The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-02-09
HOYT & CO., Proprietors.
The Radical Party of South Carolina as Seen
through its own Spectacles.

We have often commended the fair spirl
lately exhibited by the Charleston Daily Re
publican, which seems disposed to lead the
Radical party of this State to higher plane
of honesty and good government than it has
hitherto occupied. But these efforts have been
fruitless, and the disappointment of that paper
is plainly indicated in its columns. Recently
this natural chagrin and modification burs
forth in unequivocal utterances, which we pro
pose to reprint for the benefit of our readers
Listen to the editor of the Republican:
There is unrest Men are dissatisfied, and
questioning. The feeling pervades the masses
The very air is charged with political scepti
cism. What is the South Carolina of the flu
ture to be, judging from the present? is the
great question with good citizens.
That South Carolina has immense resources
all admit Soil and climate and location
combine to give this State great leverage
with the world. That leverage was used in the
past-not as it should hsve been, indeed, but
still to considerable advantage-and so our
State had something like its share of influence
until after the mad-cap Inauguration of war.
But even the desolations of war could not
crush our people. They set to work, and
through almost appalling discouragements
climbed to better ways. And finally, though
we all saw that we must struggle and econo-
mice for years before great prosperity was reach
ed, there came good deal of hope.
But now the corruptions and theivings and
general mismanagement of some OF our politi-
clans. and of some of our so-called statesmen,
are doing what even the fierce hurricane of
war could not do in disheartening our people.
The effect of the work of some of these jackals
of politics is direfu.
There are, in truth, good men holding posi-
tion in the government of the State-men who
are anxiousy seeking the advancement OF the
people-but many of those who hold office,
both white and colored, hold it only because
the tremendous revolution in our affairs lifted
them there by the merest accident, they them
selves being stepped in corruption. These are
creatures OF circumstance. On tor thousand
wears, perhaps no time would come that would
lift this class Of men to the giddy hight they
now occupy.
It is not that some of these are not gradu-
ates of colleges, or even of common schools /;
it is not they are cramped in knowledge be-
cause of the political system which ruled the
State; it is not this for We are thorough Re-
pubicans, and not only believe in the govern
ment of the people but know that many OF the
great Drained men who are of most service to
the State arc not of the schools ;-it is not this
over which We are gloomy, but 1t IS that SO
many of our public men are thieves! That
has a harsh sound we know, but it is simply
the plain English way, and the only true way
of putting it.
From every side come rumorS Of the corrup-
tions of officials Some of these rumors are OF
course only rumors, with no foundation what
ever, but others OF these stories are too true,
and too unerringly point to the political perdi-
ton toward which we are drifting, and winch
we shall surely reach unless the people, whom
these corrupt men do rot III reality represent,
rouse themselves to action.
All this is sad enough in itself. 1t Is sad to
see men to whom were committed the peoples
trusts betray those trusts making of their own
souls moral ruin And yet there is sonetalng
sad even beyend this. 1t is that many OF these
men claim to be Republicans, and, elected to
Office by Republicans, are looked upon in some
degree as representing Republicanism. The
grand, sacred principles of our party, are i'm
periled bv certain of these officials who are
corrupt. We feel sad enough to see Democrat
ic officials selling their souls for gold; but we
feel worse when Republicans fall, because of
the principles they claim to represent. DO
these men ever ask themselves, What OF the
future of the great Republican party of South
Carolina?
AS might be supposed, this article was like
q bomb-shell exploded in their own caisson,
and forthwith some of the public thieves,
stepped in corruption, began to denounce the
editor for his bold arraignment of their own
conduct. They called him Conservative,
which, to q Radical, is an insult of the most
acute nature His reply is ready, however,
and on the very next day We find the following
severe castigation in the columns of the Re
publican:
Because the Republican denounces bribery
and corruption and stealing the same when
done by members of the Republican party as
when done by members of the Democratic par
ty, the cry is raised by some that we are get
ting Conservative"
There probably never was thorough Re-
publican in this good State of South Carolina
but what has been denounced as Conservative
by some of the wretchcd, unprncplcd fire.
eaters, who, in these hours of revolution, have
managed to creep into our party. We have
before this noted some of the ways of this
class of so-called Radicals, class of men who
are Radical in nothing but deviltry, and accord
ing to whom the Republican party was long
ago reduced to the exact number which they
themselves make up.
These are the men, the very men, who,
claiming s to to- appropriate all the kadicalsm in
South Carolina have done their best to politi-
cally damn our party in order that their own
miserably selfish, unholy ambitions might be
gratifed. These are the ones to whom the
people in their hour Of agony, in the hour OF
political and social reformation, entrusted their
most sacred interests only to find them be-
trayed. These are the men whom the people
foolishly called "leaders" and followed iondiy,
hopefully, up to the very brink of the Slough
of Despond. These are the men who on some
bitterly evil day set themselves to the sacred
work of teaching our colored citizens their first
LESSONS in political life, and who did their best