The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-01-20
Form the Line!

The white people OF South Carolina are at
this time earnestly and anXiously casting
about for some plan Of organization by
which they can most speedily and certainly
wrest the political control OF the State from
the hands OF the ignorant, corrupt and
shameless men who are now in power. All
agree that it is supreme necessity to Sc
cure, next fall, at any cost, decent, capa-
ble and honest government; and every in
telligent citizen, white, ors black, outside OF
the Radical Ring, who has anything to lose
or anything to hope for. begins to feel the
Importance 10 his own pocket, OF checking
at once, and decisively, the frightful growth
of our State debt and taxation, which has
begun under the present hybrid regime. 1t
would lie idle, however, to close our eyes to
the wide difference of opinion which exists
as to the means most likely to accomplish
the desired result. Perhaps we cannot state
this difference more briefly than by contrast
inc some expressions OF two Of our State
contemporaries which have already been re-
produced in these columns. On the one
hand the Winnsboro' NerS talks with a
glibnesS, which is clearly not all badinage,
about "a new party which will run mixed
'.black and white tickets, and thus abandon
''the 'tme-honored principle of being thor
'oughly whipped every time;" and on the
other we have, from the Laurensville Her.
aid, bold and cheering words like these:
1.-The political campaign for 1870 is soon to
open, and the destinies of a commonwealth
are again 10 be put up as the prize. When We
contemplate the results at stake, Is it not high
time that the leaders Of the Democracy were
planning for The battle, and preparing to mar
shal their forces with energy and Judgment /?
Let the plans be broad and unmistakahle; let
them be free from mongresm, for late efforts
in other States show that such can only end in
division and defeat. There is no common
ground upon which Democrats and Radicals
can meet-there is nothing of sympathy be-
tween such opposing elements-their princi-
pRs are as dissimilar as the featll es and faces
that compose their ranks Let us then avoid
any ything like hybridism; let us boldly proclaim
the good old principles of our fathers that held
sway in the early days of the Republic, and
make fair, square and manly struggle for the
victory"
Between the two policies thus sketched in
a few sentences, the respectable people of
the State, black and white, must make their
choice. We do not believe they will long
hesitate For ourselves, we have chosen.
We think we appreciate the Importance OF
success in the coming struggle We have
learned, to our cost, of how little avail are
political principles when shorn of political
power. And We fully recognize the force Of,
the hon,eiy adage which reminds us that
'half loaf is better than no bread" And
vet it is our deliberate and fixed conviction
that every consideration of policy, us we'll rs
principle. forbids any form Of coalition or
compromise with the uncleap organization
that calls itself the Republican party of
South Carolina Equally ineypedient, in
our view, would be any concession whatever
to those shiftless and unprincplcd advcn
turers who having ridden into office on the
shoulders OF negro majority, are shrewd
enough to foreSee that their downfall is at
hand, and are already making coy profcs-
sions of conservatism and urging the forma-
ton of a new party, in which they may once
more hope for leadership and spoils. To the
white people, these political rats can'bring
not single element of strength. Let them
go down with their sinking ship.
We can and will show that square fight
with Radicals and Radicalsm not only offers
fair probability of success, but is the only
policy by which victory is within our reach
Meantime, in the name OF South Carolina,
we call upon our contemporaries throughout
the State to arouse the people and bid them
organize for battle.
Phc Charleston Extension BILL.