National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-11-14

ner Republican State Of the South. as Mas.
sachusetts was wont to stand out in the
North until the present year of political
CONFUSION and earthquake.
Next to Massachusetts, in the campaign
which has just closed the contest in South
Carolina attracted more attention than the
battlei in any other portion of the country
where elections were held. Early in the
struggle the State was made in one way or
another a text for the Opposition. The
journals Of the larger cities Of the North
which were endeavoring to defeat the Re
publican party sent their agents to examine
and investigate into her eondition and paint
for the benefit Of Northern voters, in the
strongest possible colors, whatever of evil
or wrong doing could be found within her
borders. 1t was necessary 20 fire the
Northern heart against the negro and the
carpet Dagger, and South Carolina was
selected for the purpose. Turning away
from the fraud and corruption and inquiry
that festered and testers under their own
eyes, the yirtuOus journals of the COM
mercial metropolis, to show their hatred
of mlsgovernment and oppression of the
people, Travelled a thousand miles from
their own offices to find victims whom they
could slash and cut without fear Of en-
dangering their special interests or injur-
ing their pet projects. South Carolina
was thus made a by-word and re-
preach, and the name of Republicdnism in
it was made so odious that it is really
wonder that her Republicans had the
courage to put ticket in the field, to say
nothing about fighting as they did fight in
the face of the obloquy and scorn of the
whole Union. A Democratic victory was
confidently counted upon there, and, as we
know, every effort was used to obtain it at
whatever cost Not satisfied with denounc-
ing the Republicans of the State to the
whole world, the Opposition endeayOred to
tribe and buy every Republican who could
be bought. Moses, the recreant Governor,
who is responsible for nearly all the fraud
that has been committed in the State, was
the first 10 offer himself for sale, partly
because he desired to make money, and
partly because he wanted to be revenged
upon the men who were working out a re-
form within the party, who had repudi-
ated him and his cOrruptions. For slip
ulated sum of money he gave the entire
election machinery..to the Opposition. The
law requires that the Governor shall,
sixty days before the election, appoint
election commissioners for every county,
who shall select the places where the
elections shall be held, and appoint the
managers of elections. Moses performed
his duty in this respect; but after he had
been bribed by the Opposition, in violation
of the law and all the traditions of the
State, he, ten days before the election, re-
moved these commissioners and appointed
new SET and in that way gave the entire
control TO the Democracy. The most bare
faced violations of law and precedent were
perPetrated to aid the party that had pur
chased him, and defeat the party that had
cast him off,
But Republicanism in South Carolina
was made of sterner stuff than some of us
in the North ever dreamed of, and in the
face of all the terrorism at home and vitu-
peTation abroad Republican majority was
rolled up which for years to come, with
good government and reform, settles her
position in the party and in the Union.
An idea of the spirit that breathes
through the Republican party of South
Carolina may be gained from paragraph
in local paper, buried away in an obscure
corner, as q mere matter Of every day &C.
currence, printed without note or COM
ment, but all the more significant and full
of meaning because Of the very neglect
with which it is treated. 1t reads; cat
Liberty Hill the managers were run of,
"and Samson Mobiles killed. by being shot
through the head. He fell in his tracks,
grGspiBgiH death tie Republican ticket"
So long as this spirit animates South Caro-
lima no apprehensions need be felt for her
Republicanism. Like Mobiles we have no
doubt that hundreds and hundreds were
shot down on last election day for daring
to exercise their rights as freemen; for dar-
ing TO practice what Massachusetts, had
preached to them, and which so strangely
Massachusetts was, almost at the same
hour. repudiating. But after all, though
Republicanism has been temporarily de-
feated in the old Commonwealth, although
she has reversed record which it was
thought never would be reversed, we have
no fear that in the next great struggle that
is 10 come to US she will stand side by side
with her sister State of the South which
has followed her SO closely in her old-time
devotion to Republicanism.