The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-02-26
The PhiIadelphia Convention - Will
President Grant Pay the Brlbe

The Philadelphia Convention wal
President Grant Pay the Bribe
or late years the American people have
become accustomed to seeing the highest
officers OF the Republic use their official
power only for strengthening and consolida
ting their party. The National Republicans,
during the administrations OF Mr.. Lincoln
and Mr.. Grant, have distributed the vasl
patronage OF the government, with an eye
bsingle to the success OF their candidates, anc
to breaking down their antagonists. AL
pretence OF considering personal fitness ano
the public good has been abandoned. From
the most exalted position to the humblest,
from the judgeships OF the Supreme Court to
postmasterships In country towns, the rule
OF conduct has been, and is, to appoint poll
ticians who will direct their official influence
to building up the party which gives them
the means of living at the public cost. The
officials Of the United States are political par
tisans whose duty is not to serve the people,
but to bribe, bully and coax for the benefit
OF their party leaders. And the evil is OF
even wider scope. II candidates were
taken or rejected because Of their political
staunchness or backsliding, the system would
still tend to relax the moral fibre and to
lower the tone OF public opinion. Now,
however, it is well understood that official
patronage is not only used to prop the fail
ing strength OF party, but to sustain q
particular member Of that party. AS the
welfare OF the people has been made subser'
Went to the welfare Of party, so has the
welfare OF the party been made subservlent
to the welfare OF an individual. The course
of events In New York and in the West is
striking evidence OF the depths to which the
public representatives have fallen. There
the Republican party is divided, and it is
clearly to the advantage OF the leaders TO
remove the causes Of deep-rooted dissatisiac-
ton, pacity the schismatics, and present
solid front to eopposition. This is not dene.
On the contrary, war is made upon every
person who is opposed to the denomination
OF President Grant. Republicanism is su-
perseded by Grantism. The Republican,
however able and honest, who is not an IN.
compromising supporter Of Mr.. Grant, Is de-
neunced as O traitor, and neither ne nor MS
friends need expect even the crumbs Which
fall from the Executive table. Some pre-
tence OF disinterestedness has been kept up
The veil remains drawn, and the public eye
is not expected to pierce its transparent
folds. But South Carolina has the honor OF
presenting the question in way which COM
pels candid action. Mr.. Grant must &C.
cept the hostility of the South Carolina Rad
icals, or must win their support at Phila-
delphia, by bribery as open and unconcealed
as that which is practiced in the Radical
Legislature OF this State.
The facts arc before the public. Last
week the State Republican Convention as
sembled In Columbia, and delegates were
appointed to represent the Republicans OF
the State in the Philadelphia National Re-
publican Convention. The Convention did
not declare itself in favor Of the renomina-
ton OF President Grant at Philadelphia
That would have been the height of stupidity
on the part OF men whose practice is, "to
''do nothing for nothing" The delegates
held meeting after the adjournment OF the
Convention, and formally declared their in
tention to go to Washington and promise
Mr.. Grant their vote at Philadelphia he
would remove the Federal officials in South
Carolina, and appoint the nominees OF the
delegation in their stead. These delegates
were selected to discharge a high public
duty-that Of voting for man to be sup
ported, by their party, for President They
did not even say that their choice would be
determined by public considerations-that
they would vote for the man whom they
deemed most likely to give to the nation the
blessings OF constitutional liberty, OF pros
perity and peace, They declared, in so
many words, that they would vote for Mr..
Grant if he gave them certain number Of
places worth so many thousand dollars
year. The programme is charmingly SIM
pie. Mr.. Grant has the disposal OF Federal
offices, and with them can buy the support
of the South Carolina Radical delegates.
These delegates, with number Of Federal
offices in their hand, can buy all the minor
politicians in the State, and do, for their
own advancement, what MIR. Grant is invi.
ted to do in order to secure his renomina-
tion.
MIR. Grant cannot evade the proposition
which is about to be made to him. To give
an Office for vote is the same thing as buy
ing a vote with money. Bribery is the name
which fits both transactions. Nay, the CIV
ing of office is worse than giving money.
II Mr.. Grant pays ten thousand dollars Tor
vote the loss is only ten thousand dollars.
When he gives an Office for vote he enables
q pack of rascally agltators to foist dolts and
knaves upon the public; be enables them, by
the power he gives them, to make their
position impregnable, and to pursue with
immunity their pet occupation OF rObbing The