The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-10-30
rs THE FIGHT HOPELESS /?
EX-GOVERNOR PEERY'S ADVICE TO
THE CONSERVATIVES.

EX-GOVERNOR PEERY'S ADVICE TO
THE CONSERVATIVES.
A Practical Letter-The Carpet-Bagger
Must be Dethroned-Capitnl and
Brains Ought to Control Labor.
To the Democratic and Conservative voters
of the Fourth Congressional District Of
South Carolina, comprising the Counties OF
York, Chester, Fairfield, Union, Spartan
burg, Laurens, Greenvllle, Plckens and
Oconee:
FELLOW CrT1zENs-I desire to address a few
words to you on the result OF the late Con-
gresslonal election. SO far as am personal
ly concerned, have no regrets to express.
When accepted your nomination, which was
unsolicited and unexpected, had no strong
| hopes of success, knowing. as I did, that the
Radical party was In the ascendancy, and
would not scruple at any fraud and corrup-
tIon necessary to maintain their power In the
Congressional District. My health, age and
dIslnclinstion to enter public life again, would
have been reasonable Justification in refus-
Ing the honor you conferred on me. But 1
thought 1t duty every good citizen owed his
country, under the present alarming condition
of public affairs, to accept any position which
| might be assigned him by the people.
The canvass through which have just pass
ed was very short one, and I entered 1t
actively and ZealOusly. l may further say
| that iC was both pleasant and agreeable, and
enjoyed 1t exceedingly. In passing through
the Congressional District, met many of my
/ 10
| for years, and I made great many new
friends, whom shall ever remember and
never cease TO value whilst life lasts. Every
where, my reception was most Kind and cor
dial, and fully c0mpensates me for all lhe time
| and trouble OF the canvass. But although
do not regret personally, as have said, our
| disappointment, yet. as citizen OF South Car
olina. I do regret, lament and deplore the sue
cess Of the Radical parry throughout the State,
| In the recent election for Congress and State
officers. 1t seems TO Indicate that there is 70
/ be no change In the present corrupt, oppres-
sive and UNANIMOUSLY rotten State government,
or hope of representation for the white people
OF South Carolina In the Congress OF the
| Lnited Statea. Sixty thousand voters, repre-
senting nearly three hundred thousand per-
Sons. ownIng, in great measure, all the prop.
| erty of the State, agricultural, commercial
and manufacturing, and comprising In the
same ratio all the intelligence, education,
virtue and patriotism of the State, are with
out the semblance OF representation 10 gov
ernment purporting to be Republican
The State Government has, confessedly,
| fallen Into the hands Of r0gues, swlndlers and
corrupt men, who have openly plundered the
public treasury, robbed the people, forged
| State bonds, increased the Indebtedness OF lhe
State twenty-seve million dollars IN Tour
years, levied and collected lntolera0le taxes,
and enriched themselves by the most
bare-faced bribery and corruption, as we'll as
| by arrant roguery and plunder. And yet the
result of the recent election shows that these
rogues, swipdlers and robbers are to be rein.
stated in authority for two years to come, With
carte blanche to rob, steal and plunder ad
| libltum.
II "a sad and melancholy to think that the
honest, patriotic and virluous white people OIL
South Carolina are In some measure RESPONSE
BILE for this horrible and appalling condition OF
public affairs. In many counties they did not
turn out to vote on the day OF election. Can
human weakness and human apathy exceed
this? The negroes; carpet-Jaggefs and scala
wags turned out almost to man. Is II not
passing strange that the stupid negroes 1eel
more Interest and manifest more zeal In Bus-
tainining corrupt, rotten government, ana
electing to office rogues and scoundrels, VINO
do not benefit him IN the least, than an educa-
ted, Intelligent and patriotic gentleman does
in trying to overiurn such government and
put honest men in Office as legislators. gover-
nors, senators, Judges, DC. He sees the cor
ruption, feels the hand of the oppressor, and
bears the crushing burden of his taxes, and
yet will not 60 from this house to vote tor
change in rulers or government. It may be
we'll said there Is no accounting Tor human
conduct.
10 Greenville, one of the counties compos.
Ing the Fourth Congressional District. there
are $500 white voters, and only 2300 OF them
went out to vote ESQ OF them were scala-
waps, who voted with the negroes to continue
our present corrupt regime. 500 stald at
home and did not vote at all In Chesler
County there we're 300 white voters VINO did
not feel interest enough 10 being represented
In Congress to turn out at the election. !n
Fairfield, county distinguished for Its lntell-
gence and wealth, one-third OF the white
voters remained at home. The same thing
occurred In every county. II all had gone out
to vote, and had exerted proper Influence
with the colored people, the elections would
have gone very differently. We might have
redeemed and regeperated the State.
know that the negroes are banded
together, as q race, under the lead Of vile car
pet-baggers and Infamous scalaWags, VINO
would as quickly sell their COO for thirty
pieces of silver as they have betrayed their
race and country for office, promotion ana % Gae
But, Notwithstanding this antagonism to tue
white people, know that an influence might
be brought to bear on them which they could
not resist, II the property.holders OF the State
were so disposed. Let every land-holder re.
fuse to rent to or employ any laborer unless
he will agree, with proper stipulaLlons, to vote
with his landlord or employer. This may be
done without incurrlng any Of the penalties
of the act of Congress against intimidatlng
| voters There will be no intimidation, but q
fair and legitimate agreement, which the
parties have right to make. Bat 1t may be
said that our lands could not be rented or cui-
| tiyated on these terms. This is presuming
that the laborer can live longer without food
than the employer can without bis labor. II IL
| fir better that we should work tor ourselves
| ana let the greater part OF lands lie Idle and
rest, than 10 live any longer under such
government as We have-Fophlpg us of all we
can make by taxation, and corr4pltng all the
fountains OF legislation.
In every other country In the world, where
they are allowed to vote, tenantry and labor,
ers vote with their landlords and employers,
John Quincy Adams, Jr., told me, speaking
of this very question, that when he was q Re-
publican, all of hls tenants and laborers, about
forty In number, voted with him. and when
he quit the Republican party and turned DEM
| ocrat, they also turned with him and voted
| the Democratic ticket, without word being
| said TO them on the subject. He expected
them to vote with him, and they knew it and
did 80. Now, suppose 1t ls just as proper for
| 9 cotton planter to require this of bis colored
1 in Earth Harplino Ia for Mr.