Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-01-09
ntage. As
n. nHiror in

The Legislature rlv..s ..>.j 1t officer ir
the State and as the districts have nearly jou,
times as much white population rs the parishes
it is evident, upon general principle that they
must also have four times as many candidate.
for Offices in The gift Of the Legislature, as the
parishes. This is the stronghold of their power
and the secret ballot here is the masked battery
from behind which, they strike down every
champion Of the up country, and it is the iron
chain which binds and subjects 221 ,734 people,
the real men of the Stste, to 5s,65l saints of
the parislies-it is the anchor which has kept
our ship of Stale in one position ever since
1903. Now for the oigarchy. What is the
policy always pursued by ambitious men in
South Carolina! 1t is 10 gain power at homo,
or in their individual election districts and swap
it off in the Legislature. No aspirant for State
honors cares one iota about cultirating the peo.
pie outside Of his own election district. The
result is, that about half dozen of what are
called leading men in each district hitch teams
carry the local elections for the Legislature,
either for themselves or their tools, and sell
their districts vote in the Legislature, either in
matters Of election or legislation to promote
themselves to the high offices.
They, however, give and take. A cabal in
one district will join its forces to coterie in
another district and these two will unite
with clique in third district, and so on
throughout the State, until regular phalaux is
formed, so as always to have majority ready to
fill any vacancy that may occur. The spoils of
ly in this way, and yet we rail against the cor.
ruption and intrigue, which secures federal off.
ces by taking part in Presidential elections.
The reigning powers of the several districts are
all the while llaltering compIimenting and en-
tong each other. They interchange civiltes
through the newspapers, for our sheets, with a
few honorable exceptions, are dumb on State
politics, and are ever filled with fusome adula-
ton and disgusting toadyism. Every little dis
trct junta has its organ, edited by some one
who holds an Office in the gift of the Legisla.
ture. or it is controlled by a magnate who has q
berth, or wants one. Delegates from euch dis.
trict meet annually in Columbia during the sit
ting of the Appeal court in May, or during the
session of the Legislature. They concoct new
schemes, divorce old alliances, form new ones,
aud so the State offices have been filled for the
last fifty years. Sometimes friends are sold
and enemies are reconciled. As ambition gen.
orally knows no law but success, the ballot ena-
bles it to play traitor to friend, or friend to
traitor without detection. Thus, deceit, hypo-
cracy, intrigue and diplomacy, rule the State.
An ambitious plebeian who has not yet been
initiated into the mysteries of the oligarchal
clubs, watches with the cunning Of fox to as
certain who is the most prominent candidate for
every vacancy, and as soon as he has gathered
the information, he forthwith unites his fortunes
10 those of the general favorite, or in different
phrase an interloper always goes for the pow
srs that be, moi for those that ought to be. Many
man has risen to high Offices in the gift of the
Legislature in this way. Merit with US is gen.
,rslly ignored, while intrigue when the most
'kilful is the most rewarded, and yet We are
ever protesting against giving the election of
Electors 10 the people, because forsooth it is
'aid cunning and wire pulling would then con.
rel the offices and the people too. But in this
,reat game for place, the parishes have still the
dvantage.
They are united in solid column against the
districts, because animated BY common feel.
ng to preserve the power which they obtained
" fraud and hold by diplomacy. The parish
representatives. having but small constituencies,
an easily be returned again and again, like the
members for the boroughs in parliament. And
10 matter who represents parish, he knows
hat his people would as soon part with proper
J they had obtained unusty as give up their
olilical power which rightly belongs TO the up :
onntry Not so with the representatives of the {
alter, who have generally large constituencies,