The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-10-22
Polite al Principle.


A great deal is said nowadays about politi
cal principle. 1t is an excellent thing in its
way, and in its place, but it is in a bad way,
and in the wrong place when, by pratng about
political principle, the creature is made higher
than the creator and the form more important
than the substance.
In political parlauce q principle is rule of
action, a fundamental truth, of a particular
political organization or party. There is only
ore way of declaring such principle authori-
tatively, and that is by making it plank in
the platform, or declaration of principles, OF
Convention of the party. When so declared,
it is expected to be the rule of action of every
orthodox member of the party, until new
revelation is vouchsafed him. But as the OBJ
ject of every political party is, in theory, the
procuring or the maintaining of good govern
ment, so that the people may become and re-
main happy and prosperous and free, no .polit-
ical party can lawfully teach that its unity, as
party, is more important than the public
good
No political party is, necessarily, wholly
right or wholly wrong; the truth will general
ly be found in an unexplored middle ground
between the party lines. All Conservatives
are not saints all Republicans are not sinners.
To be Republican is not necessarily, to be
thief; nor is every Conservative, as matter
of course, an honest man. There are good and
bad in both parties. The Conservatives think
there are more good men in their ranks than
in the Republican ranks. The Republicans
think Just the reverse.
What comes of all this? That no party,
acting as party, can be false to principle;
because it defines its own principles and or
dains its own laws, and those persons who dis
like its principles and object to its laws are at
liberty to 60 to party whose laws and prncl-
plies will suit them. The Conservative party
of South Carolina, in State Convention assem-
bled, enunciated the grand old principle, which
in theory is common to all political parties,
that "the necessity of checking corruption and
procuring honest officials is paramount to all
questions of party politics or affiliations" and
the Convention adopted, as the platform of the
party, this single maxim: "Honesty and Econ
omy in the administration Of the State Govern
meat" There is no abandonment of principle
in chat. 1t is the doctrine that the welfare of
the people is the highest law, Every Conserv-
ative is bound by the action of the Convention,
and he cannot be accused, or accuse himself,
of any surrender of principle; because, unless
the platform be morally wrong and inimical to
the public good, he cannot have any other
principle, or rule of political action, than that
which the Convention of his party gives him.
When the platform is intrinscally wrong, the
person attempted to be bound by it is free to
step down and out In any other case, re-
fusal to submit to the decree of The party is
tantamount to withdrawal from the party.
One point more. The Conservative C0nven-
tion exhorted the Conservatives to vote for the
Independent Republican candidates. 1t could
not have done this had Conservative candidates
been in nomination, but, acting on the rule
that good and honest government is para
mount necessity, and having declined to make
Conservative nominations, it logically and con-
sistently urges the Conservatives to sustain
honest candidates, from another party, who
can be elected, and so accomplish the reform
in the State which the Conservatives require
and desire. There is no deviation from party
principle in doing this, because the Conyen-
ton the exponent of Conservative principle.
advised it. Nor is it otherwise than morally
right, because the persons proposed 10 be voted
for are persons of character and integrity,
worthy Of public trust.
These thoughts we commend to those good
citizens who fancy that there is some inconsis-
tency or impropriety in making no Conserva-
tive nominations and in voting fos Indepen-
DEM Republicans We are confident that they
will see, upon reflection, that, in following the
counsel of the Convention, they will, instead
of abandoning principle, be true to political
principle in its highest and latest expression,
and that the Conservative party, in voting as
such for the Independent candidates. is fulfill
ing the noblest purpose that any political or
ganization can have, viz, of bringing about
purity and economy in public affairs, and OF
giving to the people unity, fair-dealing and
peace-News and Courier.