The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-07-09
COLUMBIA, s. G.
ThuEsdey Ecrnins. July g. 1874.
%aray Considerations Bar Out tho Ide,
Of Reform.


=aray Considerations Bar Out tho Ide,
Of Reform.
Soar meaning was obvious enough il
..xsying. that if Mr.. Chamberlain wer,
c.areformer in any just or proper sens'
--hfcthe word, he would overturn' tn,
STRUCTURES which he has himself assist
-a,d 30 bniid. Whnt are the structureI
with which MIR. Chamberlain's nam.
'sHnd services are associated? We have
eEet heretofore traced, nor do we in
.Send now to trace, with any particu.
lsrity. the record which he has made
<Nnce hs has been amongst Us. We
-Aave merely glanced at him as he has
appeared az several public positions.
lie was Attorney. General OF the State
lie was q member of the Advisory
R0ard Of the Land Commission and OF
;1he- Financial Board, and he belonged
Ito the Sinking Fund Commission.
:Mr. Chamberlain has not lacked for
opportunities to do the State good
service. II he has done it, we only
ask that it be shown. If he has re-
> sisted the food-tides of corruption, we
~-will be-the last to deny him credit for
It. but, 30 far as IN outsider can see,
he has, with others, been all these long
:nsazs building the most dangerous and
JiGnsightly structures. His name is as.
;. .nociated with the large addition-ten
or Fifteen millions. or whatever it is
80 the-bonded debt; with the hypothe-
cation, n.part unlawful, in the whole
A!l-adVisedi of the bonds for loans and
&dvanoesin New York; with the fraud
-.ulant issue .of conversion bonds,
and their attempted valuation;
-sVith the change in the management
of the Bank of the State. by which an
,4anening was made to fraud and the
squandering of it's assets; with the
.,swindling operations OF the Land
Eommission, by which the poor co.
aored people were made victims after
Asheipz, 1rst made tools. and with the
sorry and unsatisfactory results of the
Striking Fund Commission. In all
sGheae and in many other transactions,
.Agrl Chamberlain was part and parcel,
for good or for bad. We do not
charge that he is solely responsible
ltor abuses with which he was con-
1neoted, but he must shoulder his pro-
per share OF this responsibility; and
ASA candidate who desires TO be reoog-
: nized as standing on the platform of
>seform, he must exhibit such oreden-
1ials as will entitle him to ascend it.
The Union Herald is altogether right
,!iu urging that to break down and over.
throw the structures to which we have
.ainded would be to break down and
.a,rerturn the Radical party of the
State. Corruption and the party are
Identical. This Radical party can no
more oppose corruption with success
than house divided against itself can
<=Sfand. MIR. Cham BE- ilain, no doubt,
csan. play many parts. He can play re-.
,'sorner admirably, running according
SO his own schedule. But if he go
aagMnst the old evils or the modern
-wropga, he must go against the very
hfe!blood of his party. As he cannot
he expected to give his party the coup
sc grace, and as he naturally would
shrink from committing political sui
s.side. he cannot bs reformer in any
r-eper or just sense. Hence the diff
uElties of his position as we conceived
1t, and in which conception we are
confirmed by the comments of the
-:1sxion- Herald. We may disagree with
:1Iao .Union- Herald in other things, but
'rs are happily in accord with it in this.
-Kr. Chamberlain cannot be genuine
~hsformer. without attacking and seek
Eng to destroy his party and himself.
Ehis he cannot, Of course, do, and so
&is reform means, aud can only mean.
.s,othing.
Edward f. Stokes.
We learn from the Greenvilie NcoS
n