The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1874-02-28

from without but from within. It is
not the Democracy that will overthrow
us-it is our own party, with its faith
less leaders and their infatuated .honch
men. Let us not look abroad for our
cncmies-they are here, members of
our own party-officers elected by our
l have hundred times lifted nv
voice before you in support of the prin
ciples and policy Of the Republican par
ty. Those principles, undor all circun
stances, / shall assert and maintain.
They are tile expression of tho highest
political wisdom of the world, :, But /,
say to you now, fellow citizens, we my
shout our party shibboleths, We may re
| peat our party watch ,word-.we may i
discourse; ever SO eloquently. upon the
glorious principles of the, Republican
party, but all this will not save US from
overthrow aud defeat, unless we maintain
good government in South Carolina.
Party fidelity will never, in the long run
atone for this willful disregard of. public
interests, or reckless extravaganza in
public expenditures. No party tie c,n @
evcrsbe woven strong. enough to hold to
scther any party whose members are
Joined by nothing save tho secret bond
OF common hodc of gain by public
dcbauchcry. Dissolution will follow
pollution. Distrust is born Of pollution,
Discord is the child of fraul Nothing
but honor, honesty, patriotism, regard
for the public interest, can preserve amy
party.
There may be some SO thou ;htl,ss or
SO base as to charge that the utterance
OF these truths is an act Of treachery to
our party. Fellow citizens, the man
who fails to so spnak in our real enc
mi. The man who hesitates to pont
out our true danger is the man of whom
the Republican party must be aware. If
what | say here to night is not true dis
prove 1t. If 1t is true, accept it, act up
en- it. I speak to night from a deep
sense Of the danger that confronts us-a
danger springlng not from the Democra
cy OF tbs State, not from the Tax Pay
crS Convention, nor from any external
iors-but from the cxtravagances, the
! disregard of public interest. the subordi
nation of public aims to private gains,
n'ansiested SO conspiciously by some of
the members OF our own party.
Let me say here that | still hive full
faith in the hoacsty aud good intentions
OF the masses Of our people. 1 believe
that whenever the question of honesty
or dishonesty, of economy or extrava
gance, in public affairs. Of patriotism or
OF dcbauchery, is fairly presented to
them, they will be found on the right
side. delievc the colored people Of this
State will respond us promptly to such
an issue as any people. What we need
what we must have, is an awakening of
all the people to their duty. Each man
who holds vote must feel his rcspDnsi
hiliiy for that vote, feel it as he feels
his responsibility in his own personal
affairs. For, after all, this missovern
mcnt, of which complaint is made, this
reckless extravaganza which now chr
actcrizcs AMI disgraces us, will rest in
the end OH the common people. The
lahorcr in tho end pays the penalty of
bad government. Every mill Of tax
unnecessarily put upon the property of
this State is burden on the man who
owns nothing but his own bare hands
lftaxes arc high, wages will be low.
If taxes taxes are heavy, rents will be
high. All interest suffer in the long
run alike. Aside from the injustice
that may ho done, the adding Of an un-
necessary tax on the lands results in a
reduction of tho laborer's wages who
tils that land or M m Increase of his
rent. So that it is truo that the poor
man suffers as much, and more, from
misgo, ornment than the rich man,
In deeper sense than any political
creed can express it, we were all breth.
rcn in tho misfortunes, the burdens, the
injustice, the distress which bad govern
mcnt brings in its train. None Of us
can escape these consequence BY the
natural law Of cause aud effect, by the