The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1871-04-14
Misrule In South Carolna-Mr. Mem
mingers Remedy.

We cannot expect our counsels or sug.
gestions to have much weight in Soutl
Carolina; but such as they are we vii!
venture to offer them, We believe tha
tolerably good State government:
might be. organized without taking tn
suffrage from any who now possess i.
Tht present government cannot stand
the people are SO agita,ed and indlg-
nant that unless new government Is
con structed the State Will be plunged
into the horrors Of civil war followed by
anarchy. Weare not intimately enough
acquain ntea with the public sentiment OF
South Carolina to perceive that theFe
would be any insuperable opposition to
revision of the constitution embracing
the following points, which, if accepted
would probably rescue the State from It's
present deplorable condition:
First. The State should adopt so
much of Mr.. Meinmnger's proposition
IS is practicable; although no immedi-
.ato advantage could be expected from
the modification which we suggest.
Let the Massachusetts, qualification be
adopted to apply to all voters hereafter
admitted to the right suffrage. In ten
years or so, it would revolutionize the
character of constituencies without eX
>cluding from the elective franchise any
citizen who had ever possessed it. This
wonld, indeed, be only provideut
measure looking to the future; leaving
the present evils to be cDped with in all
their magnitude. But the problem, diff
-ticult as it is, should not be given up IN
despair.
Second. Introduce into the State con-
stitution provision that, for the ensu-
ing ten years, the members of the Leg
islature shall serve without pay. This
would not encounter such torrent of
prejudice and demagoguc invective as
Mr.. Memminger's proposition to imme-
diately restrict the suffrage, and it
might perhaps prove even more effect
ual in elevating the character of the
Legislature. Every negro would vote
just as freely as before, and he equally
eligible to every office but the Legisla-
ture would consist mainly Of men of
property and public spirit, who had Il
srake in the prosperity and q pride i'll
the fair same of the State. The electors
of each district should be permitted to
choose whom they pleased, going out of
the district for their representative if
they could find Il filter candidate in any
other part of the State. With such q
range of choice neither party would
have any difficulty in finding members
who would fairly represent their views
and be patriotic enough to serve with
out compensation. The advantages of
this plan over Mr.. Memminger's is that
it would be practicable, while his is
not,
Third. Even if an unpaid Legisla-
ture (Which seems to US the most prom
ising remedy should be disapproved of,
there are still other eXpedients that
might have some mitigating effect, and
perhaps be worth trying as accompani-
uents of any scheme of legislative re-
form. Let there be prohibition to
incur any State debt previous to the
year 1880 except for the purpose of sub
DUNG insurrection or replacing the pub
lie buildings if they should be destroy
ed by fire.
Fourth. Let fair estimate be made
of the reasonable expenses of the State
government, and insert in the constitu-
tion prohibition to raise a greater sum
by taxes for a period of ten years. The
Legislature knowing exactly the
amount Of money at its disposal for the
expenses of each year, and being prohib-
tied to authorize loans, would have to
confine their appropriations within the
prescribed limits,
Fifth. Give the Government an .abso-
Lutte veto on bills passed by the LegSla-
ture, requiring him in every case to
state his reasons. Its might be we'll
to associate with him in the exercise OF
an absolute and final veto some Of the
higher judicial officers of the State, Is
under the New York constitution of
1777; but this would probably be too
cumbrous. The Governor should have
authority to veto seperate items in ap-
pronriation bills without thereby defeat
ing the whole bill.
Sirth. The appointing power Of the
Governor should extend to all the subor-
dinate executive and all the judicial OIL
GERS of the State.
Undoubtedly, more or less inconveni-
ence might attend the operation Of some
parts of this plan; but the State is re-
duced to- choice of evils, and in its act
ual situation we doubt If any better can
be contrived than an unpaid Legislature,
al absolute veto power in the hands of
the Governor, aud strict limitation of
the debt-incurrng and taX-lcvying pow
or for term of years. With the Massa-
chusetts qualification for all ieture
voters, the gradual Improvement of the
constituencies would render it safe to
make the restrictions on the taxing
power and loan power temporary, and
after while to pay the Legislature as in
other States. But we should regard an
attempt to make sudden change of the
constituencies as unfortunate, both be-
cause it would certainly fail and because
it would raise prejudice against other
modes of reform which might be at.
tempted by the same parties.-N. y.
World.