The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1870-07-20
Address Of the e Executive
Committee of the Union
Reform Party, to the Vo-
terS of South Carolina.

cLLO va - - 1A1SS~S
our duty to set forth in this form
the claims Of the Union Reform
party to your confidence and CO.
operation, and we ask of you rs
our countrymen, children Of the
State, our common mother, havin G
Il common interest and common
destiny, a patient hearing and a
deliberate and dispassionate jadg-
ment.
The secession Of the States and
the sectional war which followed
wrought 4 revolution in the prin-
ciples Of The government, and in
the rights, powers and relations
of the general and State govern
ments: partly changing their char
acter. The States were shorn Of
their sovereign attributes, the
Union rendered indissoluble, and
the powers Of the general govern
mcnt correspondingly enlarged.
The people OF South Carolina, and
those other sister Southern States
rs well, accepted amnesty and
civil organization in 1865, thus
conditioned, and ratified their ad-
hesion to the government thus
changed in its character, by the
solemnity Of an amended oath of
allegiance administered to the vo-
ters at the polls, and to all officers
upon their qualification. In 1867,
the United States inaugurated
what is known rs the policy of re-
construction, which has resulted
in the restoration Of South Caro-
lima to the National Union, with a
constitution based upon the prin-
cipIc OF universal suffrage. In
1868, the Democratic party ar
raycd itself against the whole poll
cy Of reconstruction, and declared
the legislation Of Congress upon
that subject as 'susurpations, and
unconstitutional, rcvoluti omar
and void" Mainly upon this is
sue, the Presidential campaign
was fought, and the people Of the
United States by overwhelming
majoritics, sustained the policy Of
reconstruction. The fifteenth a.
mendment to the constitution Of
h c United States, cngrafting
therein as Fundamental law, the
principle Of universal suffrage,
has been proclaimed ratified by
the requisite number Of States,
and is received and acquiesced in
rs law in the practice Of all the
States of the Union.
IL the meantime, tho people Of
South Carolina find themselves in
this condition. With universal
suffrage prevailing, two races COM
pose the people, entrusted with
The franchise. Circumstances and
the Vaccinations Of selfish and
corrupt political adventures have
created an antagonism between
the races. and arrayed, practically,
the whole Of the one race in po-
litical hostility to the whole Of the
other race. Nearly the entire
landed property and other capital
OF the State are in the hands of
the white race, and the power of
the government is controlled by
the colorcd, which furnishes the
chief labor Of the country. Prop
crty is the source Of life to the
State. From it the proprietor and
the Iaborer alike derive sustenance.
When property is made produc-
tive, wealth is increased, labor en-
HANGED, cmploymcnts multiplied,
the country prospcrs, and the pco-
pie arc happy. TO secure these
results, cooperation between labor
and capita! is essential. The la
borcr and the capitalist arc in cf-
feet copartncrs, who divide among
them, in proper proportions, the
products Of the joint business.
Legislation, after securing the
mere personal rights of the citi-
zen, has no other legitimate Office
than so to foster and conserve the
rights Of property that the whole
people may prosper. 1t is evident,
therefore, that this antagonism Of
races is unnatural, unwise, and
icplorably Injurious and ruinous
in its consequences to both. I'm
der the industrious manipulations
Of this unhappy antagonism by
the Adventures who created it,
the people are burthencd and beg
cared, while they grow fat upon
the means wrung from the hard
earned products Of the capital and
labor Of the citizen. Not content,
however, with the exclusive en-
ioymcnt of multiplied salaried Of
fees, fixed at a rate Of compcnsa-
ton unprecedented in cxtrava-
gance, these wicked rulers have
plunged into the Widest, most
reckless and most corrupt pro-
fligacy, pcculation and fraud in
their dealings with the peoples
money. Let the record speak:
Taxes, year ending September
80, 1860, s591,799.5S year ending
October 81, 1866, s4f9,66S.73, not
including interest on debt; taxes,
year ending October 81, 1869,
81, ,263 2259.09; county tax FOR 1869,
$501, ,097.32.