The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-04-06


The Effects Of Bad Management In our State
Government.
A correspondent of the Columbia PhrnSS,
writing from Union, takes the annexed view OF
the situation in this State:
Since the close of the war, our State has not
been in position 80 critical as the present. IL
would be well if every citizen would take a
cool clear and comprehensive view OF our po-
litical status, and look matters as they really
are squarely in the face. Every man, who mas
anv hone for the future of South Carolina,
should meet calmly and fearlessly the duties
and responsibilities of the present hour.
Tbere are two powers or parties which now
divide che State and shake it to the very CEN
tire. One is the extreme wing Of the Radical
party. represented by Crews and his match box
confederates. BY some they are called house
burners. The other power that is now felt IN
certain quarters is what Judge Munro styles
"that. mysterious band of lawless men," These
two powers now confront each other. One or
the other must eventually 60 under, tor they
will never affiliate. You might as well try to
mix oil and water, as to harmonize these TWO
political powers. just behold them as they
really stand to-day.
People have laughed at the representative
men Of the Radical party; they have Laughed
at their color, their ignorance, their total and
absolute unfitness for public office; they have
been styled the "menagerie," 'the niger show"
"the perfume shop" and in all this ridicule the
people have lost sight of the fact that this is an
actual, law-ma6ng controlling power OF the
State. They thought the Legislature was good
thing to laugh at, and very good to draw SIX
dollars per day. But these men have made laws,
they have increased the public debt, they nave
doubled the tax, they have bought railroads,
they have arrayed the negro race against the
whites, they have distributed arms and ammu-
nition they have openly sold their votes In the
Legislature, they have failed to recognize any
thing like honesty in their public proceedings,
thew have done everything which cunning could
deyise, or bribery effect We do not affirm this
of eyery Republican of the State, but it applies
especially to the match box wing of the party,
led bv Crews and others of his kind. Thus
that rower stands to-day. They care not for
the Slate so they put money n their purses
thew care not for the country negro so he votes
for them once every two years.
But, arrayed against this party, comes that
mysterious band of lawless men," About the
first of last October, they appeared, in the
Eastern part of Spartanburg County. They
did some work in that section. They talked
but little. When they went out on one OF their
lawless raids, silence seemed to be standing
order. The band increased, or became more
disseminated. Soon,. they rode into Union
County. They brought death in their train.
They came to Union again and again, and now
Union is under their control. They next as
sailed York, and York yields to their power.
And the wave, though small at first, is increas-
ing. It is rolling southward. Barriers may
be in the way; but, when it does break over,
terrible will be its fury. What this power can
be aiming at, we can judge only from results,
some of which are these they have killed men,
white as we'll as black they have made charges
on some of the public Offices they order in
compent men to resign; they never steal money
nor other property they never insult women
nor frighten children. But they are silent
band. Their plans are unknown-thelr ultl-
mate objects not mentioned.
Thus these two powers stand arrayed against
each other each strong in its way each fully
bent on the accomplishment of certain objects
and schemes. ,...
Let the firm conservative men of all politi-
cal parties think over these matters earnestly
let them, in their wisdom, devise some plan to
save us from the shameful and disgraceful con-
duct of our legislators, and from the lawless
dongs of the other party. 80 long as the first
is in power, the other is inevitable.