Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-01-09
ntage. As
1t officer in

/ the Legislature rirL.a ..,.J 1t officer in
the State and rs the districts have nearly four
| times as much white population rs the parishes,
! it is evident, upon general principle that they
! must also have four times as many candidates
for Offices in The gift Of the legislature, as the
parishes. Thi, 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 22l ,734 people,
the real men of the State, to 5s,65l saints of
| the parislles-it is the anchor which has kept
our ship of State in one position ever since
; 1868. Now for the oligsrchy. What is the
policy always pursued by ambitious men in
South Carolina! 1t is 10 gain power Mt home,
or in their individual election districts and swap
it off in the Legislature. No aspirant for State
honors cares one iota about cullivatng the peo-
pic outside Of his own election district. The
result is, that about half Il 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 it's forces to coterie in
another district and these two will unite
with clique in third district, and 30 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
office in South Carolina are parttioned regular.
ly in this way, and yet we rail against the cor
rup,on and intrigue, which secures federal off,
ccs by taking a part in Presidential elections.
The regnng powers of the several districts are
all Inc while ilattering. complimening and ex-
toIiing each other. They interchange cvities
through the newspapers, for our sheets, with
few honorable exceptions, are dumb on State
politics, and are ever filled with fulsome adula-
ton and disgusting toadysm. Every little dis
trict unta has its organ, edited by some one
who holds an Office in the gift of the Legisla.
ture. or it is controlled by magnate who has
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
and 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-
bIcs it to play traitor to friend, or friend to
traitor without detection Thus, deceit, hypo-
cracy, intrigue and diplomacy, rule the State.
An ambitious plebean who has not yet been
initiated into tho 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
TO those Of the general iavorile, or in different
phrase, an nterloper always goes for the pow
ers 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.
crsy ignored, while intrigue when the most
skiIful is the most rewarded, and yet We are
ever protesting against giving the election of
Electors 10 the people, because forsooth it is
said cunning and wire pulling would then con-
trcl the offices and the people too. But in this
great game for place, the parishes have still the
advantage.
They are united in solid column against the
districts, because animated by common feel
ing to preserve the power which they obtained
by fraud and hold by diplomacy. The parish
representatives having but small constituencies,
can easily be returned again and again, like the
members for the boroughs in parliament. And
no matter who represents parish, he knows
that his people would as soon part with proper
ty they had obtained unjustiy as give up their
political power which rightly belongs TO the up
country Not so with the representatives Of the
latter, tho have generally large constituencies,