The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-09-30
THE GREAT STRUGGLE.
an 4DDRESs TO THE CITIZENS OF
CHARLESTON.
The Appeal of the Executive Commft-
tee of the Union Reform Party for
Charleston County.

Fello,c-citi:ens-At this stage of the politica
campaign-less than three weeks from elec
ton day-we do not propose to discuss ane"
the principles of the Union Reform party; mol
do we desire to review, in this place. the cor
rupt and tyrannical conduct, on the part Of
our public servants, which has made the gov
ernment of South Carolina disgracetul to civil
ization as we'll as rllinous to the people. This
has been sufficiently discussed upon the stump
and in the public prints. and requires. at our
hands, no word Of censure or explanation.
We do. however, in the discharge of the duty
entrusted to as, deem 1t necessary to point out
briefly what the Reform canvass has accom-
plished; what, in general, remains to be done,
and what, in particular, are the responsible
ties and duties of Charleston in this crisis in the
history of the Palmetto State
short six months ago, the people OF South
Car olina, apathetic and desponding, saw no
way of escape from the tolls Of Radical in
tricue. 1t was admitted that the old party
lines had been changed, but there was no
political organization in existence which
might unite all honest citizens under the same
banner, with the sole object of reforming the
government of the State. Yet every prudent
citizen was forced by sad experience to recog-
nize the fact that unequal laws aud excessive
taxation, were paralyzlng trade, consuming
the scanty profits of the agrlculturist, and eat
ing up the hard-earned pittauce Of the indus
| trious working man. After some delay, the
representatives of the good people Of South
Carolina were brought together in Columbia,
to take counsel for the common adv antage.
The result of their meeting was the formation
of the Union Reform party, whose corner
stones are Honesty, Progress, Low Taxation
and Equal Rights. The Hon. R. B. Carpenter
and General n. C. Butler were nominated as the
candidates of the party for Governor and
Lieutenant-G Governor, and the canvass began.
During the past two months the candidates
of the Reform party have met the people face
to face in twenty-nine Of the thirty-one coun-
ties in the State. They have quickened the dull.
spurred on the sanguine, and encouraged the
faint-hearted The whites have flocked to hear
their eloquent words, and the colored people.
in large numbers, have attended every Reform
meeting, although the leaders OF the Scott par
ty used freely both trick and menace to in
duce them to remain away. Gradually the
people became conscious of their strength.
Reform clubs were rapidly organized in every
county Venerable statesmen, whose names
are household words in the mouths OF the peo-
ple gallant soldiers, whose SCARED breasts
attest their devotion TO the South; young he
roes, eager to meet and overcome the enemies
of good will and peace-all these braced them
selves to the work, and are working still. Day
by day the popular heart grew warmer In the
cause. And, at this moment, 1t is certain that
the whole Of the upper and middle country
will make gallant and victorious fight under
the banners OF Reform.
The canvass, moreover, has developed the
fact that, while the white vote has never been
fully drawn out since the war, the Radical
maiorties have, In every Instance, been over
estimated. With characteristic fool-hardi-
ness, the Scott party counted upon majority
of thirty thousand-more than the majority OF
colored voters in the State. Thousands OF
colored men are already pledged to support
the Reform candidates, and close calcula-
ton shows that, with full white vote. the
adverse majority to be'overcome IN the whole
State, when the canvass opened, did mol eN-
ceed fifteen thousand The middle and upper
counties will give Carpenter aud Butler fifteen
or twenty thousand majority. And the vote
of the low country. and chiefly Of Charleston
County, viii! determine whether South Caro-
lima shall be relieved from the thraldom OF the
party which, in two years, has doubled the
State debt and has Systematically made public
policy the instrument OF private gain.
The people of the State look to Charleston
for a hearty assistance and generous sup
port. They do not expect lmposslh!lites: but
they remember that the Reform movement
had its origin in Charleston, and they demand.
as a right, that the seaboard do its duty. We
| believe that the people Of the State look upon
this citv with affection and with pride. They
desire that Charleston may prosper exceed
ingly. They hope that our commerce may be
enlarged, in scope aud volume; that our
streets may be busy with trade; that the waste
places, Scared by The rude hand OF war, may
be hidden by happy homes: that forest OF
masts may fringe our shores and make
Charleston the Liverpool of the South. But
if the people OF this city and county fali TO
strain every nerve, and to make every sacri-
fee. TO insure the success of the movement
| which engrosses the attention of the country
districts, it will be hard To convince our breth-
reu In the interior that their Interests are ours
OF that Our prosperity is, in any way, depend
ent upon the general welfare OF the State.
And have We not. within the sound OF st.
Mlchael's mellow chimes, cause enough for e2-
ertiou-reason enough to dread two more
years OF organized robbery and deliberate
fraud: The real and personal property in
Charleston County is valued for taxation at
FORTY MILLION DoLLARs-one-tourth Of the
total value of all the property in the State.
The State and County taxation IN Charleston
County, last year, was more than FOUR Hun
psEp THOUSAND p0LLARS-abOut one-iourth OF
tie taxes charged upon the property Of the
entire State. This is what Charleston has at
stake. The success of the Reform movement
will at once add largely to the value OF Our