The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-03-09
COLUMBIA. IS. G.
satur lay Morning. March 8. 1879.
Tho Approaching 0ity Elections.

A movement is on foot, supported by
both Republicans and Democrats, or
rather conservative native white citizens,
looking to combination of both ele-
ments, in order to secure more honest
and satisfactory administration of our
oity affairs. It is admitted by all good
citizens, whatever may be their color or
political creed, that there is painful and
urgent necessity to prevent set of city
officers from being foisted into power
similar to those who have been striving
to drag us on the road to bankruptcy
for the past two years. Capitalists and
laborers, white men and colored men,
native and foreign born citizens, have at
least one common interest; and that is
the welfare, prosperity and development
of Columbia. There is no ground for
political contention here; no occasion to
excite partisan strife and ill-feelings.
The securing a good, practicable and,
above all, an honest management of our
city affairs, is one object in which good
men OF every class, race or opinion can
unite with mutual confidence, and with
out the least prejudice to their differ
enoes on other matters. Only bad men,
either unprinoipled demagogues or igno-
rant enthusiastic, would seek, especially
in suoh community as ours, to make
an issue OF political principles in a
municipal election. The colored people
are majority Of the voters. They are
Of one political pursuasion.
They are unfortunately uneducated.
The eyes Of scarcely dozen of them
will see even what we are now writing.
They are easily led and misguided by
tricksters. who play upon their feelings
and excite to frightful proportions those
prejudioes which are natural to their
condition and innocont enough when
left in their normal state. If. therefore,
the election is made party question,
mostly the worse representatives of even
the Republican party will form our next
City Council. A new era of City Hall
contracts will inevitably follow, and
bond swindles OF still greater magnitude
will be perpetrated. Such men seek no
public office except for private gain; and
4 they will as surely concoct schemes and
jobs for their individual enrichment as
night follows day. The consequence
will be. that in short while. our citi-
zens will be loaded with burden of
taxation that will be intolerable. and
public city debt contracted that it will
stagger us to pay, if we can pay at all.
This will serve as direct and insur-
mountable obstacle in the way of our
progress and development. Northern
capital, upon which we greatly rely to
build mp. our business interests, will not
come where there is danger of excessive
taxation; nor will enterprising men from
the North and elsewhere, whom we would
induce to settle in our midst, be inclined
to devote their time and energies. and
more especially invest their fortunes, in
place over which cloud of debt hangs
lowering and threatening.
To prevent an increase of the city
oOOtt oAA w ACoP 0OWA tdAablOA " tuO
lowest point, is what the true citizens of
Columbia Gesire. There is nothing po-
litical in this, not in the least. For our
selves, we would not regret to see every
Office, from the highest to the lowest, in
the State as well as the city, filled by
Republicans, if we could feel confident
that they were honest and efficient men.
This, we fear, can never be, 80 long as
the Republican constituency remains un-
educated and without property, as it now
is. Ignorant and poor, electors and
venal corrupt rulers stand to each other
in the relation of cause to effect, and will
continue 30 to the end of the world. If
the colored people will come forward
now, in the spirit of good citizenship,
and join with the property holders in
the election OF Board of Aldermen and
q Mayor, venality and jobbing can be
successfully put down. Will the colored
citizens unite with US in seeking the com.
mon good? In our Judgment. the way