The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-11-02
COI1JJMBYK &!
Sunday Mh6rninig, ], i i SoVsmbot .. 1918:
D.spo,i.n q! HIaaolIoaIl s1.jorley.

tne state or South Carolina, and In
tracing its practical workings in the
public life OF the people for tho last
>seyen .yeats, we are not at q loss to dis.
cover the causes Of our present unhappy
condition. !. Some are more obvious then
others, It would fill whole broad-side
OF our paper to mention them all. We
single one out for comment, to-day,
and direct attention to the fact that we
are living under the despotism OF wild
and irresponsible majority. This is be-
coming more intensified. as it finds
every day less and less check to it's will
from any quarter. Universal suffrage,
with. no organism to correct its excesses,
class and color legislation, the prolelaire
welding all the power Of tho State,
and directing it sgainst wealth, intelli-
gence and responsibility, have brought
about the ruin and Disgrace whioh every
where surround ns. Even limited suf.
frage, justly exercised, but. ruling by a
merely numerical majority, does not re-.
suit in maintenance Of the rights OF the
entire people. Saeh mcjority assumes
and exercises the powers of the whole
body polite. What is but part, the
greater part, becomes really the whole.
The minority are not directly repre-
sented at all, and indirectly but very
feebly. They sometimes, through the
success OF principles they profess, or
the predominance Of politics they pur-
sue, shift their position to the majority
side. As minorities, they have no voice.
They must become majorities before
they are heard.
Itis one OF the most difficult problems
of American craftsmanship to adjust
the rights Of all Glasses in the com.
lounity and secure respect for eaoh.
Nr. Buckalew, of Pennsylvania, and
other statesmen, have excogitated sys-
tenn OF minority representation, and in
some States welldigested plans of this
sort are undergoing the test of trial.
The positive power makes the govern
ment. but it is tho negative which makes
constitutions. The one is the power of
acting, the other the power of prevent
ing or arresting action. Both are re-
quired to make good constitutional
government. There can be no consti-
tuition which will protect all rights and
interests. where merely numerical ma
jority has control of the government.
The organism which will supply the
negative influence. or veto power. and
adjust the inevitable collisions and con.
ficting interests of majorities and mi.
norities, and 30 secure just representa-
ton OF the whole. has been ably pro.
posed by Mr.. Calhoun, in his ''Disqui-
sition on Govern ment," and termed by
him the concurrent majority. He shows
that governments Of the concurrent ma
Jority admit with safety greater ex-
tension Of the right OF suffrage than
those of the numerical If the latter
prevail, the government is placed ulti-
mately under the control of the more
ignorant and dependent portions of the
community. Numerical msjority and
universal suffrage united 4nd working
under such conditions as ne have had
here in South Carolina; following the
disasters OF war. and the wreck of the
social system, have completely over
thrown the public liberty and destroyed
tho character Of the State.
If we examine the popular vote in the
State, we find it: Republican, 10000;
Conservative or Democratic. say, Co.
600. The $4,000 voters send dele.
gates to conventions, members to the
Legislature and to Congress, place
Judges on the bench, and through elec-
tions and by appointment Of the Execu.
tive, fill all the Offices of profit and trust
in the Counties. The minority of GO, 900
Conservative votes, depressed by sense
OF its weakness and inability to origi-
nate or carry anything through, send
up few members to the Legislature.
bnt not the full representation which it
is capable Of returning. The predomi.
nance, and we may say intolerance, of
the fixed msjority also Affects, In GER
tain measure, the opinions of some who
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