The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-03-17
The Platform.

The anti-Radical party, in the coming
election, must take notice of two impor.
tant matters in preparing their platform.
The principles enunciatcd, and adopted as
guide, must be sufficiently liberal, pro.
gressive and comprehensive to meet the
approval, and secure the support of all
classes of citizens but, at the same time,
they must carefully avoid anything like a
spirit of submission to Republican ideas.
We can be liberal in our politics, can offer
all rights of citizenship to all classes-can
guarantee the right of suffrage 70 the col:
ored man in such way as that he shall
feel secure of the enjoyment OF this real
or imagined privilege for himself and his
descendants, can treat him in such way
as to wrest from the hands of bis present
leaders the weapons of prejudice and ha.
tired, which are now used so effectively
against us, and lead him to trust US. All
this we can do without any compromise
of our self.rcspect, or principles. When
we consider the problem presented by
the condition of our country, if we would
determine upon feasible plan for its So
luton, we must be careful not to be blin-
ded by mere prejudice. Matters OF taste
and sentiment must not be allowed to as
scrt the dlgnifed immoyable position OF
principles. Many things, upon which
Democratic orators and writers have in
sisted with great zeal and warmth, ana
lyzcd, would be found not to be necessary,
and fundamental truth, but only the sug.
gestions of fancy, or perhaps the pur,
muring of an offended taste. Practical
and common sense views of the situation,
and the means of remedy must guide
those aspiring to lead, or they must be re,
jected, and men must be chosen who will
heed more the teachings of sound sense,
than the promptings of ambition and tas.
tidious views of what this government
should be- Every white man of decency
knows that affairs in this State are not
what they should be, and what be would
make them, if it were in his power. He
knows also, that it will be long time be-
fore, by any possibility, things can be sat-
isfactorily arranged. tits, therefore, use
less to tell our people over and over again,
that compromise is dangerous-that they
must not res: contented until everything
done under the Reconstruction Acts is
overthrown, and our State governments
reformed. Things are not going tU change
until we change them. If we sit still, re-
fusing to use what advantages are affor'
ded us, and wait for some special dlspen-
sation of Providence to sweep the decks
of our old State clear of the present oc-
cupants, before we try to help ourselves,
we may rest assured that deliverance will
never come, but that we will sink lower
and lower into national ruin. We must
assault the citadel of Radicalism with
whatever weapons are most convenient.
We must try to enter that citadel, howev-
er loathsome it may be with disgusting
sights, and repulsivc odours. We must
disregard the filth and corruption, while
we drive away the unclean birds. After
the victory is achieved, we can wash, and
fumigatc and vcntilate, until the atmos-
phere is healthy. The great desideratum,
for which our people must strive in the
coming elections, is to get honest men in
to office. The dishonesty and selfshness,
which characterize most of the State ottl-
cials, are displeasing not only to Demo,
Gratis, but also to all Republicans, who
have any intelligence, and regard for the
respectability and future welfare of their
party. We will not fight in the coming
campaign as Democrats against Republl-
cans for the triumph of party. Lawess-
ness, dishonesty, bribery and other agents
of ruin and confusion must be unseated.
For the accomplishment Of this good end,
we invite and beseech the people OF the
State 10 cooperate with u.s. Camden Jour-
nal.