The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-07-18

Only give the Scott Ring rope enough and
they will hang themselves.
| A few months ago the Ring declared that
their administration Of the affairs of the
State was model Of economy, efficiency and
purity. This cry they kept up until thefacts
and official figures, printed in these columns,
convicted them of barefaced fraud, OF wanton
extravaganza and shameless corruption.
They then changed front. Admitting that
the Ring needed reforming they promised
faithfully that, if the people would continue
their support, they would make the Ethio'
plan change his spots, cause the stream CT
bribery and wrong to flow up hill, and, Won
derful to soy, convert Scott and his clique
into upright, trustworthy men. These
promises they asseverated SO steadily that,
once in while, farmer, or destitute
workingman, was found who was willing to
give the official thieves another chance at
his pocket. But the masses of the people,
knowing their unscrupulous character, de-
rlined to confide in the Ring, and arrayed
themselves under the broad folds OF the
peaceful banner Of Unicn and Reform. 1t
was folly to expect that the impure, Of their
own free will, would make themselves clean;
il was sheer nonsense to expect from the
Ring. in lS7O-72, more decency and less
crime than had marked their whole career in
the two preceding years.
Already the event justifies the popular
feeling. No one will deny that 1t is vain to
look for official purity in men who are elected
by subterfuge, trick and downright cheating;
and how shall legislator be held above re-
proach who obtains his seat by packing
meetings and manipulating conventions?
he who buys the vote Of another, will, if the
bid be high enough, sell his own. And this
is the way that the Ring are working. SEN
ator Cain, in the Missionary Record. hews
right and left smashing friend and foe. This
model Radical, who, lucuS non tucendo.
denounces corruption, and lauds Scott to the
skies, now exposes, in an article which we
print this morning, some of the tricks OF the
Charleston corruptionists The contest for
the nomination for Cons ss in this district
is distressingly warm. Meetings and coun-
ter-meetings, caucusses and councils, but
ton-holings and whiskey drinkings, go on in
every ward of the city. Already the Execu-
tive axe has fallen upon the official heads OF
two unfortunates who support the candidate
whom the administration Ring opposes, and
it is even reported that Governor Scott and
Secretary Cardozo will come down from Co.
lumbia to-day, throw themselves into the
breach, and make desperate fight against
the immaculate Bowen. Cain says that
Bowen wants to be Governor of South Caro-
tina. This is The secret. And it is hard to
see why Bowen, with oil his sins on his head,
would not make as trustworthy Governor
as Robert Kingston Scott. But this does
not jump with the ideas OF Senator Cain,
who presents some curious facta, upon the
authority of responsible persons, Cain says
that one man offered tmo dollars FOR votes
for Bowen; that another Radica! was detect
ed in voting three tickets at once; that
delegate from the country voted in the city;
that a Charleston alderman had forty phos-
phate diggers under his thumb; that as high
as fre dollars u head was offered and paid
by certain persons. Cain says, further, that
the guilty ones are 'public men" who have
received honors at the peoples hands"
Now, we are not disposed to believe that
all the innocence is on the side of Senator
Cain, and oil the guilt on the side of hisoppo-
nenss. 1t is, we undertake to say, six oil
one and half dozen Of the other. The
truth is hard to learn, but when this whole
dirty business is sifted to the bottom it will
be found that the buying and selling. on both
sides is about the sane-that the senatorial
pot is calling the congressional kettle black
No word was uttered against Bowen until bis
denomination became inconyenient to the
Ring. The long array OF charges produced
against him awakened no anger, and led to
no investigation. Until he entered into COM
petition with some new aspirant for congress
sional honors, he was held by the Ring to be
a worthy representative Of the. people And
this is tle regular programme. Rival can.