Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-07-09
OUR COUNTRY PROSPECTIVELY.

Two extremes are seldom far apart. The
darkest hour in the whole night is the one
which precedes the breaking of day. Wheth-
er this is the darkest hour in the history of
South Carolina or not, we will not undertake
to say. Beyond a doubt it is very dark.
For number of years the darkness has been
rapidly increasing. Apparently, every effort
which has been made to dispel it, has only in
tensfed it. Every scheme which has been
devised to better our condition, has, i'll a
measure, proved futile. To-day our State
government is in a worse condition than it
ever was before The dominant party has
won for itself the contempt of the civilized
world. Those in other sections of the coun-
try who bear the same name and wear the
same badge as the dominant party in South
Carolina, are ashamed Of the way in which
the State affairs of South Carolina have been
managed The crisis, when death or reforma-
ton must take place, seems to be rapidly ap-
preaching. 1t is now admitted by all parties,
that change must soon occur. 1t may be
that greater evils are in store for US than any
that we have suffered. 1t may be that this
fair land is doomed to complete desolation.
This is only conjecture. Why not reverse the
picture, and conclude that better day is in
store for us?
The old adage, "cheating never thrives," if
true respecting single individuals, must be
true respecting multitude Of individuals,
No Que, at this moment, pretends to deny that
frauds have been perpetrated by the highest
State officials. The individuals who have
committed these frauds do not deny the
charges brought against them. Now, if the
obser yation of the world testi6es that the race
of the individual villain is short, may we moi
conclude that the race of numbers of villains
will be short?
Our grievances do not arise from the fact
that the recently adopted constitution of the
State is oppressive; neither is their origin tc
be found in unjust and pernicious legislative
eaactments. This is our misfortune. Law is
despised. Frauds, many in number and enor'
nous in character, are committed by State
officials, who laugh at any and every effort to
inAict upon them the penalties Of the law. A
morbid party feeling, whilst we hope it does
not approve of such state of things, still
defends it at the ballot-box, in the jury room
and in every other place, and in every situa
ton that it can be defended. Wrong is de-
Tended because it is party wrong and right is
opposed for the same reason. How long such
state of things will continue, no one dare
say; but there are many reasons for conclud
ing that it will not be long Whenever an
individual loses selfrespect his doom is sealed
and his infamous end is not far distant
What is true of the parts, must be true of the
whole. If it is true that the executives o.
the State have so far lost selfrespect that, un
blushingly they can, in open day, perpetratf
frauds upon the government whose admins
tration has been committed to their hands
their official end is not far distant.
In view of all the facts in the case, we fee
disposed to predict better day for South
Carolina. 1t may be ten or even twenty
years before things are reduced to their proper
level; but the level must be reached. Men
who really desire the prosperity of the State
should be prudent. 1t is the duty of every
man, to the extent of his ability, to oppose
wrong, but his opposition should be conduct
ed in proper way. Its wrong to do right
thing in wrong way. Wrong should be op
posed because it is wrong; and right should
be advocated because it is right. TO defend
or oppose either, as policy measure, is dan
gerous thing. Prudence is good thing bu
policy is dangerous thing. If the good
people of the State will only be prudent and
honest, things will soon change for the better