfy every reasonable
voter. This Convention is called in
pursuancc,of hiw, and each delegate be.
fore "he shall be permitted to sit, to be
entitled to a seat in said Convention or
act as a delegate thereto," shall swear
' to observe these ''restrictions" (see acts
1874 5). Should a part comply and a
part refuse to take this oath, only those
who obey the luw are members of the
body, nor are we precedents; similar
oath was required of the members of
the "restricted Convention,of 1635,
the same question was raised, aud after
debute all the members took the oath
and observed the restrictions, and that
iu a time of high party'excitement. In
that discussion the distinguished Judge
Gaston used the following language;
"The State Legislature had indeed no
authority to impose an oath upon the
members of the Convention, but the
people had ratified the act of the Legis
lature by choosing delegate under it. If
we transcend the limits or refuse obedi
ence to the conditions therein prcscrib.
Ed, we are not the Convention called by
the people, but a self constituted body;"
these views were concurred in by Ma
con, Edwards, Morehead. aud others*
We will dismiss the subject, however,
by calling attention to the able work of
Judge Jamieson on "Constitutional
Conventions," where by argument and
the cases cited by liim in relation to this
matter, he that Conven
tions are bound to obey the restrictions
imposed by the Legislature in the Act
calling the Convention.
All) FROM REPUBLICANS. ,
In our last election it was gratifying
to see Republicans .who had hitherto
submitted to the control of unscrupu
lous leaders under a mistaken belief
that they were promoting the general
welfare, seeing tneir corruptness as de
monstrated by the " Credit Mobilier
revelations," "Sanborn Contracts" and
other frauds and defalcations, and their
vindictive and relentless policy, where
by they sought to degrade the superior
race by this iniquitous "Civil Rights
Bill," overcome their parly prejudice
and give us their cordial support- To
them we extend an invitation vo remain
and continue the work to auspiciously
b jgun. To those who opposed us under
the delusion of their leaders, who as
sured them this bill would never pass
Congress and if it did wouhl be vetoed
by the President, though It now has his
signature; and who have witnessed the
earnestness with which the dangerous
"Force Kill" was urged upon Congress,
wo say 110 longer remain where there is
neither safety nor honor to a North
Carolinian. The battle for civil liberty
is not yet over. "Civil Rights" is still
a part of the secret carpet-bag pro
gramme for this State; thougn driven
from the halls of Congress, it will be
renewed in the Southern States. We
therefore invito their co-opcration. The
Convention final success to tho
support ot some of tlieir ablest repre
sentatives in the Ucueral Assembly and
they arc doubtless aware that the wise
provisions introducd into the Conven
tion of 1868, by their ablest native rep
resentatives were scouted and defeated
by that same element that has brought
ruin upon their party and confusion to
our State.
NECESSITY or OBGAXIZATION.
The friends of Convention should at
once perfect their organization and bring
out their best men iu every county in
the State. The leaders iu the Republi
can party know that by their reckless
violations of the constitution and eflorts
to centralize all power iu the hands of
the Federal Government, thev have just
ly forfeited the confidence and support
of the pedple; they therefore
trust not to their own strength but to
our auaihy. and will endeavor to secur
our defeat by divisious and false lead
ers. We therefore respectfully invite
their attention to the following rcsolu
adopted and successfully followed in
our last campaign:
Resolved , That we earnestly recom
mend to tbo members of the Democratic
Conservative party to discourage inde
pendent candidates and all other disor.
ganizers, that all support be promptly
withdrawn from every aspirant for of,
floe who shall oppose the regular nom.
inees of our Conventions. Let your
primary county Conventions be duly
advertised and see that the people have
-a full opportunity of attending and ex
pressing their wishes. The contest is
important not only in its immediate ef
fects but in subsequent results. The
Republican party,, under the leadership
of carpet-baggers still remaining among
us, will advocate the election of dele
gates, who will agree to meet and ad
journ without holding a Convention,
and this in violation of the wishes of the
people, expressed through a two-thirds
majority of their chosen Represetatives,
and after a considerable part of the ex
penses for mileage aud per diem is in
cured. We believe, how ever the prom
ise is but a delusion and snare, for
should they ascertain they have a ma
jority in the body, it will be an easy
matter for them to evade their promise
by the refusal of a few to concnr; as
they do not acknowledge the "restruc
tions" as binding, they will resort to
the most revolutionary measures to sus
tain their desperate fortunes, and in
the end will fail to submit their work
to the people for ratification or rejec
tion.
