The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-08-29
Organizing Victory.

| pie, anu Dy making IL efiueut Ihat eae Peo-
pie are determined 'to organize victory"
NO skirmishing,, or guerilla shooting, is Of
| any value in contest so important as that
in which the good people Of South Carolina
are engaged. The fight must be won, or
lost, in the general engagement OF the third
Wednesday in October; and upon the way
in which we spend these coming months OF
preparation. the whole result depends.
| It can hardly be doubted that sixty thous-
and white voters can direct, by proper
means, the votes Of twelveor thirteen thous-
and freedmen. Thisis the whole problem,
if problem it can be called A body Of sixty
thousand whites, possessing the property,
the intelligence, and the culture of the
State, are to obtain the votes OF less than
one-sixth Of the colored voters. These col
ored voters, for the most part, depend on
the whites for capital, for employment, for
adTice. Where, then, is the difficulty OF con-
vincins them that the success of the Reform
movement is just as necessary to their we'll
There will he, on the part of the Reform
ers no appeal to force, no pecuniary pres
sure, no threat or menace. These are not
the weapons with which Reformers work.
Let the Ring treat the freedmen as brutes,
who know not the difference between. right
and .wrong-who cannot, without the assist
auce oil an oath-bound League, deposit the
ballot which, according to its use, is curse
or a.blessing to them and theirs. This is
not the way the Reformers work. They
stand in the broad light Of day, and, making
no appeal to the passions of the negroes.
they expect the support Of no voter who Is
not convinced that the Reform party is the
only party under whose rule both whites aud
blacks may prosper In every preceding
election thousands OF colored men have
voted with the whites. They did it, although
the Radicals endeayored to persuade them
that the election Of Seymour and Blair, in
1868, would insure the establishment OF
slavery, And for eyery single coloretl lnau
who supported the Democrats two years
ago. there should be found hundred to
support the Union Reiormers. This is too
plain to need explanation. The Union Re-
sorIn party is composed OF both Republicans
and Democrats, whites and blacks; 1t recog-
nizes and affiims the civil aud political
equality OF all citizens, irrespective Of color;
it recognizes the right Of al qualified per-
sons, irrespective Of colorr to hold public
Office. This is the whole platform, and We
defy any man to prove that the programme
has not been carried out faithfully and with
out eQuivoeation.
What more do the colored people ask than
is accorded TO them By the Union Reform
ers? Nothing Make them understand
what the Reform party is, and satisfy them
that the Reformers are in earnest; do this,
anda colored supporter Of the Ring-himself
not all offceholder-wi.l be as difficult to
ind as conscientious carpet-bagger There
is no, difficulty in explaining the prin-
iciples otthe Reform party; nor should there
be.any serious difficulty in CONVINCING the
c0lored people that the Reforrners are acting
ih:good faith. The freedmen will judge OF
the future by the light Of the past and pres
ent In the past, the Scott Ring have broken
every promise made to their colored constit-
uents, whether upon the subject OF lands, OF
schools, or Of division Of Offices. In no
single instance have the Ring fulfilled their
part Of the political bargain. On the other
hand, the men who compose the Reform
party have never made a promise to the
freedmen which they have not religiously
kept. Nor, in the present, are the Ring do
ing one whit better. They propose to pro-
mote a few corruption-fed negroes from
lower Offices to higher ones, and this is all.
On the other hand, the Reiorners act impair
tally IRON the start, and, in pubic matters.
make no distinction whatever on account of
color or race. And if it becomes question
of persons, not OF platforms, the Reforners
are inyulnerable. Whether ne love them or
not where is the honest colored man in
South Carolina VINO will MOI believe the bare
word OF a Carpenter, Butler, u Kershaw
Dunkin, Rutiedge, DeSaussure, or a
Conner, in preference to the oath Of a Scott, a 1
Rausier, Whittemore, Corbin, a Whipper,
or a Moses?
The Reform armory is filled with effective
weapons, but these weapons will not, un-
welded and untouched, smite and slay the
foe. In the hands of earnest men they will
give US the victory; let them remain idle,
aud the old-fsshioned missiles OF the enemy
will break our ranks and scatter our forces.
The white voters Of the State can rescue
South Carolina from the clutches OF the Ring.
Two months of steady, quiet work will make
success certain. Fifteen thousand colored
votes, With the white vote, will elect Car
penter and Butler and a majority OF the Leg
islature. Think of it! II every four white
men convert ole coIored man to the truth,
the day is ours. Is this too much to do. or
too MITCH To expect! What we strive Tor is,