The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-11-29

Just '"hcH "ho Oh MS piaLc, when tho report of q
pistol broke the silence, and the old man fell dead
'ihcn another. and The hoy was u,hcrc,I into
eternity. Mira. rcightai inist have jumped mn
ami cn'lcayOrrd 10 escape and been cut down
Win u ha,cAci nnh afterwards shot when The
pistol hai been reloaded. Tho work Of blood
being accomplished, tile InutdcrcrB searched the
h"iir ior plindrf ana thGu vet lire 10 the build
ing l"r the purpose OF covering up their L0ody
work.
I.n borrrs la Observation-Disclosures Demands
Tho nr,cnt Hcnl with which Radical ofIi-
cials advocate The cause OF the brlwny
sonH of toll would In amazingly refreshing
tho record Of South Carolina Radicnlism one
rcdccniin,r fact, showing that the ruling con-
c'uvr il indeed the disintorcStod friend OF
lahorcr AMI artisan, we could give To the
ltadical lcatlcra. Tor thnir support OF the
workngmnn, u mcnd OF praise which no
other decd 0f theirs entities them 10 claim
But they nrc no more unSrlIlsh NOW than
when they speculate in bonds and stocks,
Irowin;, slcok 1nd rich while the poor man
starvcs. And this The lah0rnrs already hr-
gin Ia Hcr. They gradually learn that tho
Radical politicians mouth and rant so
ilcrccly. only because, without the steady
support Of tho lahorng mon, South Caro-
lima Eadicalism must soon 20 down 10 dc
stmction. In Columbia, especially. have
the laborcrs proved their appreciation of
the situation. ami II wise discrimination To
avoid being made the tools VI any political
party. The Labor Convention, which bo-
gan in noise and confusion, has adopted IA
the agricultural laborcrs stand before the
people in an attitude which cannot provoke
hostility and should command support
There is still too much OF the political clc-
ment in the composition Of the convention
This, perhaps, could not be avoided. And
whether ii cou!d or not, tho standard by
which we judge the body is the character
and extent of its demands, not tho temper
or race Of its members.
As is we'll known, All attempt was made
by handful of Radical dcmngogues- es-neus-
paper mon and politicians-to induce the
Labor Convention 10 insist upon higher
wages for the laborers, TO regulate the price
III,
rally, TO take position directly and wilfully
hostile TO the whole employing class. This
was the object OF the persons who caused
the convention to assemble, and when il
began its deliberations these dcmagogues
urged that the platform Higher Wages,
''or STikes and Revolution" Fortunately,
more moderate counsels prevailed, aud the
report or platform adopted by tho c,.nvcn-
lion is one to which no liberal minded man
will cautiously object The sum and sub
stance OF the platform is that memorial shall
be presented TO the Legislature praying that
claims for wages be u preferred lien on land,
and that suits for their recovery shall have
precedence on the calendar over all o:ner
civil suits; that a commissioner be appoint
cd in each county to examine and attest
contracts; that nine hours be days work
where skilled labor id required; that lands
sold under execution be divided into small
tracts, and tna, all taxes on rice and cotton
be abolished.
The object sought to be attained by tic
appointment of the commissioners of con-
tracts, is tho protection of the laborer
against fraud, and the commissioners will,
in some degree, represent both the employer
and the persons employed. We believe that
in this State cases of fraud upon the Iaborcr
by the landowner are few and far between.
The freedmen, nearly without exception, arc
treated well, and are paid rs much as tho
planters Gun afford. But the impression has
gone abroad that the laborers arc oppressed
and badly used, and we are willing and glad
that they should have an official safeguard
against even the suspicion Of wrong We
know that We express the sentiments OF tho
white people when wo say that it is the uni
vcrsM desire TO give to tho freedmen tho
fullest measure Of justice. We have one and
the same law for white man and negro. The
white man who would cheat an ignorant
freedman is simply beneath contempt We
concur, then, in the recommendation that
commissioners OF labor bo appointed, and tho
expense, although considerable, will matter
but little if honest and respectable officers
are chosen. Upon the character OF the com
missioners will mainly depend the amount
Of good that is done.
No opposition will be shown to the pro-
posal TO mako wages . preferred lien on tho
land, nor to the suggestion that lands sold
undor execution lie cut up into fifty acre
tracts. Ene-tenths of the negroes will,
at present. do better US lahorers than as
landowners. but if they wish to buy land
and work it themselves we should, and will,
give them favorable opportunity of max
ing start in the world. Taxes on cotton
and rice should undoubtedly be abolished.
These impoSts injure our commerce and
deprcss our trade Let them be swept
away by the Legislature if the munioipsli-
ties decline TO act
For tho appointment. of an officer 10 sI-