Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-01-09


and sir. we elect them By JaIiu This genera
assembly seldom sils lunger than three. ant
never believe. more than four weeks And Il:
we have 10 elect on The average, about cne
! fourth of these officers at every session Of tho
| Legislature, frequently holding two or three
BALLOTS in one clecion-how much time is left
us 10 lrcisae. Nearly every member of this
i body always has Il friend who is either declared
candidate or an aspirant for some office, now ol
/ shortly 10 b, vacant. We are therefore, al
elcylionrrrrrs, with each other, aud the candi.
dates and uslirantS must clcc!ionecr with u.s.
i We must consequently treat ana be treated, feast
and be lrastrl--all Of this CONSUMES ut least hall
of orr time, which should be devoted to legis-
! laton.
I viii next undertake t" show that our votes
in legislation are biased; yea. often controlled,
bv the Yates which we intend 10 give, Or hope 10
receive in elections for our friends. or ourselves
(ior members Of this Legislature, are often, very
often. too or:cn candidates here themselves, and
candidates or ut lri>t aspiranis for years at that
Every sound minded man MUST clearly perceive,
that Il candidate or aspirant is at all times prcvi-
io;S to the election, anxious to increase his popu-
lari;y with those who ere to pass upon his pre-
lentiuns; hence that in any great excitement,
extending either to the whole, or, part of the
electors. snch otlice-sccker or aspirant must
and will be EnlHic, or, in convertible terms, pru-
dent and linid. These great eycitements con-
stantly occur in every legislative body, and in
ours, they for the most part, always assume a
scctio,aI direction. Hence, no candidate, no as
piranl for any office in the gift of This assembly,
can give an huncst and independent vote on such
occasions. He cannot even act rs 4 true man
and statesman ought. for the reason llat it would
be in vain to appeal from the Legislature to the
people, is The Jutim system here mncks the
peop!e and prevents them from bestowing a So.
iciturs cOmmissiun,a Judges gown, or a gov
crnor's cap upon their i;vorite, however worthy
he may be.
Ard there are still other agencies, which op-
crate with almost dictalorial force upon the votes
of representatives here in many matters of leg.
isla,iou. The bank of the State, the private
banks. the railroads, The college, the military
academies, aud the lunalic asylum, although but
corporations, are yet what might be called a
third. and the most powerful branch Of our leg
isIa,ure The bank of the State has four mil
lions Of The peoples moscy, and We manage it.
We elect the officers who have influence here.
Many members Of this body get arcommoda-
,ons there and they must rerprocate the favor
bv voting rs the bank directs in many matters
Of legislation, rs well as in numerous elections
here. If not, actions ut law and persecution
under cover Of the ballot is their portion here,
lis well as indirect opposition in the primary
elections before the people. Many Of the other
States have IL constitutional provision excluding
officers of rail roads and banks from sitting in
the legislature, but our private banks have large
stockholders and directors without limit, who
are also members of this hody. Under cover
of the ballot and other parliamentary tactics in
VOGUE here. these institutions frequently take
haHd both in legislation and in elections. The
rail roads i"nd in the same category. The
South Carr" Il college in Il different way like.
wise plays a.. important part in the action of
this assembly. The same is true of the military
academies ~ well rs of the lunatic asylum
yes sir, even the asy lum is married 10 the Lcgis-
Ialurc laughter.
But now for The overwhelming evidence that
this legislature is an Assembly of electors and
not Of Legislators, and that by its peculiar organ.
izaIuu an oigarchy of live hundred men are
permitted to rule the State with IN iron will.
/ shall at present say nothing more of the Or
ganizat;on Of this House, than that il consists
of nnc hundred AMI twcnty(nur members. half
of whom represent taxation and the other half
white p"ralaiun. Upon this joint basis fifty
Representatives, believe, ro!.:e from Tic parish
C.: AMI the rrsnaining sevcny-tnur from the dis
tricts. II would be All easy matter TO show,