Let us, therefore, present a united
front, and with a general advance along
our lines Radicalism will not only be
routed but overwhelmed, and a victory
for Civil Liberty assured for 1876.
TFM. R. Cox, Chairman.
It. H. BATTLE, JU.
C. M. BUSBEK,
R. B. HAYWOOD,
J. J. DAVIS,
W. H. JONES,
W. N. H. SMITH,
S. A. ASIIE.
O. A MEARES,
Executive Committee.
J. J. LITCHFORD, Secretary.
POOR DEAR nAXKTAU ARM.
[Now York Tribune]
It wag a great many years ago that
the story was first told of Miss Hannah
Ann Sterrjf, an uncommonly mature
virgin who had never been persecuted
with masculine attentions because of
the vigorous manner in which she
shunued the face of man. It WHS related
that Mr. Theophilus JFlmbleber, an
advanced bachelor of the mlldst possible
deportment, occupying single quarters
in,the neighborhood of Hannah Ann's
apartments, called on npinster one af
ternoon to borrow a match. Hannah
Ann was nut easily fooled. Folding
her arms on her level breast, she backed
Thcophilud Wimblobee into a corner aud
thus addressed the invader: "Match!
Ob, yea I Great match 'tis you want!
You don't want no mutch, and you
know you don't. You've "borne over
here to me 'cause I'm all alooe—to hug
and kiss me—that's what you've come
for; but you never shall do it.in the
world unless you are stronger*!! I am''
—and the?i she added in a softened
tono, "and the Lord knows you are."
A friend of Hannah Ann's reading a
letter from a public man the other day
in which the writer said: "To reca
pitulate, I am not, nor have I ever
been, a candidato for renomination; I
would not iccept a nomination if It
were tendered, unless it should coine
under such circumstances as to make it
au imperative duty, circumstances not
.likely to arise"—laid down the paper
with a sigh and remarked, "Ah, how
much that reminds me of poor dear
Haunah Ann."
HOW THBT DO TUINOS IN KAN.
BAB.
A thoughtless young man from Mas
sachusetts weut out to Pottowatamie
county uot long ago to start a paper,
and in order to tickle the fency of the
inhabitants, of whose temper he was
ignorant, he published the following iu
the first issue; "The fighting editor
is at home at all hoars of the day and
night, ready, willing, and anxious to
receive all visitors who have grievances.
Ho carries two revolvers, a slung suot,
a |«air of bras* buckles, a bowie-knife
as long as a cross-cut saw, a razor in
each boot, an eel-skin bludgeon, and a
bottle of poison I" Every man in Po
towattamie county thought it was a
challenge, and all day long thev drop
ped ia singly, iu pairs, in threes, and iu
squad* and platoons. Every last soul
of them whipped the editor. The pa
per only issued the initial number, v
BRECKKVKIDGB'S ESCAPE.— The escape
ofßreclcenridge after the surrender 01
Lee was quite romantic. Accompanied
by Col. Wilson of his staff, he made bit
way to Florida, where the two refugees
were joined by Col. Taylor Wood' the
brother-in-law ot Jefferson Davis.
Securing a small skiff, they boldly em
barked, near Key West, for Cuba, and
succeeded in reaching the port ot Car
denas, near Havana, in safety. From
Gen. Brrckenridge proceeded to Eu
rope, and finally took up his residence
in Canada. The last years of his life
were qnietly spent in Kentuckey.
General Breckenridge leaves one son
who bears bis name, and another, who,
enriously enough, was christened
"Owen County," in honor of the oonn
ty which secured the election ot his
father to Congress in 1859, in the con
test with Gov. Letcher !
