The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-05-02
CHARLESTON
SATURDAY MORNING, May 2, 1858.
The CITY elections.

| Tho City Elections.
In about q month elections will be held
for Mayor, Aldermen, and other city OFF,
GERS of Charleston, and it is time that de-
cided action should be taken for the pur-
pose Of securing the election Of respectable
conservative men.
Every property-holder, every man who is
dependent for support upon any trade or
profession, is interested in placing the con-
! troll Of the city in the hands Of competent
and responsible persons; and, if the issue
is squarely made between the extremists
! IN one side, and men Of moderation
ard intelligence on the other, there is little
doubt Of q favorable result. The whole
matter depends, however, upon three
things: lst..tAn energetic and systematic
canvass; I'd. A pledge that the gsneralticket
win be supported by all the wards repre-
sented in the nominating committee; Sd. The
selection Of men who will secure general
support. @ @ -.
Lin regard to the canvass there need
be no trouble There are already enough
gentlemen in the city, fully awakened to
the necessity of organized working at the
elections, to formea corps Of ofrsliable, pa
tient and cautious eanyssssrs. They would
be:able to see that every possible vote wss'
polled, and some of their number could
attend at the polling places and challenge
ell votes Of doubtful legality.
2. An unanimous support of the ticket
can be secured by each ward appointing,
in mass meeting, a,oommittee of five who
should, together. elect q nominating COM
mittee;--each ward pledging itself to sus-
tain and uphold the nominees Of the noni-
mating committee. - - -
8. Informing . ticket mere sectionalism
must be thrown aside, and it should be the
sndeayor to propose men who can carry
the solid conservative vote and be res-
sonably unobjectionablef to the moderate
Republicans, both white and colored.
This is requisite, because the white vote
alone will not carry the elections. and be-
cause there are many Republicans 30 con-
viaced of the. dangerous Intentions of the
most radical members Of their party as to
be willing and anxious to support any
movement not directly opposed to their
publicly professed political principles. No
man should be run as Democratic" can
didate, because the name alone would alien
ate important elements of success; indeed,
no man should be nominated who is, OF has
been Of late years, prominently connected
with any violent political organization. All
that can safely be done is to place before
the people men Of moderate views and
respectable standing, who are opposed to
allowing the government Of the city to fall
into the possession Of those who have no
higher motive than personal profit and party
capital. The candidates alao should be
clearly eligible to Office, and this eligibility
should be carefully sorutinized. Under the
Reconstruction Constitution. all citizens are
eligible to hold Office who are not disfran-
ehised by the Constitution of the United
States; /. e., who who have not, as civil, leg
islative or judicial officers, taken an oath
to support the Constitution of the United
States and afterwards given voluntary aid
to the enemies Of the United States or to
the late Confederate Government; and this
provision agrees with the restrictions con-
tanned in section six Of the first Reconstruc-
tion act.
Hard work, united action, proper and
eligible candidates. These are the require
ments of the hour, and, if they are COM
piled with frankly and fairly, it is hard to
see that there is any serious danger of
defeat.