The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1874-02-04
A Pitiful Pretext,


they cling, as drowning men to straws
to the mcrest and most tuerile pre-
text for constituting every sign of
combination on the part Of tho tax
payers OF South Carolina uguins. the
villainous government under which
they now groau into conspiracy
against the laws of the United States
A specimen Of this we find in "a
recent article in the Georgetown
Planet, Radical sheet PUBLISH
cd by Bowiey, II negro member Of the
House FROM that County. This bold
Republican starts out with the false
allegation that the Tax payers Com
vention of 1871 was productive of u
state of public sentiment giving
rise to tho I<u Klux operations in
upper South Carolina, and thence
concludes that the coming Conven.
tion will lead to like results. In
point of fact, the statement is en-
tirely without foundation and in
point Of reason is as weak as IN arguo
mcnt as it is contemplate as = poll
tical artiticc.
We are, Of course, not inclined to
give much wei isht to tue folly Of
journal supported, as we presume the
Planet to be, BY patronage obtained
through printing ring frauds and
legislative favoritism; we cite the
points made by this brilliant writer,
rs an evidence of the dc iciency Of
the RIdical party in real moral
strength, as shown by The cagcrncss
with which they avail themselves
Of issues as dead al we hope
tho cause loadll. to them to he,
to cast odium upon a proposed
asscmblagc Of the intelligent tax
payers Of South Carolina, tor the
purpose If lr!irg before their fcl
low-citiZe.s Of the Unitci S.utcs the
feorful crn.i,iou Of thing, now exist
ing in our State. The cry of Ku-
KluX is stale, and tails pnwcrl"ss On
the euIs OF every sensible man, how
ever much the II ID dicals and their luni.
narics Of the press nay wish tore
vivc it. The people Of South Caro-
lima, in the approaching c,nvention,
intend Sin ply to assert the light, in.
hcrcnt in every citizcn Of the United
States, to protest earnestly hut
pei ccubiy, against the out,nges sh,y
have suffered under the rule If the
Radical party. 1t is their PURPOSE,
through that convention to purllay
to their fellow-citizcns the evils Of
taxation without representation in
tho law.making power Of the State
government, and tho many villalous
transactions done by the RAiical
rulers vi South Carolina under pre-.
tenco Of legal enuctmcn,s; uLd to
petition Congress for u rsd.c:s Of
their many grievances. Is there
anything not highly pepper aud
praiscwcrthy in this action, and is
there any ground for IL reasonable
mind to apprchend any Lu. p".cvful
measures aid legitimate result,
from IL conventi~n composed, not Of
fro. eating politicians aud bomba site
stump orators, but of honest, in'clli.
gent aud law.abiding citizcns. It
will have the honor Of being com.
posed Of the best and purcst of Caro-
lina's soLs, and will in all respects
differ from ordinary political gather
ings. 1t will cmphat;cally, yet with
q calmncss and diguity con>istcnt
with tho character Of intellectual men,
consider and take action upoa the
many ard gricvous wrongs under
which our people now labor. Pure
in its character, patriotic in its pur
pose, and above the corrupting in.
Aucnces of politics, it will common !
itsclf to the respectful consideration
Of evcly y right.mindod citizen without
regard to party or section. And no
denunciation from hostile source, and
no puerile attempt to misreprescnt
it's true character can do aught tc
hinder its progress in good works or
depaive it Of the respect Of tho coun'
try. The empatic uttcrances of a
people oppressed with almost every
conceivable form Of oppression can,
not but be heard and needed, and
any attempt to stigmatizo their as