The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-10-15
Present Duty of the Conservative Party.

State Conventional DOOy COHPOStu VI aole,
intelligent and patriotic citizens, who have
served their State with zeal and fidelity in
years past-to forego the opportunity OF noml'
mating candidates for Governor and Lieuten-
ant Governor in the pending contest, and to
recommend the Independent Republican can
didates as entitled to the suffrages of the Con-
servative voters at the next election. This
conclusion was harmoniously agreed upon, and
goes forth to the world as the deliberate and
unanimous expression of opinion from the
leading minds of the Conservative party.
So long as the question was an open one,
admitting discussion as mere matter OF poll
cy, we were disposed to adopt different course
by nominating straight-out Democrats, and
making vigorous campaign under recognized
leaders of our own political faith. But we
concede the determination of this question by
representatives of our party in convention
assembled and propose to lend our assistance
! to the furtherance of the policy by them adop-
ted.
The present duty of the conservative voters,
then, should occupy attention. The nominee
for Governor, on the Independent Republican
ticket. is admitted on all sides to be an honest,
upright man, whose integrity has never been
doubted, and whose ability to govern the State
with economy and honesty is we'll assured.
Judge Green is a native of South Carolina,
and for many years has been honored with the
of fol
occupying many important positions of trust
and responsibility. As the prime requisites in
our demands for reform are concentrated in
Honesty and Economy, the election of Judge
Green accomplishes the result so far as he IS
concerned. His associate on the ticket is
colored man, Maj. Delaney, who has demeaned
himself with proper regard for the rights
and privileges of the white citizens OF South
Carolina, and has always respected and en-
forced the idea that property and intelligence
should have just proportion of power in the
government of the State.
Such is a brief description of the 1ndepen-
dent Republican candidates for Governor and
Lieutenant Governor. Now, how are they to
be elected? The movement has gained
strength most undoubtedly since its inception,
and there are many stronghods of the Repub-
lican party becoming divided in their choice
of candidates. But the time is too short to
imagine that anything like an equal division
of Republican voters will take place, as their
political training since the war has been sedu-
lously applied to a firm support of regular
nominations, and the colored voters are not
quite ready to unlearn these party lessons, as
general thing. Hence, we may safely conclude
that only meagre portion of this vote will be
cast for the Independent nominees, albeit they
are strict Republicans, and fully deserving their
confidence and united support. But, fortu-
natey, in order to create reform through the
agency proposed, it is only necessary to obtain
the assistance and active cooperation of one
eighth of the Republican strength to insure
victory over corruption, dishonesty and malad-
ministration of public affairs. That is to say,
the actual strength of the Republicans does
not aggregate more than $4,000 votes, while
the full strength of the Conservatives is not
less than 10000 votes. A diversion of ten
thousand Republicans, with the combined
strength of the Conservative party, secures
triumph for this coalition in favor of honesty
and economy 1t appears entirely reasonable,
from the indications in different quarters, to
expect more than the requisite number of Re-
publicans to be found advocating and support
ing the Independent ticket; and wherever
there is any serious invasion of their ranks, the
cause will secure additional strength by the
confusion which it will create, impressing some
with doubt and uncertainty, and causing them
to remain away from the polls. In accepting
these conclusions, if we are sincere in advocat-
ing reform and determined to secure it, there is
only one duty before the conservative voters
of South Carolina, which is to insure full
and united expression at the polls in support
of the Independent Republicans, whose cleo
ton is the solitary hope of immediate and
practSal relief to the burdened, oppressed tax
payers, lifting them from the slough OF de-
! spond, and placing them on the road to endur-
! ing peace and prosperity. Upon this concen-
trated effort of the Conservatives will at lass
depend the success Of the movement, and a
failSre to secure this united vote must result
in defeat and disaster. Every man must dis
charge bis whole duty by voting and bringing
others to the polls, and the 3rd of November
will witness the downfall of corrupt rulers i'll
South Carolina.
psr The Union Times brings the sad an
nouncement of the death of Ex-Governor VIM
H. Gist, who departed this life on Wednesday
night, Goth ult., at his residence in Union
County, aged IS years. He was an incorrupti-
j - 1 IL.