The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-05-02
The Passive Policy in South Carolina.

The Chester Reporter, always practical and
sensible in its utterances, argues in favor of
letting the Radicals have full and unlimited
swayin the electiontof State officers next fall.
We can agree thoroughly with the Reporter,
and especially with its preliminary remarks
about the probable new converts who may en-
ter the Radical fold at this time. Much has
been said about eleventh-hour converts, and
this applied to- the accessions in 1870 very
properly; but we think that the gentry who
will seek admission now are just one day after
the feast, and can only expect to get the pick
ings from the bones of the Radical carcass,
whichi a-stench in-the nostrils of all honest
men. Truth compels US to declare, however,
that such as are moved to affiliation with the
putrid body of South Carolina Radicalism-
after all that has been revealed concerning the
past few years, only deserve to be fed upon that
which has been rejected by the more fortunate
carrion, who pIucked the meat and gouged the
eyes of the PROSTATE carcass long ago:
The man who at this time affiliates with the
Republican party of South Carolina, with its
record spread out before him, is guilty of as
much moral turpitude ashe would be If he
were to 60 to the swamps of Robson County,
North Carolina, and associate himself with the
Lowry band of outlaws that infest that county.
We do not pretend to say that every. man IN
the Republican party in this State is thief.
There may be some good men in it. These
good men, however, are not among its Leaders.
Those whom it holds out to the world as the
exponents of It's principles and its character, by
comforting its places of honor and trust upon
them, are, with very rare exceptions, notorious
ly corrupt and dishonest men. The record of
the party is history of the most shameless
robbery and villainy. He, therefore, who goes
into the party now, and pledges himself to do
all in his power to maintain its supremacy, be-
comes particeps crin,inis in its frauds. He is
an accessory after the fact He knows robbery
has been committed and he strikes hands with
the robbers and engages himself to conceal the
crime and share the spoils. In point of re-
spectability he is infinitely below the men who
Joined the party some years ago for the avowed
purpose of doing what stealing they could; for
while he is as deficient in moral character as
this latter class, he lacks the courage that
prompted them to brave everything in the pur-
suit of their unhallowed purposes
At the same time that we entertain such an
opinion of the dominant party in the State, ace
are emphaticaAy in .taror Of the do-nothing poll
cy in politics tbs gear, and Of letting that party
have full and undisputed sway in the selection
of State government. Our reason for this is
simply because we are satisfied that the combi-
nation of rascality and ignorance is too strong
for US to beat, and it is therefore folly to agi-
tate the State with a political campaign, and
distract the attention of the people from the
cultivation of the SOIL furthermore, the Re-
publican party has always urged, as its excuse
for putting inefficient and bad men in Office,
that it had to consult availability; that it had
to take such men as it could elect, regardless of
their character or their fitness. If they are al
lowed to make up their slate for State officers
with the assurance that they will meet with no
opposition in electing whomsoever they may
see fit to put forward, it is reasonable to hope
that whatever of moral sense may be left alive
in the party will be called forth, and will COM
pei them to select the least corrupt men they
can claim as of their household. 1t is very
small thread we admit, to hang the hope of a
decent State government on but. under all
the circumstances, we believe it the best we can
do.