The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1869-04-29
MISCELLANY.
THE MAY ELECTIONS.

be no thorough change In the political
and peysical complexion of the General
Assembly'of the State. Elections will,
however, be held from time to time
to fill vacancies caused by the death
or resignation of mewbers, which will
give an opportunity of increasing, in
some degree, the white strength OF the
Lower House. There are, besides, many
county and township Offices to be filled,
aud so important is it to obtain as rap
idly as possible the control of our local
affairs, that the most earnest efforts
should be made to elect in every in
stance a known and responsible citizen.
The county and township officers are
brought into immediate contact with
the people. They have great power in
encouraging good feeling or promoting
'dissension. 1t rests with them, in
great degree, to determine what shall
be the county taxation. And apart
from the intrinsic value of the Office,
and apart flom the influence which
it may exert upon the public mind, we
hold it to be IF the greatest cousca auence
to show at once that we do intend that
the State shall not always be governed
by ignorance and vice. This cannot
better be done than by electing good
men to every Office for which an elec-
tion may be held, and this must be done
without regard to the apparent impor-
tance of the Office. Some victories will
keep our people together. They will
encourage them to be hopeful and con-
fdent, and, in this way, will have
moral power, a bracing force, out of all
D oportion to the intrinsic value of the
offices themselves. A Lcsinning should
be made at once, and the occasion pre-
scnts itself in the elections ordered to
be held on the 25th May.
On that day two county commission
'ers and coroner will lie elected in Ab.
bcyillc and in Gcor5ctoTn; a county
commissioner and school commissioner
in Barn%ell; judge Of the probate
court, coroner and a county commits
sioner in Fairfield; a school commits
sioner and a coroner in Anderson, in
Laurcns, in Orangeburg and in Rich
land; a coroner in Chester, in Chester
field, in Edgeicld, in Oconec, in Pick
ems, in Sumter and in Union; clerk of
the court and coroner in Darlington;
a county commissioner and coroner in
KerShaw, in Lexington and in York,
and county commissioner in Horny.
Every one Of these Offices is important,
and none more so than that Of jud .e Of
the probate court and county commits
sioner The county commissioners have
jurisdiction over roads, highways, fer
ries, bridges, "and in all matters rela-
ting to taxes and disbursements Of mo,
ncy for county purposes, and in every
other case that may be necessary to the
internal improvement and localconcerns
in their respective counties" They
raise money, they apportion taxes, and
have the power to levy a tax of three
mills on the dollar, which would repre-.
sent total county taxation of over half
a million of dollars. Their authority
has apparently very little hmit other
than their own discretion; and it surely
is u duty which we owe to ourselves as
business mcu, as men who desire that
the State should prosper, as nren who
wish that the freedmen may have full
work at fair wages, that we should open
this commercial campaign without a
moments delay, and strive as hard to
elect the county commissioners, probate
judges, coroners, and others, as though
we we're again Oh the eve Of Presiden-
tial election.
We do not regard the election of
these officers as party question; but
as long as ninety-nine one-hundredths
of the respectable white men of the
State are Democrats, We must expect it
to lie said that what we want is not a
responsible candidate, but Democratic
victory. This we cannot help. Taking
it for granted that we will on y vote for
men who know what their official duties
are, and who have sense enough to dis
charge them properly, where can we'go
outside Of the Democratic party? This
may be an embarrassing conclusion to