The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-05-04
VIII You Walk into My Parlor

The Reform movement in South Carolina
has already assumed such proportions that
the corrupt officials, who have sQuandered
the resources OF the State, find it useless to
pishi and pshaw! any longer. This, in
truth, is no time for joking. The Reformers
are thoroughly in earnest, and the henchmen
of the administration, whose lungs are sore
with shouting the glory and the purity and
the usefulness Of the Scott government, now
hoarsely whisper that Reform must be had,
that abuses do exist and that many men,
bers of the Party have proved themselves un-
worthy to sit at ease once more in the legis-
lative halls of the capitol
Senator Cain is not the only Republican
who denounces dishonesty and roguery in
high places. The record of the Scott gov
ernment is written on the books Of the Comp
troller and the Treasurer and the Financial
Agent of the State. These are read with
open eyes by men of all parties and oil
classes, and they preve that we must have
economy and honesty or we shall perish.
No gerrymandering can explain away the
statement Of the Comptroller General, show
ing that the debt of the State has increased
eight million dollars in one year. No soft
sawder can wipe out the remembrance of Off
cial stock:jobbing and dishonorable specu-
lation. No hurrahing for the XVIII amend
ment can make men forget the shameful
scenes of bribery and corruption which made
the last General Assembly scandal and
shame to all good citizens. The broad,
staring facts cannot be overcome, and now
the Scott party say they are ready to point
out the wayto securing, beyond peradven-
ture, Retrenchment and Reform. Warbling
their ditties of good intentions, they invite
the innocent fly to walk into the embraces OF
the bloated spider. They are pushed so hard
that they publicly acknowledge the impor-
tance Of this work Of publication and resen-
Grafton. This is, already, one point gained.
And how, according to the pleadings OF
the Scott party, are we to secure Retrench-
ment and Reform In the first place, We
must give up the election for Governor and
Lieutenant-G Governor, without struggle
This we are not ready to do; fer unless we
give up the political ghost without
struggle, the Reform candidates will stand
good chance; Of defeating the Rascality
candidates by several thousand majority.
To say that we cannot, upon Reform plat
form, change $4,000 or 10000 votes in all
South Carolina, is to say that our people
have no hope, no energy, no life
In the second place, we are invited to be-
come Republicans, SO as to increase the
number CT respectable men from 'ohich Re
publican candidates may be chosen. This
brazen proposition is neither more nor less
than an admission that the Scott party has
not respectability enough to hold it together.
Even political bricks cannot be made with
out straw. Want Of intelligence and want
OF osintegrity are killing the Scott party, and
while in moribund condition We are re-
quested to give the patient healing dose OF
rectitude and sense. We say, Let this Scott
CLIQUE die out. 1t has no stamina, no force,
beyond that which plunder gives. And if
we hold our hands, if we keep the tempter be-
hind us, the good and true men OF the State
can give South Carolina government which
shall fairly represent all classes Of people, and
carry on the government with sagacity, fru-
gality and brain. The battle is not joined
between Democracy and Republicanism, but
between purity and shame, between honesty
and dishonesty, between skill and ignorance,
An avoidance of National Politics, and
union of all good citizens, without regard to
race, class politics-these are the corner
stones of the fabric Of Reform. But if the
Scott party could succeed in persuadinS the
Reforlners to style themselves Radicals, the
whole opposition would be paralyzed, the
Scott faction would carry the day in every
county, and the defeated remnant OF the
stsanch white citizens would have before
them the pleasing alternatives Of emigration,
starvation, or-more and more taxation
coupled with less progress and less protec-
ton, and no hope of change for the better.