Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1872-01-25

National DoElOcratlc -. --..---.- g. :
al,v candidates OF its own i'll the field for
President and Vice President i'll 1877,
with any hope of success. and that the
party can only take an effective hand III
the election of Grants successor as bal
ance Of power between the liberal and
extreme Republicans.
When prominent Democrats in Ohio
are reproached in private conversation
for having announced the first New Dc
parture Platform at the North, the inva-
riable reply is 'South Carolina forced it
on us. She led off in her Union Re-
form movement by ratifying the Civil
Rights Bill, the 14th and 18th Amend
ments tn the Constitution-nost of the
other Southern States followed suit, and
what course was left us but to do like
wise? How could We continue to fight
for the rights of people who had them
selves abandoned all further contest for
those rights ?''
1t is to prevent any more such disas-
trous and snap judgments, as tsat which
the Union Reform leaders took against
the common sense and common welfare
of South Carolina, that the writer now
moves his pen. AS the new platform
which he is about to propose to the
Democracy of the State is not original
with him, and rs he seeks no Office
would accept no of1ice-he ought not to
he charged with vanity or arrogance in
attempting to show his tortured country
men path to escape from the Radical
He'll in which they exist.
The plan is this: Let the Democracy OF
the State. at an early day, hold District
and State Conventions, to proclaim on
the housc-tops that the party will in good
faith adhere to the following rules OF ac-
ton in the next general election:
lst, That the Democrats will make no
regular party nomination of any candi-
date for any State Office whatever, but
will of course exercise the right of fill
ing all local offices i'll those election Dis
tricts where the Democracy has an un
doubted majority.
End, That Democrats will vote to I'LL
all State offices, and all local Offices IL
those Districts where the Radicals have
a majority, for the Radical candidate, OF
set of candidates, who shall como ncares
in professions Of faith to the principles
of the Democratic party.
3rd, That the Democrats in every Dis
trict will do their very best TO elect hon
est members of the Legislature, and, t.
secure sufficient votes for honest Legis
lators. all Democrats will be willing t.
swap votes for the "Devil or Tom walk
er" for any Office of profit.
This may be a "New Departure" il
policy for South Carolina Democracy, bu
no departure in principle. 1t doe
not ask Democrats to turn Radicals q
the Union Reform platform does, or did
for it is to be hoped, if not believed
that no respectable South Carolinian vii
ever again advocate Union Reformism
Nor yet does this Balance OF Powe
Policy REQUIRE Democrats to let the cleo
ton 90 by default, as was the case in thi
State at all the early elections under tn
Reconstruction Acts-for calling Con
vention-adopting Constitution-choos
ing State officers, etc. The bulk OF ou
people acted wisely, and with becoming
dignity, in keeping aloof from those elet
ton farces, because it was then the unal
terable purpose of Congress to set up a
ultra Radical local Government in ever
j Confederate State, and above all in Sout
Carolina. Let him who doubts call
mind the treatment OF Alabama, Missi'
sippi, Arkansas-in fact all the Seeedin
States. p"
So far ,f,omi recommending non-ae
ton, the Platform of Policy above pre-
. - posed d demands that every Democratsha
take most energetic part in the election
taiso demands that the organization
/ Tho Democratic party shail be Praser te