The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-05-10
COLUMBIA, s. G.
Sunday Morning. May 10. 1874.
The Radical Wolf.

The great conundrum at the head of
the editorial column of the Union
Herald, "Havo We kept these solemn
pledges7" which every body else had
to give up, has been answered at last
by the ounter-memorialists. speaking
through the majority report of the
House Judiciary Committee of Con-
gress. Financial reform, Safeguards
around the treasury, reduction of ex-
penses, moderate taxation, equitable
assessments of property, reduction OF
salaries. and in the number of State
officers, daily publications by the
Comptroller and Treasurer of the
transactions of their respective Offices,
the keeping open the public schools
and asylums of charity-these are the
reforms which we're promised, the
pledges as to which it has 40 vexed the
virtuous soul Of the Union Herald to
ascertain whether they have been kept
or not. But the Sphynx need not
stand at the head of it's columns any
longer, asking hard questions. 1t is
answered and put to shame aud oonfu
sion by the counter-memorialists.
They claimed that tho evils in the ad-
ministrasion of public affairs "were
being corrected by the majority as ra-
pidly as possible" There is no USE
less specification in this answer. It
passes scornfully over all details of the
late lamented party platform of Au-
gust. 1879. It is splendid generali-
cation, calculated to silence the Ques-
tioning Sphynx forever.
We may notice another statement of
the committee, also the offspring of the
counter-memorialists, that ''the me-
morialists and those whom they repro.
sented had steadily refused to co-ope-
rate with those OF the political majority
who we're anxious TO introduce reform
aud economy into the administration
6f the State Government" It would
not serve any good purpose to contest
either of these propositions. We would
not harrow up the feelings of the po.
itioal majority by intimating any
doubts OF the sincerity of their desire
to bring about reform and establish
economy. We don't know bat we
ought to ''go for" the other side, who,
according to this counter sort of rea-
soning, 80 steadily did the things
which they should not. and left undone
those things which they should have
done. In 1870, we remember, they
supported Radical for Governor ON
reform platform, and were under the
impression that ever since, as then.
they had obliterated party lines, and
only asked of the majority to put
honestRen, no matter what their pro-
fessed political creed might be, into
Office and power. But as they are
charged with unwillingness to co-ope-
rate with the majority in measures of
reform and economy, they must have
made mistake as to whore those
measures were to be found. Poor
fellows! they did not know. till this
revelation of the counter
was made, that it is the majority in
South Carolina who constitute the
party of reform.
But it looks as if they can't pursue
any course which will win the ap-
proval of this Radical majority. When
they brought out Carpenter for Go
vernon in 1870-a Radical Of the Radi.
Gals. but ready to promise reform
this maj jority turned against him and
them to man. When the nomina-
tions we're made in 1872, even the
boilers, who claimed to be reformers,
warned them not to come to them. 1t
was then, and since, perhaps, more
particularly, that they did not sustain
economy and reform, in not favoring
the election and in not sustaining the
administration Of the present Go.
vernon. Now that the time OF the
elections begins to draw nigh again,
they have intimatod their readiness to
support, as before, without reference
to party, such men for Office as have