The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-11-18
To tho Legislature Elect.


more you will have convened. Tie
evidences Of the past still lie like the
leaves OF the forest scattered along the
pathway of departed time. They ere
the decomposed putridities OF ieno.
rant. corrupt bodies, that still stink in
the nostrils. If history furnishes ex-
perienoe by which men, either in an
individual, collective or deliberative
capacity, are to be guided for the bet
ter, while suiliug between the Scyllas
and Chary bdises that lie hidden in the
great ocean Of human life and human
society. then surely you must aud
should cndravor, wisely aud pru
dently, to steer your way from the
lessons of the past, through the quick
sands and breakers which ure to be
found hero aud there in the great Rc
publican political sea.
Yon meet. Representatives. not Us
partlsnns. True, your majority is Re.
publican; nevertheless, YOU ARE tl..
Republican representative citizens of
the Commonwealth Of South Carollnu,
elected to confer. if possible. the gtent
est amount Of good, not upon th.
greatest number. but upon all l'on
meet, not tc I,gslatc for 50. 900 Re
publican voters alone; you meet not
TO lcgislnto for 4l5, QUO nInck>; but yuu
meet to legislaIo for 705 600 citizens
ol South Ctrolina. Ynu meet, not to
icaislute for more Offices and NOR.
Office holders; you meet 10 icsisIaie fnr
black and white; you meet to lr.i,-
late for Democrats and Republicans
You meet not to ,enislatr in millions,
of fraudulent bonds nnd Bluo Et,i.c
Eaiirnnd scrip. but you p'ect 70 pre-
vcnt lran,!, tn check corruption, To see
thut evils are corrected, tha. the body
polite is not harmed or injured Yuu
meet to stop cxorbitunt taxation, to
cut down tho enormous salaries, th.
over. grown income of officials, from
TINT of constable up to that OF the
County TreasurcrS, including your.
selves. Years aGo, the Tax Collectors
OF tho most wealthy Districts uf South
Caroina received not moro than
81. 200. The Office of member to the
Legislature then was an honorable pu-
sitlon. and they received not more
than $40 each; aud in Que month, If
you will remember, accomplished NIL
their lubura. Then the whole number
of attaches for both houses did not
exceed fifteen; now each member re-
ceives 5000, aud the session comprises
many months and nothing done; be.
side. you have little army of at.
tuchees, amounting to some III.
You meet, Representatives.. to cor
rect all these evils, with many others of
mighty magnitude. You mus. bear in
mind. now, that grcet political changes
have tiken place recently in ID orc than
twenty-four States. You must remen.
ber that the 4Ith Congress will be
Democrntio by u large minority on a
JOINT ballot. Ponder we'll right here.
You may sophistically reason aud
argue to deceive the iguoraut, unwary
amt deluded that temperance and some
other bugbears have had much to do
with tho change; but this, Representa-
tives. is all sophistry and humbng.
Don't pin your hopes 10 this. You
know this to be so. as well as We do.
When Papacy was in the zenith of
It's power. as you are to day. II change
came over the spiritual feelings Of
some Of mankind. a reformation
sprung mp, the success of which WAS
jeercd III by Pope, Cardinal, Priest and
Monk, and was pronounced the work
ot hereto. l. was presumed to be
OF small consequences, aud argued that
those who had fallen in with the
heretlcal views. upon consideration,
wonld soon return to the ancient
regime; but the change became flood,
aud extended its area, until Pauncy
itself VAS anbmcrgcd beneath its bill
lows.
There have hecE change, Repre-
Ill the political history nf
nations. The why and wherefore ut
which have bfen and are still beyond
the finite minl of man. Reason itself
staggered. and the most profound
Judgments stood in utter ru,tonishrlcut.
Such has been the recent political
change that has swept from the East
to the great West. 1t has confouuded
and amazed Democrats, nnL com
plctciy bewiltercl the 3hrrw.icst Re.
publican leaders. 1t is tho hand.
writing upon tho wall IL which
BeHStd--r smote upon his knees and
trembled. REMEMBER, your move
mentS in this State have excited the
disgust Of the entire Urion, and your
present movements will DO watched
and analysed with the strictest scru-
tiny. Tho least wavering on your part
to do what is right. to follow rather in
tho old beaten track, the least indlca.
ton Of returning, Hs tho dog to his
vOmit aud the SOW to her wullow will