The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-01
The Township Trick.

The enterprise OF Radicalism is equal to
any undertaking; but it cannot accomplish
impossibilities. Its greed is Unsuitable; but
it cannot suck blood out of stone. It's
determination to enrich itself with the spoils
OF South Carolina is unchanged and un-
mistnkable; but the poverty of the State,
under the present rule, imposes insurmoun-
table barriers to its cncroachments. If
there be any comfort in the possession of O
scanty purse, which, Us the poet says, en-
ables the careless traveller to sing in the
| presence Of the robber, VIC owe that philo-
| sophie pleasure to the labors Of our legis-
lators in Columbia. They have squeezed
the orange until it is nearly dry
We are glad to see that this conviction
begins to prevail at the State Capital, and to
such an extent that the Legislature is about
to repeal one Of the most Infamous meas-
ures of intrigue and corruption which has
yet secured the suffragcs of that body.
AS II matter Of policy, the township redis-
tribution of the State was q masterpiece of
lcgerdemain. True it was unsuited to the
wants OF an agriculture necessilating large
fields and sparse settlements. There arc
hundreds of square miles in our State which
have been swayed, from time immemorial
by the squirrel, the possum and the raccoon.
There are thousands ofacres possessed bytwo
or three families. There are hundreds OF
thousands OF pine barrens where prudent
gopher would decline to settle. Yet the ex-
isting law requires that all these interesting
museums OF natural history should he erect
cd with townships, that cach township
should have seven officers, and thnt these
| officers i'll each township should receive for
their services about fifteen hundred and
seventy-five dollars per annum. The glory
OF Mr.. Bcrgh is obscured by the legislative
philanthropy of Columbia He has been
guarding the horses of New York from
cruelty. We rear school-houses for the
snakes and alligators of the Santec swamp.
and elect commissioners OF roads for the
gophers of Richlnnd County. We have
made provision to feed our buzzards upon
the dead languages, and to teach our crows
to cav in French; to cultivate the nspira-
tions Of our pine trees, and to persuade our
In addition to these advantages, the cul-
turc OF the fauna and flora of South Carroll
nn by the newly appointed "Selectmen"-
the benefit 10 ''the party" was no small in
duccment toward the adoption of the town
ship arrangement. 1t was found that by
means Of this nice little plan the Radical
party could appropriate to their uses, annu-
| ally, not less tlinn one million, one hundred
and siXty-nvo thousand, five hundred dol
lnrs; that they could turn South Carolnn
into new Ireland, making every township
n feof, ruled by the officers OF the conquer
ing power. Jurie5 could be interfcred with,
work could be demanded, taxes could be
levied mt discretion. When ronce tile plan
should he fairly inaugurated, there would
not bc left vestige Of liberty to the capt.
talsts and landowners OF the State. Every
few square miles OF its surface would be
dominated by satraps as irresponsible as the
rude chiefs OF tile Cloths and Vandals who
squatted in the Roman Empire. To men
whose idea OF freedom involves the denial
to others OF their rights, tho spoliation OF
capital and the permanence Of power the
prospect OF "Carolina Capta," was no doubt
most inviting.
Bnt now that the townships have been
surveyed, an insurmountable difficulty pre-
sents itself. The satraps cannot maintain
their state without money, and whore the
money is to como from transcends tile wis-
dom OF Kimpton md tho prudent foresight
of Scott. We nre in the c-ndltion Of The
man who had an attack Of rheumatism, fol-
] lowed by neuralgia. lie said that when lie