The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-09-18
COTiUMBIA llC.
Thursday Morning. September ls. 1873.
. IL x;o,nifs. s.sion llof apdsn...s. I.


nimity aud manifest self.satiafaction,
that every great achievement for per-
sonaliiberty, FOR the preservation of the
Unions for the elevation of labor. for
the elevation OF womal, ior edeoation,
for the extension OF the suffrage, which
has been accomplished in this country
for t.generations. has been due to the Re-
publican party. It might be urged
against this modest claim that the Re-
publican party is not yet we'll out of it's
6rst generation, but il the Massaohu-
setts Radicals mean to assert that no.
thing was eyer done in this country in
the way Of improvement in the matters
referred to until the Republican party
was formed and took the business in
hand. it would be interesting to know
what the older Radical luminaries we're
doing beiors they went into the new
party. But we onlypropose to demur,
and, therefore. we letJthe alleged facts
go without question: Suppose the Re-
publicane have dono Ill that the Massa-
chusetts. branch claim, yet have they
been honest and faithiul In the admins
tration ofiaffairs? Has there been vio-
ience, treachery or corruption in the old
Bay State, or wherever else the Repub.
lican flag waved in triumph? Have
Butler and his faithful Radical hench-
men cheated and bullied any one. or by
fraud prevented the people from freely
selecting their representatives. in any
capacity? Have Radical Federal officials
interfered in. local elections and threat
ened to turn out their subordinates il
they did not act in local matters accord
ing to the wishes OF Washington circles?
We are not compelled to answer these
questions, for the Massachusetts, Repub-
licans, after sublimely wrapping them
selves in the drapery OF universal suf-
Ifrage and Ainging out on the breeze the
5soner Of progress inscribed with
pledge to be. 'the, earliest converts
and strongest advocates in the future,
as they have been in the past.
of every new truth" are forced
to come up squsrely and confess
Judgment as to honesty and purity.
They propose to let their light so shine
among men that their darker spots shall
not be seen; but the spots will not out,
and are even made. more conspicuous
by the refulgence Of the array of good
deedl that ia intended to obscure them.
The Republican party has accomplished
great things, and its influence is every
where felt; but the Worcester resolu-
tions declare that ''the pressing duty of
the day is to secure honesty and purity"
and this is the one thing needful that
the Republican party has not secured to
the country. The "great causes" to
which they have given their energies
have nothing ito hope for in the future
from any other source" than their own
party. but they suggest to their friends
that 'no person holding public Office
has right to seek to influence the
action of his subordinates by exciting
their fear of loss of place if their OPT
Mons and actions shall differ from his
own. And so they call upon the Presi-
dent to remove all his officials who have
interfered in their local concerns, and
rally oil honest Republicans to secure
"the right to hold conventions and eau
cuses without being cheated and bul.
lied" and ''to unite in purging The
commonwealth and nation of violence,
treachery and corruption" The Louis.
vile Courier Journal thinks this is net
a good showing for the party of high
ideas and law and order, but the Massa-
chnsetts Republicans deserve credit for
showing up their party delinquencies,
even If it involves an intimation to Pre-
sident Grant that he cannot send his
off .ls to their conventions to bully
and cheat delegates; aud their death
blow to the aspirations of General But
ler, whose character and practices seem
to have been the model from which the
artists Of the occasion worked up the
pictures in the platform, is certainly an