The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-08-17

tremble on their usurped thrones; and
the profigate aud corrupt Ring that
reign here in Columbia to-day, shall be
driven in disgrace and dismay from their
strongholds OF dishonesty, profigacy and
prostitution of power.
object to the administration of Go
vernon Scott, first, for the uniform sys-
tenn of corruption and venality intro
duced into oil the departments of the
governmont-the Executive, the Legis-
lative and the Judiciary It is the
system of the ring. My policy is to
attack those only who attack us; not
those who assail mo personally. shnll
present nothing but facts-nothing
which / cannot prove in my court Of
Justice. I ask fair and civil questions.
prof,.r that you ask whatever you wish
explained. 1 wish manly facing of
these subjects; not like the radicals
often do-try to keep the people away
from the speeches, and their leaders
sneak up to hear what is said, and then
creep away to misrepresent it in their
grog-shops and leagues Now, assert
that every radical organ in South Caro-
lina-the Republican, of Charleston, the
Spartanburg Republican and the CsN-
all have asserted again and again that
the Legislature of this State has been
bribed to pass overy important bill that
it has yet passed. If I am to admit this
array of evidencc-this crowd of wit
nesses, that is to say, every radical organ
in the State-bribery was the means
used to pass tho gold bill, tho insurance
dill and tho sinking fund bill. The con-
fession of the guilty parties is certainly
conclusive evidence in such cases. How
does his Excellency stand upon all these
bills? He endorsed them all. He ad-
vlsed their passage. he urged their
adoption; md signcd them without
murmur.
When Scott became Governor of this
vcrished and dishcartcned. Tho laborer
was out of employment. Tho poor had
a struggle to sustain life The farmer
was involved in debt and the industry of
the country paralyzed. Governor Scott
found all these things. He found the
State oppressed with q debt of sc, 900, 600.
What ought he to have done? What
did the dictates Of humanity require at
his hands? TO Cypress the people fur
ther? 70 increase the suffering? Or,
ought he to have taken steps to Tighten
them? What has lie done? He and his
administration oppressed the people
with Il mercilcss burden of taxation, and
run up the State debt from Sc, 600, 900 to
S14, 500, 900, by aiding SIS. 500, 600 to it.
Efforts have been made to explain that
Scott did not know these things, and
that he is not personally responsible for
them. If it is not his own work directly,
it is the work Of his creatures. would
not wrong any man. His course with
the Legislature proves his motive and
purpose. This enormous debt is
mortgage upon tho property of every
tax payer in South Carolina. It is debt
of 5000 for every voter; or $4,000 for
every white voter-the ax-payer-in
the State. It is debt that you will
have to pay. Although contracted in
injustice and with reckless waste, still it
must and should be paid, and by you.
In Gods name, then, let us stop this
extravaganza, before it involves us all in
irrcmediablc ruin. Where is that S.
500, 900? Have any railroads been
built? any canals dug? any lighthouses
built? any institution or enterprise Of
use or profit to the people or the State?
Not one. It is all dead loss. Judging
the future by the past, what will be the
condition of affairs, after two years more
of such rule and ruin policy?
4 letter has this morning appeared in
ono Of our Columbia dailies, written by
a distinguished statesman and jurist. I
havo no personal enmity to Judge Orr.
We are friends. But 1 must look at his
letter as public paper Judge Orr
says the way to reform the Radical party,
which he also admits to be corrupt, is to
go into it; for the good men of the State
to 60 into it. Who is to do this? To
go into the Radical party! I know of
only two who have tried that-one fat
gentleman in the Eastern part Of the
State, six months ngo, and my learned le-
gal friend, Judge Orr, two months ago.
It does not seem to be much improved yet,
Who made up the Radical conventionI7
The scum Of the earth, led on by WhiNG-
moro, who has been twice kicked oY|of
Congress, and is defled by allHthe
vices that have disgraced tho most {ban-
doned of their vile crew. WhitNhore
was their leader, and ought te3have
been. Laughter and applausq7 His
two cadetship sales cost him s{&ewhat
heavily, in comparison; but in Net, very
lightly. Els fellows should Bejoice if
they could get of as light. Dinto tho