The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-05-08
S. G.
Friday Morning. May 8. 1874.

toe OF the House of Representatives
upon the complaints of the committee
*of the Tax-Payers' Convention of gross
'!aaisgovernment in South Carolina, in
dastriously goes out of the way to avoid
Che real issues presented. It is hut a
repetition of what the President said in
:s much smaller compass. It processes
to have made comparison between the
statements Of the memorialists and
5he ooanntef-m -memoriaiists, aud 90 have
concluded that the latter were good
and satisfactory answer of the former.
But there is every reason to believe that
prejudice and party spirit guided their
minds to this conclusion. It was not
reached because OF any force of argu-
ment, or any strong and just array of
facts; but because the complainants
represented in part the old regime, and
because South Carolina had dared to
take the consequences of making an
issue with the General Government
The committee rake in these old ashes
to find some Goals or sparks to give fire
to their sorry, paltry and feeble accusa-
tions. It was the war, forsootb, which
brought about these troubles, and the
memorialists caused the war! Nothing
was ever 30 petty and inconclusive as
rshis. And the extravaganza, not to say
)" meaoness. of pretending to regard as
sruethe charge that the tax pay yers chad
steadily refused to cooperate with
\those cf the political majority who we're
anxious to introduce reform and econo.
my into the administration of the State
Government" exceeds anything we have
ever seen in paper of this sort. No
man VINO has had any opportunity of
knowing how false aud contemplate it
Is. can say he thinks it true, without
sebjeoting himself to the imputation of
= bei4a either an ass or knave.
'Gehe majority OF the committee, con-
atituting themselves partisans, have
sought to place the Taxpayers on the
defensive. instead of honestly consider
ing their charges and complaints. They
went to Congress with grievances. and
party epirit puts them on trial. We are
pleased to see, however, that there we're
men in the committee who dissented
from this monstrously unjust and out
szsEeoas mode Of proceeding. Unwil.
snng to resort to any unusual course to
remedy the evils of which complaint is
made. they at least make no studied
efforts to screen and protect them. In
manly language they place the blame
where it primarily belongs-upon the
Federal Government. They say:
'Blink ct it, look upon 1t as we may,
horrible as the work Of its hands may
now appear. Congress set up and esta-
blished. the state OF things that makes
the commonwealth of South Carolina
tho foul stigma it now is in our system"
And they justly say that they cannot
do less. without violating solemn and
imperative duty, than "to recommend
the appointment OF a committee of
both houses OF Congress, with power
and authority to 60 into the State of
South Carolina and fully inquire and
investigate into the condition of the
State and the charges and complaints of
the memorialists." Certainly they could
not No fair.minded man could, even
II Republican in politics. We have
here In this State denunciatons of the
abuses OF the State Government, con.
stantly uttered by Radical speakers and
appearing in Radical journals. We
have made some pretty strong charges
at times ourselves, but We cant hold
candle to Judge Mackey and the Union
Herald, and many others who have lot
out their minds upon the corruption
prevailing here. Why don't they come
to our help and demand Congressional
Investigation? Why don't they range
themselves alongside of Harper's Week!y
and the New York, Tribune, in insisting
that the evil shall be probed to the
core, and that at least the moral weight
OF the Government shall be brought to
bear to produce better state of things?
a hall dOZen hold Roprh1;oo,, re {, A.,