The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1873-11-12
'I~
mo. 81
Ring KulC in South Carolina.

, ''' "i'tth pccauSo VIC nave Qarcu 10
crlt"ise tho ring which rules and
ruins the State. 1t charges that
'the Augusta Chronicle and Sentinel
which has recently got along very
well by miIding its own business,
has seen fit to forget the wholesome
ways Of It's earlier days, and set up
Tor critic of affairs" 1t declares
tina. The Chronicle and esntinel and
News aud Courier arc working to.
gothcr, and it knows not chow close
a combination CT tho bitter Southern
Democratic press this alliance may
Indicate" 1t is not at all strange
that tho Ring Government should
object to what it pleased to torn
"outside interfcrenco' with their
schemes of rlunder and epoliNtfon.
The burg'ar and the highwayman also
sire "."&iy objoot to anything like
interference with their work. "Ect
Us zeal in pcaco," say tho robbers in
H"!'mbia. "Nlind!your own business"
they cry out when Georgia Journal
exposes their dishonesty and oorrup-
t!on. Poor thieves /! DO they not
EncW that Lhoy arc denounced by
every respectable poper-Ropubli.
cam az well as Democratic
MaiHo to California that thoy have
| brought shame upon the State aud
| dlgraoo upon representative govorn-
n.ent2 DO they wonder at the con-
tempt which is heapod upon them
whom they remember how much they
have done to excite tho loathing and
disgust Of all honest men : By tho
cdict Of Il purtiean Congress tho for
NOR slaves OF Sou;n Carolina-ncces-
salily an ignorant and degraded tlahs
were clothed with tho rights before
they undoratooi tho duties Of Citizen
ship: and armed with the ballot be-
foro they knew how to use a weapon
which has done SO nuch OF good in
thc hands OF the educated and tho
sirtuous, lat which hab also doMo 30
mach @ harm when yielded by the
.T"orant and vicious. A. band Of
No 'tEern adventurous, aided by n fow
! corrupt nativ" whitcs--incn 6ankrupt
in chnracte1 ns woll as in fortune
saw and improved tho opportunity
which this condition of affairs preson.
ted. Regardless Of tho welfare Of
Tie State or it's people having only
u. view their personal aggrandizo-
nent- determined TO win, no matter
~ might loose they took nossos-
son Of, an held, tho Sta;o as hos.
tic army would hold captured city.
IL tho mere power Of numhcrs-by
tho exercise Of the brute force of D.
m"jority-they seized upon tho State
GO crnmont in 1868, and hovo held it
ever since. For five years they have
owned Carolina rs completely as d
cotton Planter owns his plantation.
They have had supreme power, and
| thcy have welded It without scruplc,
without shame for tho attainment Of
the wealth which they had dctcrmin-
cd to possess: Every onico in tho
State which afforded nn opportunity
for pccuIation was filled with IL thief
either white or colored-- if by
chance an honest man crept into
pooItion, lie was ignominiously driven
frou place aa soon as his true char
actor wns discovered. Tho Iegisla-
tnro was Tiled With white knaves and
their colored tools. All Legislation
VAS in Tho interest Of tho jobs, and
2vcrJ measure but thinly yelled
sleI. Tie fcats Of noted cracks
mcn aud Knights Of the road palod
into insigniiic"nco before tho robbc-
rics pcrpotratcl by these famous
thieves. Governors stole, Troasurcrs
and Conptrollers stole, Attorney
Generals stole, State Senators and
Representations, pages aud clorks all
stole. Even the judges descended
from tho bench to join in this oarni.
val Of corruption, and concealed thcir
booty beneath tho folds of tho Judi"
cial crminc. Fraud rcigncd supreme
in every department Of tho Stato
government. AS fast rs ono band Of
lcechss sucked their fill of public
plucAor they dropped off, and others
took their places, until now--so
thorough has been thoir Work--that
but lttlo is left to steal. Yot, even
In,v, whom tho credit Of the State has
fallen beneath tho weight of fraudu-
lent indobtcdncss--Whon ta4os are 40
high that men osn scarcoly afford to
own property--when bankruptcy
tbroatcus tho State and people, tho
81! policy is still pursued--jobbory
IA corruption 60 OH as usual. Foar1
ful that in ~ short timo nothing will
90 left to steal, they mako haste to
possess that which IL still comatable
While tho people arc crying for some
measure Of relief, tho ring govern
mcnt is framing new schemes Of plum.
dor. Is it any wonder that suoh
shameless dishonesty, sucli open pro-
Aigacy shonld arouse tho Indignation
Of tho whole oountry-that it ,honld
! provoke "outs;do interference" and
, oall forth outside criticism 2" But
. we warn these robbors in Columbia
e that the end israpidIy approaching
that it is neor at hand. Tho people