Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-02-27

maze QueSuOns OF QeDate at The last general
elections. Nor are;these new-light reform
ers content with the one change they now
ask for. No! Reform radical reform is
the war-cry of the party. While some seek
to cover their ultimate designs by the
arts of staid diplomacy, others rashly
proclaim, that one main object in urging
change in the election Of Electors, is to ef.
feet a thorough alteration of our State
polity; and they strive so TO Intervene these
measures as to use. whatever of prejudice
may exist against the one to aid in the &C.
complishment of the other. Thus menac.
ing crusade is preached against the Parishes,
and {, the present system OF representation in
the State.
ipurpose briefly 10 consider this wild
and foolish enterprise in its bearings upon
the electoral question. Why should this
outcry be made against the Parishes! What
have they done, or what can they do, to
warrant itl Can the Parish interest cause
us any possible dabgerl What is that in.
terest? Is it not slave interest? Is it not
cotton and grain interests 1t is these
and nothing more. And are not these the
identical Interests Of all the middle and up.
per Dstricts9 What legislative influence,
therefore, exerted by the Parishes consistent
with their best and on ly interests, can, by
any possibility, injuriously affect our welfare
Is it reasonable to suppose that men will
egIslate against all they have and hold dear
in life? So far from apprehending danger
the slave and planting interests Of the State
have, in the influence Of the Parishes, a
strong guarantee of.safety. The members
from that section represent considerable
portion Of the great planting interest of the
state, aud are usually intelligent, high-mind.
ed and conservative. But more than this:
their geographical position throws them into
a perpetual minority; and hence it is
struggle of life and death with them to sus-
tain, in its utmost integrity, the Constitu.
ton of the State. What better elements Of
representation could we desre9 We are
chiefly slaveholding and an agricultural
people, and who is more fit TO legislate
for the country than the intelligent, high
minded planter, who, be it spoken to his
honor, is nearly always soundly conserva-
tive in his political creed9 Constituting
chiefly the bone and sinew Of the land, this
class has, at the same time, afforded much
of the lofty spirit which has made for us an
honorable name in this confederacy. Why,
then, should we seek. TO check or to suppress
its influence? .--s.a.---,
1t is urged, however, that the Parish rep
resentation should be diminished to establish
a proper balance of power between the up
and the low countay: in other words, to
give the up country its full voice in the State
government, of which it has been deprived
by the existence fthe Parishes. This argu-
ment is altogether fallacous. By the pres
ent order of things that very balance is now
admirably preserved, while the effect of the
change would be to destroy it, and to give
undue preponderance to one section over
the other. 1t might, indeed, in the lapse Of
time, render Insignificant the voice of the
Parish Districts in our State Legislature;
for, as before stated, in some of these Dis
tricts, geographical difficulties exist against
anything like a rapid increase Of white Popu-
lation. Thus minority section in the State,
would be made wholly subject to the will Of
majority section-another name only for
slavery-while the federal vote Of the Pa.
rishes would scarcely be worth counting
Never, fellow citizens, was there less
cause for change than in this matter; for
the Districts have now, in our Legislature,
the superior numerical strength, and this
superiority is gradually increasing by the
more rapid increase of white population in
the up-country.'
Thus at the adoption of our Constitution
in 1880, the aggregate representation of the
Parishes for the House was 70-that Of the
Districts sd while now that Of the Parishes
is only 45-.hat of the Districts 10 9:-mak-
ing decrease Of more than 80 per cent. in
the Parishes, and an increase Of more than
40 per cent in the Districts. The Districts
have thus in the way Of Legislative power
all they can wish, consistent with true
spirit of liberty. They should, in truth, be
thankful that their powers are not more
comprehensive, lest they might be led into
the dangerous temptation of using power
arbitrarily and improperly. While by the
compromise of 1906, it was designed that
the Parishes should have a majority in the
Senate, and the Districts in the House OF
Representatives, the Districts have now in
the House majority Of 81, and in the Sen.
ate, counting the new Senator from Pickens,
a majority of4: thus making for the Dis
trcts on joint.ballot decided preponder.
auce, and enabling them, if they will, to con.
troll The entire legislation Of the State, to
their hearts content, except in matters re.
lative to the fundamental law. They have
power to elect all the general officers, to ad.
vance all the various interests, and to de-
velope all the resources, Of the State, so far
as this can be done by Legislative enactment,
without even the aid of the Parishes The
Parishes, in truth, have mere negative or
veto power. They cannot Of themselves
make laws, or elect officers. They have
no positive power to do mischief; they can
only prevent it. And their practice is con.
sstent with the theory of their power
While voting, with judicious liberalty, the
public funds, to the raising Of which they
contribute largely, for improvements in other
parts of the State, they very seldom ask any
for themselves. Out of Charleston, where
is any appropriation, worthy of notice, ap.
piled in the Parishes How many of the
general officers of the State are taken from
that section2 Almost none. The other
*NorE.-Thc amended Constitution Of 1908, Sc
cures each Of the Parishes, under any contingency,
one Representative. This, therefore, was evidently
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