The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-07-09
TO ALL OUR PEOPLE /!
TIE ADDRESS OF THE STATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF
THE REFORM PARTY.
A Logical Argument, and an Eloquent
Appeal.


forth iu this form the claims of the Union Re-
form Party to your confidence and co-opera-
ton, and. we ask Of you, as our counuymen.
children of the State, our common mother,
having common interest and common destt-
ny, "a patient hearing, and deliberate and
dispasslonate Judgment. s....T.l -.
The secession of the States, and the sectional
war which followed, wrought revolution in
the principles Of the government, and in the
rights, powers and relations Of the General
and State Governments, partly changing their
character. The States were shorn Of their
sovereign attributes, the Union rendered in
dissoluble, and the powers OF the General
Government correspondingly enlarged
The people Of South Carolina, and those Of
L sr sister Souther States as well, accepted am
nesty and civil organization in 1865, thus con-
ditioned, and ratified their adhesion to the
government thus changed in its character, by
the solemnity ofan amended oath of allegiance,
administered to the voters at the polls and to
ell officers upon their qualification.
In 1867, the United states inaugurated what
is known as the policy ofreeonstruction, which
has resulted in the restoration Of South Caro-
lima to the National Union, with a constitution
based upon the principle of universal suffrage.
In 1868, the Democrats party arrayed itself
against the whole policy of reconstructioR.:
and declared the legislation of Congress upon
that subject as "usurpations, and unconstitu-
tional, revolutionary and void"
Mainly upon this issue the Presidential cam
paign was fought, and the people of the United
States, by overwhelming malorities, sus-
tained the policy of reconstruction. The Fif-
teenth amendment to the Constitution of the
United States, engrafting therein as fundamen-
tai law the principle Of universal suffrage, has
been proclaimed ratified by the requisite num-
Der of States, and is received and, acquiesced
In as law IN the practice ofall the States Of the
Union.
In the meantime, the people Of South Caro-
lima find themselves In this condition. With
universal suffrage prevailing, two races COM
pose the people entrusted with the franchise.
| Circumstances, and the Vaccinations of self
ish and corrupt political adventurers, have
created an autagonism between the races,
and arrayed, practically, the whole Of the one
race in political hostility to the whole OF the
other race. Nearly the entire landed property
and other capital Of the State are in the hands
of the white race and the power Of the gov
eminent is controlled by the colored, which
furnishes the chief labor of the country. Prop
erty is the source of life to the State. From 1t
the proprietor and the laborer alike derive
susie uauoc.- -Whcu property made produc-
tive, wealth is increased, labor enhanced, en-
ployments multiplied, the country prospers,
and the people are happy.
To secure these rasSlts, cooperation be-
tween labor and capital is essential. The
laborer and the capitalist are In effect copart-
ners, who divide among them, in proper por-
portions, the products of the joint business.
Legislation, after securing the mere per-
sonal rights OF the citizen, has no other
legitimate Office than 30 to foster and conserve
the rights Of property that the whole people
may prosper. 1t is evident, therefore, that
this antagonlsm Of race Is unnatural, unwise
and deplorably Injurious and ruinous in its
consequences to BOTH Under the industrious
manipulations Of this unhappy antagonlsm by
the adventures who created 1t, the people
are burdened and beggared, while they grow
fat upon the means wrung from the hard
earned products OF the capital and labor Of the
citizen. Not content, however, with the ex-
elusive enjoyment OF multiplied salaried off,
ces, fixed at rate OF compensation unprece-
deated in extravaganza, these wicked rulers
INT mil
and most corrupt prohlgacy, peculation and
fraud, in their dealings with the peoples
money.
Let the record speak:
Taxes year ending September 80, 1860. s5s1 799 S.
Taxes, yenr ending October 81, 1866,
mot Including interest on debtl.... 41s,66S 70
Taxes year ending October 81, 1862. 1.e63,a ,a5s %
County tax for 1850. 6ol,Oo1 80
Reflect that this rapid increase of taxation
has been enforced upon people struggling
for the necessarles of life, with two-thrds of
their property destroyed by war, much Of what
was left producing nothing, and all the accum-
| ulated capital of the State destroyed, the In
come of the people probably not attaining one
third of the amount Of the year 1860.
| TOTAL PAYMENTS FOR CURRENT EXPENSES, sc.
Year ending September 80, 1s6o...... s54e,25l 0s
Year ending october 81, 1866, texclu-
slve OF Interest on debt not patd).. 26G,2iS Oh
Year ending October 81, 1889, Comp.
troller's Report. PIP. 70.........".. 1,10S,S72 90
Bear in mind, in this connection, that jurors,
constables. and many other expenses paid by
the State In 1860, are now paid by the counties,
and the public treasury thus relieved of very
heavy amount, and that an examination of the
conduct OF the county commissioners, in many
nstau ces, would show the same preaigacy in
raising and expending money, where thou
sands have been extorted from the people by
false estimates and assessments, and not one
hour of labor bestowed upon the public high
ways, and scarce q dollar to any county i'm