The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1874-07-08

4
anxiety ofthe North to5proserve the
Union, the central government was
made paramount to the Stats. But
the war is over, and the evils of the
otd'States rights policy have been
ended. But another revolution
sprang up upon the heels Of the othor
Scarcely was the States rights demon
exercised, when contralization ap.
peared as n grim monster, dealing
death to republicanism. Tho people,
at last aroused to sense of this dan.
ger, arc beginning to consider which
is the lesser evil, and naturally flee
from the one they now experience
t'wards tho other. It. may DO, thon,
t"at the deu,c acy will again press
f''ward to victory under this States
rights banner.
But do We, Of South Carolina, dc.
sire this Z Assuredly not. We are
just in a position where we cannot be
saved without outside assistance
SUN, er, Thad Stevens ard their
crew operated "outsidc of The con.
btituticn,' md jumped the fence
VIII lie the public eye was shut, to tic
tho hands; Of tho South. Now Con-
gross tlc danger Of the course,
and 10 beginning to be willing to
ump ag ain cover the fcnc"" to unite
US. We arc therefore not anxious to
soc that foncc guarded too closely
We wish Congress to strain the con-
stitutlon in favor Of bonosty, us it
did in the cause Of tyranny and rob :
berry. We want an honest Congress
elected on tho ccntralizatiou plat
form, so that it can overthrow Mo: cs'
vilo gang. Nothing wnrsc could
happen for us than the election of IL
States rights Congress. TO be let
alone now would tie us dreadful to us
as to have new legislation enacted
against US. We cannot endorse the
democratic platform now. Let us
be put light ohce again, and we would
favor it.
In this connection we append an
extract from the New York Herald:
"When the democracy put forward
local self-goverumcnt as n leading
political issue they are bound to
show list Of practical evils, or at
least some ono existing practical
evil, which the application of their
principle would redress. The only
Thing Of much consequence to which
they can poiut is the imposition Of
negro suffrage upon tho South. But
thoy dare not 20 before the country
with tho repeal of negro suffrage rs
party issue. 1t. woull bo political
suicide to array the party against the
the Fifteenth amendment, and since
they ocqnicsce in the perm .ncncc of
negro suit aye what can they expect
gain by raising cry for local
elf.gUvernment2 The South itself
would prefer military rule by ieder
al authorltyt to such government
as exists in the States where there is
Il large negro vote. They have local
solf-government in South Carolina,
and it is their worst athiction.
There has been recent experiment
of |, cal cclf-government in the Dis.
! trict Of Columbia, and the scandal
ous result is too fresh in the public
recollection to make the country very
much in love with the principle
There is local self.govcrnmcnt in
Philadelphia, which is ruled by as
corrupt ring as that which has been
recently overthrown in Washington.
Mayor IIavemeyer and his convicted
Police Commissioners do not shed
very attractive lustrc on local self.
government in New York. We need
honest government We need wise
cgislotion but honesty and wisdom
are alike wanting a. the national
capital, in tho State Legislatures and
in tho municipal governments. Un.
til the local governments are shown
co | e purcr and better than the fed.
ernl the country will not be persuud>
ed to seek relief by jumping out OF
tho frying pan into tho fire. Until
the party which makes local self
government one Of its chief issues cal
lay its finger on some practical
grievance which the application OF
that principle wonld remedy, it car
gain no republican recruits by pre-
senting so empty and barren al
| issuc.'