The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-10-31
COLUMBIA, s. G..
Friday Morning, October 81. 1878
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In Wednesdays Utnto,s.R Rsrqld there
appeared two editorial articles conceived
in ans unusually serious vein: The one
takee q placid glance back at the past
few years Of Radical rule in the State,
and finds 1t roseate with the hues OF
success and progress. We might ques-
tion many OF the statements made; as
we'll as the deductions drawn from them,
but we ore not in the mood to do so.
We cannot but admire the complacency
which finds 30 much that is agreeable in
the retrospect Of the sway OF a party
which has cost South Carolina $22. $685. :
$50 In Eve years, and either bank.
rupted. destroyed, or soiled everything
it touched in the State. In looking
ahead, onr contemporary is not 30
assured and oonfidenh Possessed of y
spy.glass like that OF the old Dutch
navigatorh Hans Reinier Oothout, with
which hscould spy up the orookedest
river, quite to tie head waters. as de.
scribed by the veracious Knickerbookcr.
it looks down the tortuous current of
future events ''all in quiet scientific
way" and signals the coming storm.
II disoerns danger in the gentle breeze,
and even the rustling Of leaf has
terrors which make it quake in it's shoes.
There being nothing but ghosts OF Ku
Klux left, and no other obvious raw
head and bloody bones. against which
it may run a-muck, it singles out the
grange organization in this State as
thing OF formidable power, which it be-
comes all true Radicals duly to watch
aid pray against. It finds the grange
thoroughly organized. It thinks it ca
pable of strong political influence, if it
should choose to exert itself. It gene
rously comedies to its members that they
have the greater portion OF the landed
interest and substantial wealth, with q
fair share Of the education and intelli-
;gence OF the State. It infers the COM
ple1ion OF their politics from the fact.
that there is not single eolored lodge
organized, nor single true and tried
Republican admitted into the lodges.
It proceeds to picture them as capable,
in political issue. of controlling every
Democratic vote. They have only to
secnre 16. 900 Republican voters to gain
q majority OF tho entire vote of the
State. which is placed at 150, 900, and of
which tho Conservative vote is estimated
to be 10000. Should they happen to
desire to do SO, they can oyerturn the
Radical party, by every four members
inducing one Republican voter to go to
the polls and vote with them. Should
they go further, and influence. each.
one Republican vote, the consequences
would be disastrous. Such is the pros
pect which our contemporary sees. and
concerning which it sounds shrill note
of warning to its political leaders.
We should like to soothe the anxiety,
relieve the fears and quiet the nerves of
our neighbor. It is in bad pickle, and
knows it. It has run to meet the danger
which it feels in its bones will como,
sooner or later. Like the criminal, it
anticipates punishment, aud suffers in
the spirit many deaths before the day of
execution comes round. It knows that
for all the things which it's party is now
and has been doing, for all those un.
lawful enjoyments in which it has in
dnlged, for all those wrongs and frauds
which it iias heaped apun the State, it
will be eventually called into judgment.
AS party organ, it may we'll be nervous
and anxious, and busy in forecasting it's
fate. In speculating, however, upon
what the oranges might do, if they
chose, we think it violates propriety to-
wards body Of gentlemen, who court
retirement, and have resolved to attend
exclusively to their own business.
Surely, they have ths right, unchal-
lenged, to seek to promote agriculture,
to oheapen transportation, and to se.
cure the benefits of "a. .operation to THAR