Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-09-30
For tho Advertiser.

Mn. EDITOR: The vote cast by South Caro-
lima at the November elections will have
material influence on the future prosperity O
the State, Independent of the effect it ma.
have on the Presidential contest. The rela
tive strength Of the two parties has not al
yet been fairly tested. Heretofore the Dem
ocrats, instead of taking an active part in thy
canvass, have pursued :" % policy of mastery
inactivity" hoping that, on the subsistence o
the passions incident to the war, that The
Northern people, or the Supreme Court, would
relieve them from the intolerable prosecutions
they have so patiently borne and suffered. Ii
is row evident that should the Republican
party be successful, that there will be nc
hooo Of relief by Federal Legislation. Con-
sequeutly the evils of Negro supremacy will
have to be borne until, We as State, can
throw off the incubus. In this view, it be-
hooves every South Carolinian to exert HIM
self to the utmost to secure as large Dem.
ocratic vote as possible, at every poll in the
State, even should we be convinced cf the
impossibility of carrying the State for Sey-
mour and Blair.
The Democratic party being now fairly or
gapized, the vote cast next November will be
taken as criterion Of the relative strength
of the two parties in thi' State, and willhave
material bearing on all" subsequent local
elections. Although apparently the Repub-
licans Lave decided advantage, yet it is moi
in, possible for US, by adopting proper meas.
ures, to disappoint their sanguine expecta-
,ons, as was done in Mississippi. In that
State s0, 800 negroes were registered to So
$50 whites; yet there %as 1000 majority
against the. Ratification of the Constitution.
In South Carolina So55O negroes are reg
istered to 46,Ss2 whites. In the vote for q
Convention, 6S, 1876 votes were polled in favor,
Including 1850 whtes,) and 7O,75S votes
were polled in favor Of rat;iying the New
Constitution. Icing COIL less than majori-
ty of the Registered voters. 1t is probable
that the whole strength Of the Republican
party was brought out on those occasions,
whilst on the other hand it is estimated that
at least $4,000 whites were dislranchiscd, Or
abstained, for various reasons, from register
ing. Since then tie Democratic party has
been steadily gaining GROUND. Not realizing
any tangible and direct benefits from the
party which was So extravagant in their
promises to them, very many of the negroes
have become indifferent to the party, or vio-
lently opposed to it. BY adopting proper
means this large class Can be induced either
to vote with their employers, or notStospote
at all. 1t Will thus be seen that the chances
of success are not sosdesperate as to induce
but on the ether hand should
arouse Us to make every possible exertion.
Unfortunately too many of our people neg
iect putting their own shoulders to the wheel.
relying on others to do tue necessary work
When applied to for money, which is abso
utely essential. they button up tncir pockets
as if it was no concern CT theirs. In mod
ern elections, as we'll as in modern wars,
money most frequently decides the contest.
Without having any reference to bribery
there are thousand and one expenses that
must be provided for, or the election goes by
default As one means to meet these expen.
ses, the Radical party have assessed the vari-
Gus Office holders a per ccntage on the sala-
ries of their Offices, promising to retain the in
cumbent in the Office should they succeed.
The Democratic party have no such fund to
draw en-, and therefore must rely on voluuta-
rY contributions, Such contributions should
be considered as investments that would re-
turn heavy dividends; for, unless they are
made, we must continue under the rule of
the dominant party with its manifold evils.
By o7erthrowing that party, and establishing
White .dan's Government once more, taxa.
ton would be leSsened, business would re-
vive, and The prosperity Of the country be as
sured.
When farmer goes to store to make his
purchases, and finds that manufactured goods
cost him from so to 100 per cent more than
formerly, be little thinks how large proper
tioa of the advance is attributable to the
mal-administratio Of the Government, and
that these advanced prices are as much tax
on him as the amount lie pays directly to the
Tax Collector.
The $40 month earned by the able-bodied
negro, buys him but little more than SIS would
have done formerly. If the country was as
prosperous as before the war, the demand for
labor would be so erea. that instead Of $l0
be would be earning SIS Or $50 per month,
which woald purchase for him three times as
much as he now gets.
If taxation was limited to what we pay di
rectly to the tax gatherer, the burden would
no: be so intolerable but the ingenuity oi
the crafty Northern Politicians has devised
thousand schemes whereby 10 deplete our
pockets for their benefit. Anterior to the
war we raised hue and cry at the injustice
of paying bounty to the New England FISH
ermen. Now the South and West pays a
thousand times more, indirectly, in the form
Of interest to the stockholders of the Banks
in the Eastern and Middle States In. this
view. We would call attention to the follow
ins extract from speech Of HoRarIS SEY.
MouR, at the Cooper Institute in 1896:
i T.. Il, -....-