The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-08-16
HorE STATION, August II, 1872.


to expose the tyranny and corruption of
State and General Government legisIa-
ton. In view Of it. something is said
occasionally about the remedy. l desire
to see more specific ventilation of the
remedy necessary to. remove the evils
that exist in our State. All parties and
aspirants for Office cry out reform, aud
some of nll types Of parties admit thut
there hos been every corruption, but ns
to the details of n remedy, very little is
said. TO stir up this subject more point
edly, propose to exhibit my positions
and views of remedy. In prints, 1
once held position in the Legislature
of the State. soon learned that there
were tricks and log-rolliug i'll the art of
legislation. The tirmuess and principles
of legislator were frequently put TO the
test. / practiced on two fundamental
rules as to voting. No class legislation
for party, civil or religious, none for
using the credit of State extravsgantly
for doubtful purposes, constituted my
motto. These principles should be oh
served in the remedy [ propose. Now,
as TO the remedy itself. First, over all,
we need an able. honest, acorhing Legisla-
ture. who can and ,riW do the work oil the
people in four weeks, and go home. We
must abolish all unnecessary offices and
curtail the number of attuchees, and
work the machinery Of Government in
plain and inexpensive manner. Some
salaries must be lowered. We must cease
issuing State bonds, sold at such heavy
discount, to raise money for the public
wants, and abstain from guaranteeing
any more railroad bonds The jury law,
the election laws, the free school law,
the odious license law and theirs, should
be amended. Tho node of letting out
contracts for the current and permanent
printing must be changed to the old rule.
Extravagant appropriations must be
stopped. Our public debt must be scru-
tinized, and all the public and private
claims against the State which have the
smell Of fraud and illegality about them
must be repudiated, and only those that
are legal and fair should be paid, to save
the honor and credit of old South Caro-
lima. What say as to th& election of
electors? Leave this out 6f our State
and County elections. Wait and see how
that question stands before that election
comes on in November, and only then
decide whether we can do any good by
voting at all.
What is my party record, and arhere do
l think our people should stand? Whilst
the great Democratic party existed, be-
fore and during the war, We voted with
it for such men as suited US. It has
fallen to pieces now, and, necessarily, is
not what it was before the war. It is
divided into old line and progressive De-
mocracy, as fully developed by facts.
Republicanisns, too, is not no,o what it
was before the war; nor is noo what it
was in 1870-then unit. It is seps-
rated into Radical Grdntism and into
''honest, Liberal Repu6iicdnisn'," en-
bracing the Cincinnati platform and no.
minatioD; in general, willing to unite
with Liberal Democrats, and no partisan
men, to reform the Government and re-
trench it's expenses. I think there is
little or no difference in these two par
ties in their essential principles. We
are swimming together in the turbid
waters of politics, to reach the shore Of
a common pence, and to secure the safe
ty Of our rights against common foo
q centralizing and consolidating Govern
ment. We aim to wear out the hate of
party strife, and to escape party tyranny
yes, and to maintain freedom in the
exercise of our elective franchise. If
we must characterize by o generic term
this union of men and party names to
fight common enemy. would call it Il
Democratic Republican or Republican,
Democratic party, both progressive from
their former status. Here is where I
stand, and want to be peacs-maker-
no radical or rabid Democrat-no radical
or radid Republican. We may be pro-
perly called progressive Democrat or q
J,bersonian Republican. He was pro-
gressive. We are for union of all true
citizens and honest minded men, to work
harmoniously for reformation Of our
Government everywhere, and to preserve
our sacred State rights.
JOHN G. HOPE.
And an item about still another old
friend-Gen. Nj. W. Gary. We hear
that. on his way to White Sulphur
Springs, the other day, he lost his trunk
in Richmond-a handsome trunk full of
elegant new clothes for the summer
campaign-or, rather, that tho railroad
people lost it for him. Imagine him
under these circumstances See him
| Hear himl We predict that ha will sue