The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-09-09
COLUMBIA, S. G.
wednesday Morning. Sept. 8. 1874.

"Wednesday Morning. Sept. 8, 1874.
1whes might HIave Been and Whe. IL.
The State Radical Nominating Con.
vention having completed It's organiza-
6on, yesterday. is ready for its work
4e.dey. We gee here assembled the
delegates who, in obedience to orders
.emanating from Washington, have
:Hsea eiected as ratormars. But that
word must undergo, g, complete change
m its meaning sbefore iikcan apply to
,the nnastera ofrthis Convention, or to
utssrnnk and Gle. ''In't the course of the
so-cEliea reform crusade which they
have conducted. we have never read q
liae in their Journals or heard a word
from their speakers which indicated
any purpose to do better. The net
! result We have in the representative
men who have now met here. Do they
represent reform; can they speak for
the true interests OF the State: are
they, possessed of the requisite Wis
. dom and virtue to dictate its govern
,mente It would be folly to ask such
questions. And yet such was their
.parsistent use OF the language OF re-
form, 30 overpowering was the sense
of their need OF it, chat for awhile we
listened to hear from them something
/, practical and positive. something that
meant business on this subject. But
She opportunity was not appreciated.
The leaders of opinion in this party
1saised to improve its standing before
Shecountry by ins,ituting salutary and
necessary measures of reform. Such
ethings were not their thoughts, and
-,shstesnsnship wes beyond their grasp.
Suppose some of them, or even one OF
,bham, had come out at the right mo.
vusnt In Q powerful exposition OF the
real condition of affairs, charging
home and fixing upon it it's proper re.
snorsibility for misgovernment. Sup
pose taey had gone further and indi-
Gated certain reforms as indispensable
and pressing to be adopted. They had
but o-exeroise the faculties Of ordi.
nary x,a@lligence and ordinary good
feeling, and TO hive the Instincts OF
honest men, to hnd abuses ia their ad-
ministration of affairs, and in their
policy. strewn ''thiok as leaves in Val
ambrosia. The odious election lawe,
the large salaries, the exorbitant taxes,
the mis-application of funds, the long
and too frequent sessions of the Le-
gialsture, the multiplication of Offices.
the abuse of executive power in whole
sale pardons. the right. conferred upon
the executive for party purposes to
appoint to Offices, such Us Auditor,
Treasurer. Commissioners of Election.
Trial Justices, &c., the whole course
and history of things, for years past.
reeking of corrnption and tending to
the death of the State. surely here was
. q wide field OF operations within the
party. Suppose scheme had in time
been proposed, involving reform in
:thess aud numerous other particulars.
aud tending to tho recognition of in
'.telligence, worth and honesty, to the
overthrow of profigacy, and of that
habit of jobbery which trades in
office, and makes merchandise of 60
vernment. what would have been the
eff-ct within the party? It would
have startled all the rascals, of course;
at would have made all the rogues
eaueal, and its authors would have
been roundly denounced. But reac.
tion must have followed. Whatever
OF good there may have been in the
party would have rallied to this stand.
ard. The honest oolored people, not
their leaders, would have found out
that an homes. movement was on hand
at last, and would have willingly
Joined 1t. It would also have gained
the countenance OF the reputable citi-
!zens, and been we'll spoken of abroad.
Iswould have split the existing Rad-
cal party structure in pieces. And in
dealing it it's death blow, it would
have destroyed all the old tainted,
hloated, corrnpt and rotten hacks who