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
cnemics-they are here, members Of
our own party-officers elected by our
l have hundred times lifted my
voice before you in support of the prin
cipes and policy Of the Republican par
ty. Those principles, under all'circun
stances, ! shall assert and maintain.
They are tile expression of the highest
political wisdom Of the world, { But L
say to you now, fellow citizens, we my
shout our party shibboleths i we may re-
peat. our part, watch word 1--WE ma y,r
discourse; ever so eloquontly, 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
evcr5be. woven strong enough to hold to
gether any party whose members are
Joined by nothing save, the; secret boad
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 s,erye ANY
party. r...,.
There may be some 50 thou ;htlass 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 point
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 it. If it is true, accept it, act up
en- it. T speak to night from a deep
sense Of the danger that confronts us "a
danger springlng not from the Democra
cy OF THIS State, not from the Tax Pay
crs Convention, nor from any external
ioes-but from the cxtravagances, the
disregard OF public interest. the subordi
nation of public aims to private gains,
mans'ested SO conspiciously by some Of
the members OF our own party.
Let me say here that l still hive full
faith in the honesty aud good intentions
of the masses Of our people. I believe
that whenever the question Of honesty
or dishonesty, of economy or extrava
Sance, in public affairs. Of p,triotism or
of dcbauchery, is fairly presented to
them, they will be found on the right
side. delicvc the coored people Of this
State will respond as promptly to such
an issue as any people. W hat we need
what we must have, is an awakening of
all the people to their duty. Each man
who holds n vote must feel his rcsppnsi
hiliy for that vote, feel it as he feels
his responsibility in his own personal
affairs. For, after all, this misgovern
ment, Of which complaint is made, this
reckless eXtravagance which now CHR
actcrizes and disgraces US, will rest in
the end on the common people. The
l''borcr 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.
If taxes 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 tho lands results in a
reduction Of tho laborer's wages who
tils that land or M I'M increase of his
rent. So that it is true that the poor
man suffers as much, and more, from
misgovernment than the rich man,
In n deeper sense than any political
creed can express it, we were all breth-
rcn in the misfortunes, the burdens, the
injustice, tho distress which bad govern
ment brings in. it's train None of us
can escape these consequence. BY the
natural law Of cause and effect, by the
force Of laws which no man can make OF