NO. 19.
, "CLAWIAO OFF."
Yesterday, ns a policeman was stroll
ing past a house on Fort street East, a
woman, a year or two over forty,
having her sleeves rolled up and her
hands covered with flour, ran out to the
gate and called to him.
"It's a little delicate," she said, as she
leaned over the gate and tried to blush,
"but I'm a person as knows my rights,
aud besides, I'm alone in the world and
no one to advise me."
"Speak your miud freely, madam,"
replied the officer, as he tapped on the
pickets with his baton. I
"You know all about the law, don't
you?" she iuquired.
"Everything, madam. I can tell
you how to go to work in an admiralitv
case, and bring you from that down
through divorce, bwikruptcyj arson,
burglary, false protenses, hitchiug a
horse to a shade tree, and getting in
toxicated." *
"It's a little delicate," she softly said,
as she rubbed the flour off her hands,
"but, as I said before, I'm all alone."
"Trust me, madam—repose confi
dence in me," he replied, swelling out
his chest.
"Well, s'poscn you were a widow,"
"Yes, madam."
"Auds'pose one ofthe boarders gave
you a breastpin?"
"I see, madam." -
"S'posen he'smiled at you, and sent
you peotry and asked you to ride out on
Snnday; and the neighbors whispered
around that you wore engaged?"
"Proceed, madam—l congratulate
you."
"No, you musn't for s'posen after all
this ho suddenly began to claw off, and
didn't smile on yon any more, and didn't
praise your cooking, and took another
woman to the minßtrel show."
"Ah! the traitor 1 Perhaps he has
tranferred his affections to some one
else."
"That's what I think. I know it's a
little delicate, but I'm all alone in the
world, you see, .and I want to know if
thire isn't a law to bear on him. It
isn't right to go and encourage alone
woman like me and thou claw off?"
"He ought to bo roasted alive, be
bad!"
"I don't know as I'd want him arrest
ed but I'd liko to have you call on him
and mftke threats. Tell him he's liable
to State prison for clawing off this way.
I tell you it's a pretty serious thing to
go and encourage a woman of my age
aud then skulk around behind the hen
coop all ol a sudden. Isn't there a
law?"
"L/CBB see! I hardly think there is,"
"Well, you can call on him. Take
ldm alone—Look fierce—have your
handcuffs in sight. Just tell him that
I'm good hearted, pleasant and rich,
and that be had better be care Ail how
he prances around or he'll think a tor
nado struck him.
The officer promised, and she rubbed
a cloud of flour off her hands and went
up the path with alight heart.— Detroit
Fxet Pretr.
"Howcame you to be a drunkard?"
asked a friend of Tom Marshall in a
conversation with him. "Well, I will
tell you all about that," said Tom. "I
graduated in law at Lexington, with a
celebrated divine, Robert J. Brecken
ridge, aud our friends thought we were
the intellectual wonders of the age, and
they advised us, by the way of taking a
high position at once, to attack Henry
Clay, then In the prime ot his feme and
power, upon the first opportunity.
The opportunity soon came, we were
both employed in a case in opposition
to him. Bob made a speech aud I
made a speech and our friends congrat
ulated us upon our tremendous speeches
and we were basking in the sunshine
of coming prosperity, when the old lion
arose, and, with one sweep of his paw,
drove Bob to the Bible and me to the
bottle, where we hare been ever
since." -
Says the Wilmington Star: The
steamer Pioneer clreared yesterday
drawing 10 feet 10 inches forward and
18 feet 1 inch ah. This is the depest
vessel ever known to leave port and go
out to sea upon one tide."
Measures are to be taken by the Ken
tucky Legislature to restore the tomb of
General Zachar/ Taylor, near Louis
ville, which has been neglected and has
gone to ruin.
The Indiauapolis Sentinel claims that
there is more actual work in railroad
building now in progress in Indiana
than in any other state.
Gov. Kemper has appointed Bev. Dr.
J. L. M. Curry a delegate to represent
Virginia in the Congress of Geograph
ical Sciences which meets at Pftrie in a
few months.