The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-10-05
Hard to Swallow.

conventions and made their nominations
for county officers and members OF the Leg
~islature. Both tickets are before The public.
That which is put forth by the Bowen fac
ton is Infamous; that OF the Mackey faction
has some redeeming points. But neither
ticket is worthy OF Conservative support. In
Charleston County there were. at the date
OF the last census, $685. white voters, and
l5,l 1923 colored understanding a total vote
Of 81. s14. OF which the white vote is less
than one.half. There are quite as many col
ored men who vote with the Conservatives
as there are white men who vote with the
Radicals. It is safe then to say that there
are 10 Charleston County about $4,000 Be
publicans and 1000 Conservatives. Shall
anything, or can anything, be done to utilize
the Conservative vote? y
As the Republican vote is more than
double the Conservative vote, the conserva-
tives could not elect a third ticket, even IL
Mackey and Bowen divided the Republican
vote equally between them. Andso exact a
division is practically impossible. In the
Carpenter-Scot canva Of 1870, however,
the Conservative vote was $3.50. and the Re-
publican vote 13,4l1-wbich would have
admitted Of the election of a third Legislative
and county ticket, il there had been as many
Republicans on the side of DeLarge 8 on the
side Of Bowen. Three county tickets were
in the field, viz (: the Bowen ticket, the
DeLarge ticket and the Reform ticket, and
the vote. was: Jervey (Bowen) ls,26l;
George Lee. (DsLarge) 1868; and Aelchers
(Reiorm) ssi2. This was a full vote. and
the Conservatives stood no chance. There 1tH
have been many changes 10 the county
during the past two years, and the struggle
between Bowen and Mackey Will be far
more close than that between Bowen and
DeLarge. in 1870. Nevertheless the pre-
ponderance on the one side or the other will
be sufficient to defeat q Conservative Ticket
even upon the assumption that o strong
ticket were nominated, and the entire Con-
sentative strength could be brought ont.
The nomination Of a third ticket would be a
waste Of time, Of money and Of votes. 1t
would be a waste Of votes, because the Con-
servatives can do some good for themselves,
IL they take a practical view OF the situation
and bear 10 mind Captain Cuttlss aphorism,
that "half a loat's better than no bread, and
:sths same remark holds good with crumbs
;Msckey and Bowen are crumbs-of very
cold comfort.
The Conservatives cannot elect a ticket OF
their own, but they a elect either OF the
two Radical tickets. One-half OF the Con-
servatiye vote would determine whether
Mackey or Bowen shall wear the bays. But
neither ticket, as a whole, can be voted
for by any consistent Conservative. The
only way then 10 which the Conservatives
can use their power to advantage, and elect
the least Objectionable Of the candidates
already 10 the field, is by selecting a third
ticket exclusively from, the two Radicls
tickets. It must be made up exclusively
from the two Radical tickets, because a
vote cast for a third candidate is a vote
lost. Nor is there any doubt that this
scheme would be successful. Bowen may
have a slight advantage over his opponents,
in which case any candidate taken from
his side would unquestionably be elected.
But Mackey, at the worst, is not more than
q. couple OF thousand votes behind Bowen,
and q half Of the city Conservative vote.
cast for candidates taken from the Mackey
side would easily elect them.
We repeat that neither ticket is such as,
under normal circumstances, would receive,
In whole or in part, the support Of this
paper. But VIZ believe it to be- the part OF
wisdom to do the best we can under the
circumstances, instead OF continuing to
sulk because nothing is exactly as We
would have it. We shall, therefore, present
TO the public of Charleston County a ticket
made up OF candidates upon the two Radl-
cal tickets, and for this eclectic or coalition
ticket we shall ask for the Conservative