The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-01-30
The PROSTATE State.

III would DE hard 10 find in the history
81 modern nations more saddening or
disgustful picture of the wreck and desola-
ton OF society than Is presented at this
moment in south Carolina; and the con-
dition OF South Carolina, We suppose,
while perhaps more picturcsquely misera-
BILE. Il but type of the social Indebtedness
and the political shame which attach 10 the
other States Of the far South. These are
facts which concern not alone the States
Immediately immersed in this civic chaos.
The nation Is partnership In diseases and
disgraccs a well a. in benefits; with the
suffering of one member all the members
suffer, and whatever j. blot upon Texas
or Georgia stains through 10 Maine. The
time has fully arrived when all citizens
who do not believe that ''our political sys-
tenn can stand anything and defy any
thing" should cOndesccnd to cast some
serious glanccs upon the haplcss circum-
stances OF our friends and brethren OF the
southern States. OF this we may be sure !:
that the present apathy of Northern peo-
Pile upon this subject is largely conditioned
on their Ignorance OF the real state Of the
case and the difficulty with us has been
that we could not all 20 10 the South 10
see for ourselves. and that we could not
thoroughly confide in the testimony of
those who did go. 1t is greatly To be de
sired that some Northern men of real abil-
/ ity, and of unquesiionable repute among
Us, could pass through the Southern lands
and study the actual situation. and report
10 us in terms which we could altogether
trust.
From this point Of view. we deem il an
event To be particularly mentioned that
one such citizen. Mr.. james ;. Pike, an
old abolitionist. a journalist of high stand
ing. and. by appointment OF President Lin
coin. late Minister of the United States AT
the Hague. took the trouble 10 go 10
South Carolina during the last session of
its Legislature. and to spend two months
at its capital in the study of
men and things He has now made his
report. and has embodied il in little book,
Just issued by the Appletons. and bearing
the gloomy title that stands al the head of
this article. The book j. so small that II
can be read in an evening. but il is large
enough 10 give 10 every American anxious
reflection for many day.
Mr.. Pike finds society in South Carolina
bottom side up" The people OF charac-
ter and culture. who, in a normal and
righteous state of affairs. would give direc-
ton and tone to public proceedings. are
trampled under foot by a host of voting
barbarians-" the most Ignorant democrat
CIV that mankind every saw - the dregs
of the population habilitated in the robes
of their intelligent predecessors. and as
serting over them the rule of ignorance
and corruption through the memorable
machinery of majority of numbers. :"
Carpet-ba- rule is at an end in South Car
DINA. for the carpet-baggers We're, on the
\ outside at least. white men. Even negroes
tainted with white blood, and so unfortu-
nate as To have the noble blackness of the
ancestral complexion debilitated into some
shade of yellow. are beginning 10 feel the
contemptuous antagonism of the unmixed
African. who means 10 have things all his
own way there. BY sheer force of superb
or numbers the ignorant and unprlncipled
classes have taken complete possession OF
I the Cover nment Of the state. And what
sort of government have they formed
According to the testimony of Mr..
Pike. the rule of South Carolina
:. should not be dignified with the name OF
a government. Ii i the installation of a
huge system of brigandage. The men
who have had il in control. and the men
who now have il i'm control, are the picked
villains of the community. They are the
Il highwavmen of the State. They are pro-
fessional Legislative robbers. They are men
who have studied and practiced the art OF
legalized theft. They are in no sense dit
ferent from. or better than. the men who
fill the prisons and penitentiaries of the
world. They are. in fact. Of precisely that
class. only more daring and audacious.
The sole. base object is TO gorge the indi-
vidua with public plumber. Having done
il. they turn around and buy immunity for
their acts by sharing their gains with the
T ignorant. pauperiZed. besotted crowd who
have chosen them 10 the stations they fill.
and which enable them thus to rob and
plumber"
lfit be asked how the corruptions of the
South Carolina Government differ from the
exceptional venality of certain Northern
/. legislatures, this is Mr.. Pixies answer
The latter. while less in effrontery and de-
gree than the former. and springing from
different causes. can also "be promptly
rcmedied by exposure and by an appeal u
the intelligence and virtue Of the constifu-
cncv; in the other ease. there y no such
tribunal TO appeal 10. Ii j. a moral mo-
rass. in which there is neither standing
nor holding ground" = 30 tainted Is tn,
|. atmosphere with corruption. 20 universally
implicated Is everybody about the Govern
ment. OF such a character are the orna
mcnts Of society az the capital that there Il
no such thing a. an influential local opin
ion 10 be- brought against the scamps
. They plumber. and glory in il. How dit
YOU yet your money! was asked of ;
prominent legislator and lobbyist. \
Stole it, was the prompt reply. Chris
, | ysyu T0a.u