Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-12-01
From tie Me,O York Herald.
The Presidential SuCCcssjOn-Thc
Democratic Party, Its PLANS and
Its Prospects.

The democratic party, in reference TO the
Presidential succession, is all adrift. Within
| the short space Of ten mouths it has passed
from tho heights of exultation to the depths
of despondency. With its unexpected sue
cess in the March election in New Hampshire
| its leaders and its organs cried out, at is a
revolution Grants administration has bro
ken up the republican party. The great re.
action has come, and the democratic party in
1872, on its platform Of 1868, will sweep the
country Even jeff. Davis was inspired by
the New Hampshire election to break his long
self imposed silence and to proclaim his faith
in the ultimate triumph of the "lost cause"
But these indiscrect rejoicipgs were suddenly
stopped by the April Connecticut election
| fought OIL the revival issues of the war and
the boast of JEFF Davis and the decisive
| republican victory in Connecticut on these
issues convinced the democratic leaders of the
necessity of "ncw departure"
This new departure, with the advice and
consent of Chief Justice Chase, was inaueu.
rated by the late Mr.. Vaandigham in Ohio
and State by State it was 80 rapidly adopted
| by the Northern democracy that in few
weeks it became the law of the party, from
Maine to California, to recognize the new
| amendments to the constitution, negro civil
equality and negro suffrage included, as valid
aud binding, but this sweeping surrender
to rndcalism served rather to weaken than to
strengthen the democratic party. and to dc.
moralizc instead of unite it. The results
began to be apparent in the August elections
of North Carolina and Kentucky; and mean
time with the astounding disclosures Of the
robbcries of the Iammany ''Ring" another
apple Of discord had been thrown into the
| party camp. The effects were made manifest
in the September elections of Maine and Cal
ifornia, and were followed up in the October
election of Pennsylvania, Ohio aud Iowa.
But still the idea was entertained by the
| democratic leaders that if, with the dead,
weight of Tammany upon its back, the party
could carry New York in November, it might
be put upon its feet again for the great battle
of 1872; and from the discords among the
republicans over the spoils of our Custom
House there was still reason for the hope that
the democrats might save the State. Why
not, when their State Convention had closed
its doors against Mr.. Tweed and his Tamma-
ny delegation, and as far MS possible had
washed its hands of the robbcrics of the
Tammany "Ring?" Why not, when it was
the inclination, yea, apparently the fixed pur
pose of the Fcnton republican faction to give
General Grant the cold shou Ter in this cleo.
ticn? But when the indignation of the peo
pie is reused it sacrifices all side issues to the
main question, and SO from this New York
November election we find that not only is
Tammany ovcrthrown and dislcdgcd in this
city, but that the republicans have secured
two thirds vote in both branches of the leg
islaturc. Such is the force of the popular
judgment of the city and State against Tam.
many, and of the popular demand for reform.
But this decisive New York election means
something more. 1t means that, as matters
now stand, the State is lost to the democrat.
ic party, and that as the party now stands,
without New York, it has not the ghost of a
chance for the Presidential succession. This
fact is so widely understood and accepted by
the democratic leaders and leading party jour.
nails that ]tast and West they arc casting
about for another new departure. They all
admit that mono cf the dead issues of 1868
and none of the hold.ovcr candidates from
that unfortunate campaign will meet the ne.
ccssites of the present emergency. But
what scheme Of party re. organization do they
propose We have three schemes or plans
before us, and they are US follows:
FlRsr-The plan of the St. Louis RcpuIH.
can, the leading democratic organ of Nilsson
ry--viz., that the democratic party in 1872
shall keep in the background and permit the
disaffccted republicans to nominate an indie.
pendent republican liberal Presidential ticket,
and then rank aud fle bring forward the de-
mocracy in the cause OF it's election. In sup.
port of this plan it is argued that the disaf-
fcctcd republicans hold the balance of power,
and that by going over to them the democrats
would gain tho solid advantages of the bat.
tie in the defeat of General Grant and Ills
party.
SEcoND-Wc have the plan of the Cincin.
natl Enquirer, the loading democratic organ
of Ohio, which is simply the nomination Of
"Tom Scott" the Pennsylvania railroad king,
as the democratic candidate against General
Grant, and the argument in favor Of "Tom
Scott" is that he would bring all tho great
eIectioncerng forces of tho great raj ay mo.
nopolics of the country to his support
THIRD--Wo have the plan of the Stats
Zeitung, tho organ of tho powerful and in.
tclligcnt German democratic element Of this
city, which is tho abandonment and dissolu-
tion of the democratic organization and the
formation of new national party like the
reform party of this city, Which has so deci-
sively stamped out the power and the inso.
lcnce of tho Tammany "Ring"
In adopting the first Of these plans it has
been suggested that the democracy, in await.
ing the action Of the boiling republicans, will
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