The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-05-31
PARTIES IN THE STATE.
Questions for Popular Consideration.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.

on as to the representation of the State at
Baltimore, 1t is taken for granted that the
great body of the white people of the State
are Democrats, or that they have such q rela.
ton with the National Dem ocEatlc party as en-
little them TO representation in the party CON-
vention. Without undertaking 10 decide
whether or not this ls correct assumption, u
may be we'll to consider whaL 1t Involves. It
undoubtedly Involves an obligation resting
upon that class Of our population to conform
to the policy decided npvn In the convention.
Ifthls 0olg itfou Is not recognized, that sh0nld
be Stared before the delegates tike their
seals, and such declaration would probably
exclude them; for this convent on, though
proposing to be not exclusively Democratic,
will have to decide upon the pOicy Of that
cIslon will greatly affect The continued exis-
renee of The parry as q national organization.
L. IL. therefore, not lfkely that as majority OF
Lhe delegates will be Democrats, and deeply
concerned lor tnelr local party interests, they
n liz suffer the decision to De Influenced even
to small extent by the representatives. Of o
State organic alton politically impotrnt at home
and unwilling to call llself D'mucratic, and
vet which announces the purpose 10 abandon
the party altogether unless certain policy Is
adopted.
Iudeed, II this is really the purpose of those
TO be represented by tho delegates from this
state, It ls, perhaps, worth considering
whether it would not be both more dlXnihed
and more effective for them to refrain from
the CONVENTION altogether. On the other
hand, II 1t Il The purpose OF the more proini.
nent and Influential gentlemen connected With
lhe present movement to ADVISE compliance
vita thl dnni.inrA OF lha Ralllrnnra Convent on.
whatever 1t may be, then It IL, perhaps. due to
those invited to participate In the movement
that this purpose should be definitely indicated
at once, that they may see where the road
leads TO before tney get into 1t.
Another and practically ,lnch more I'M
portant consequence OF the doctrine tnat all
usrsous in the State who ara not Republicans
are therefore necessarily Democrats, or In
aflliatt, n with the Democratic party, is the
Indefinite postponement Of any possible I'M
provempnt In the stale Government. If any
doubt that this consequences is certain TO fol-
low, let them recall the campaign Of 1868, In
which the Republican party OF Lnis Stale grew
In numbers aud became perfected In organiza-
ton and discipline, In which also the control
of the party passed from the hands of It's now
Conservative leaders iuto tue hands Of the
men who then made themselves most con-
spi .uous for their extreme and radical doc
trInes.
None conversant with these matters can
doubt that such IL the ordinary, and, indeed,
the Inevitable consequences Of party cunttsis.
Hence, If O party coutest should Nv ari,e IN
the Slate, it would undoubtedly give new
lease of power and ihfl lence to the very men
whom al! good citizens without distinction
of party or race would like 10 see displaced.
Il Is vain 10 hope that party contest con-
ceroing the electoral vote Of the State in The
Presut ntial election could, By any possibility,
fall to affect the Slate elections which precede
1t by month. Any organization ior tne prrs-
.,f fHA npun0nrAffn
this State, or OF any party, however named,
Represented and controlled by The persons or
classes heretofore Identified With the Demo-
Gratis for tho Presidential campaign, would
certainly unite the Republicans 10 man upon
the regular party nominee; and this being
done, all chance Of reform through the Stale
elections 10 October would pas, away.
Stale government, and The only chance Of
effectlng 1t practically, dep-nd upon there be-
ing first reform In the Republican party OF
The State, whereby the more conservative and
respectable elements of that party may be ele-
vailed to greater influence In its couDsels.
This, aB we have seen, cannot lake place u the
parLy is involved In contest Will, Outsiders.
The preservation OF the supremacy OF lle parry
becomes in that case the fret consideration %
with all la members, and 10 this object all
others are certain to ba subordinaled. Even
the Reform party Of 1870, which adopted Re-
publican principles, and even Included some
Rrpublicans among Its leaders, Jailed 10 iis
purpose, because lis simple presence IN the
field healed the discussions which had already
arisen among the Republicans and restored
the unity OF the party aud the power Oh lts most
extreme exponens. How mich more sure.
ly will similar consequences follow an organi-
cation now, In name, and If not 10 name, cer-
Iainlv In association, Democratic? We all know
LhaL The last great Struggle between tne He
nub, leans and Democrats was upon The per-
maueuce of the fifteenth amendment and the
reconstruction laws OF Congress-. The great
mass of Republican voters in ibis Slale are
neyro-s, aud They were thoronslly inlormen
In 1863 that their newly y-recelved cltiznnship
was al stake in that contest. They knew taaL
The Democrats, f successful, were pledged 10
deprive them Of The suffrage. and to restcrr
The entire management OF The affairs Oh the
State 10 the whites alone. To 8 cer!aln extenI,
they were Incorrectly made 10 be leVe tJlaI the
success of the Democrats would even lnEoiVs
their being remanded to s,uVery Now lhese
things have not been fOIgolLeu; II they nave
neen. the recollection Of them Will be quickly
revived, and 30 influential are they tia. II Mr..
Greeley obtains the nomination OF the DINO.
cratic pariy he will hardly receive slBglr
negro yOta in this State-ne Will surely not
carry the State.
If this reasoning be correct, 1t Is clear that
grave consequences depend upon the repre-
seulauon Of The Stale at BilLimore. II The
sending delegates 10 that convention results
in Democratic or other chiefly white organl.
ztlIon here pledged 10 support the nominee
IF the convention, whoever he may De tsVen
Mr.. Greeley,) the electoral vote OF the state Il;
becomes thereby secured to the nominees OF OF
the Philadelphia Convention, ana lne STATE Ie
government will be- continued for TWO years
longer In the hands Of those VINO no" contfol
II the sending of delegates there does no not
Involve the organization oil snch party heie,
tnen IN what purpose arakhey 10 be SEM, ana
What weight or Influence can they exercise
there But the very sending them will haIs
much the same effect at home as parry
organization to sustain them, ana VIII aua
lust 90 much more weight 10 what tne hepup.i, " !.
cans must necessarily carry-who may. ID Iae
absence of such an organization, altenPt & IN u
tufo Qn1eDtaOle 10