The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-05-06
A Republican View of the Situation.

1t is very natural that the first steps toward
reform in our State politics should be welcomed
by storm of mingled incredulity and wrath
from the whole army of politicians whose Of
fences have brought the Republican party to
the verge of ruin, and who feel that reform
means for them political exile in the future,
and, perhaps, retribution for the past. Long
impunity had put their fears asleep, and use in
yillainy had dulled their conscences, so that
they doubted the existence in the people of a
moral sense that they had lost themselves.
But as they begin to realize that the republican
masses are aroused to sense of the dangers
which threaten the party, and are by no means
disposed to allow the authors of its misfortunes
to escape just punishment, anger has displaced
doubt, and fierce denunciation of every repub-
lican who raises hand toward the exposure Of
their rascalities is now the order of the day.
The third stage is yet to come, when terror OF
the popular condemnation will overtake them,
and "nest-hiding" and flight will be their only
and last resource. Well may they fear the
wrath laid up for them in the hearts of the
party which they have disgraced, and the peo-
Pile whose interests they have betrayed.
They do not seem yet to appreciate the fact
that the plunder OF the public funds is not
their only offense. 1t is for this that the dem
ocracy holds them to account, and, therefore,
they heard in the first voices of the true and
honest republicans who attacked them only dem
ocrats in disguise, and they were prompt to read
out of the party every such man. One of their
number said, after hearing Gov. Chamberlain's
inaugural address, "Aly God we might as we'll
have elected a democrat" !" They have indeed
done their best to make republicanism synony-
nous with vilany, and democracy the image
and promise of honest government They
have injured every honest republican by max
ing the very name of the party by-word and
a reproach. So it is just here that the weight
lies Of the Indictment which the republican
party presents against unfaithful servants
They themselves have stabbed republicanism
in the house of her friends. They have
brought the blush of shame to the cheek of
lifelong republicans, who found themselves
Stunned and doubted on account of what were
said to be their political associations They
have we'll nigh brought to political ruin the
masses of coored republicans who bear all the
responsibility for their leaders sins, and who
see their rights in jeopardy; The growth
of the party in numbers, which otherwise
would have been rapid by secessions from the
white population, especially in the upper part
of the State, has been checked by this untimely
frost of corruption. They have made it dis
grace from one end of the country to the other
to be South Carolina republican.
All these causes of o0ense, which, thus gen.
orally stated, include world of injuries, rankle
in the hearts of the good republicans of this
State, and are superadded to the burdens of
taxation, the paralysis of business, the flight
of capital, and the whole sea of woes which
assais them in common with their democratic
fellow citizens. So surely as that the sun
shines, for all these things those men shall be
brought to judgment. They will be driven
back to the dcns of obscurity from which they
came with ill-omened flight to do their evil
work But the republican party will survive
long after their departure to bless the common
wealth with pure, honest and equal government
-Union- Herald.