The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-02-25
The Regeneration OF tho State.

We are not disposed to question the dis
Interested sincerity Of our contemporary,
the Columbia Plonlc, either when it advo-
Gates the suicidal policy of 'every man for
himself" or when, as now it insists with
some warmth that 80 wise, moderate and
progressive Democracy" be put before the
country. 1t is only natural, however, that
gentlemen holding high official position in
the old Democratic organization OF the State
should be loath to countenance any move
nent whose dominant principle is, that the
first step toward success is an ignoring OF
the name and style of any party which is
connected indissolubly with dead and
buried past. And it can easily be under
stood that our Columbia contemporary, de-
voted to the watchwords OF other days, may
unwittlngly treat the name, rather than the
platform, of the State Opposition party as
the one great thing for which to contend.
This leaning is made evident by the COM
ments OF the Fheaic upon what it calls the
proposition 'to sink the Democracy in
''sort OF hybrid organization, which shall be
'neither fish, flesh nor fowl, and which, in
seeking to please everybody, will satisfy no
some" The PlenLe also gives ghastly list
OF woes which this hybrid organization may
bring upon the State, asserting that it will
''take the soul out OF the anti-Radical move
''ment," and "disgust the very bone and
'.siuew of the anti-Radicalists, who are ear
'nest, working Democrats. These few words
show the obliquity of the political vision Of
the PAenir, in assuming that an 'anti-Rad-
'ical party" is necessarily "a Democratic
party" and also in declaring that an aban-
donment OF party name, without any
abandonment OF principle, will disgust the
men whose chief object in voting with the
Democratic" opposition in 1865 was what
it will be in voting with the Citizens Party
in October next; that is, to root out official
and personal corruption, and give the State
an honest, impartial and economical ad-
ministration.
We do not pretend to deny that the men
who voted with the Democratic party at the
last elections will be the bone and sinew OF
the Citizens Party. The error OF the Ple
uir, and a grievous error, lies in the assump-
ton that the white voters sustained the DEM
ocratic party purely because it was Demo-
cratic party; while the common-sense truth
OF the matter is that they voted with the
Democratic party because it was the only
party in the State which was arrayed in di-
rect and open opposition to Radical extrava-
gance and corruption. And the reasons
which forced these good and true men to
work patiently and earnestly in 1858, will
compel them to work more ardently as MEM
bers of the Citizens Party in the fast ap-
preaching elections The Citizens Party
does, indeed, offer to the people of the State,
every principle which could be incorporated
in The platform of 'a WISE moderate and
progressive Democracy" Andit gives more
10 the whole people than any traditional
party would be willing to do. The platform
Of the Citizens Party contemp!atcs:
l. A frank and full recognition ofthe civil and
political equality OF the white and black citi-
zens OF South Carolina.
2. >nseQuent reputation, in State con-
tests, OF old party names an old party
issues.
3. A bold and outspoken opposition TO
personal and official cOrruDtion.