Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-16
SOUTH CAROLINA MISRULE.
Need of investigation Before
Congress.
Help Must Come from the Leaders Mt
the Ncrth-Honesf Voters I'm Slough
Of Despond-Organized Corruption
I'm Politics Throughout the State.
Erou, tba Naur Work Trihuna-

IN ROllllcs InEDuS nOut ~ SARtCs
From the New York Tribune.
AIKEN, s. c., March IA, 1S74.-As
indicated by the memorial of the Tax
payers Convention recently assembled
at Columbia, South Carolina now ap-
peals to the Republican party of the
North for assistance in throwing off
the yoke which now threatens to ami
hilate the prosperity Of the State. I'm
til the press helps to creates better I'M
derstanding of the existing condition
of affairs in this State, the moderate
men of either party a do but little
to retrieve the errors of the past.
The great mass of the colored ace
are not responsible for the existing
state of affairs. Instead ofbeing bene-
flied, they are materially injured; but,
being ignorant and poor, they depend
for information and instruction as re-
CARDS all political matters on their
leaders, They are taught to believe
that these leaders are in full accord
with the great Republican party, to
which they are indebted for freedom.
Their organization into leagues and
clubs is astonishingly complete. In each
county a small clique regulates every
thing In their own interest, and apres-
sure is brought to bear on any who
may be dissatisfied that soon brings
them back into line. The perquisites
of Office are such as to warrant the
leaders in a liberal expenditure to re-
tain power.
Could the rank and file of this we'll
drilled army be once convinced that
the leaders who now comprise ''the
Ring are net supported by the Fed
eral Government and the Republican
party of the North, they would exer-
else their own Judgment in selecting
candidates for Office. No arguments
can influence them in, opposition to
their fealty to the Republican party.
The unloading process must be begun
at Washington. As long as the Ring
can influence the appointment OF Fed
eral officers in this State they can COM
mand the negro vote. In Charleston,
Mr.. Trott, a moderate Republican, who
enjoyed the confidence of the whites 20
such an extent that nineteeen-twenti-
eths of them other than the most ultra
of the ofice-holders were urgent to re-
tain him, was displaced and a colored
man substituted in his place simply as
a political measure. So efficient had
Mr.. Trott been that the whites would
have preferred him to a Democratic ap-
pointee-were such a appointment
possible. In this district, when the
census was being taken, the writer of
this, IN making his returns, gave In n
swer to one Of the queries the sum of
Sl5,0 200. Noticing that the marshal
had entered it as 81, 500, he called at
tention to the error, when the marshal
replied that it made no difference, as
he had a clerk to correct mistakes; nor
did the marshal alter the figures.
These are not isolated illustrations.
Such a large proportion of the So
called Republican officials, whether car
pet-baGsers, s~calawaes, o~rnegroes, have
proved wanting in principle that mod
crate men are deferred from afhliating
with them, and northern Republicans
who have settled In this State, and who
respect themselves, are driven from the
ranks of the party. Thousands areready
and more than willing to cooperate
with any party that will give them an
honest administration of affairs. Why
not, then, mix with the negroes in their
primary assemblies and nominate
others? II is utterly useless to attempt
to change the negro vote until the Re-
publicans of the North emphaticallydis-
the acts of the ring, and In
such a manner as will reach the COM
prehension of the negro.
r. b. Elliott is now urging a reform
Of the party. But when it is recollect-
ed that two years ago he by his infiu-
ence placed Frank Moses in the guber-
material chair. knowing at the time the
character of Moses, and promising for
Moses and his clique an honest admin
istration, it is not to be wondered that
he does not enjoy the confidence of the
thinking portion of the community. A
great obstacle to reform is the factthat
the whites of this State have no organ
ization-none of the party machinery
so effectual in determining elections.
Before the war, political contests were
generally decided by the personal pop
ularity of the respective candidates.
There was a saying that when John
G. Calhoun took snuff, all South Caro-
lima sneezed." Now, the e of r.
B. Elliott, among the majority, might
be substituted for that of Calhoun.
While the appointment of incompe-
tent partisans serves to consolidate the
negro vote, it ~discourages the effort Of
moderate men. To use a cant phrase,
the people are under the huck' and
need encouragement. Since the war,
both whites and blacks have an exag-
gerated idea of the power of the Fed
eral Government. The i'll effects are
not confined simply to squandering the
tax money and issuing bogus bonds
and pay-certiicates. They are killing
the goose that lays the golden eggs,
effectually retarding progress, and
preventing energetic men from en-
barking n enterprises which would de-
velop the latent resources of the State.
Did space permit, innumerable evi-
dences of this could be adduced. Were
the South more prosperous, there would
be a larger demand for the manufac-
tured wares of the North, and a larger
proportion of the Federal expenses
would be borne by this section. To
await the slow operation of educating
the more Ignorant to a proper sense of
their duty and interest will enable the
Ring to ruin the State i~rretrievably.
The immediate action of Congress and
the Northern press is of the utmost
Importance. Time enough has now
elapsed for the passions ION both Sides
engendered by the wal to be allayed.
The report of an unbiased committee
appointed by Congress to investigate
matters here, would have an immediate
effect in influencing not only the mass
Of the people, but in restraining the
That committee should consult +
and take evidence from all parties, and
not act merely in a partisan spirit to
the so-called Republicans of
State. In this way a foundation
would be laid for the renovation of the
State. CITIZEN.
MICHIGAN ought to be happy.
ution has been offered in ~ n reso
Ill IIAI 4