The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-09-02
THURSDAY MORNING, SEPT. 2, 1875
An Unsatisfactory Explanation.

he considers vindication of his acts
and motives in regard to his recent con-
duct in municipal affairs. We are al
ways willing to give every man fair and
impartial hearing before the people, in
order that he may not be misrepresented
by us, and we are never afraid to speak
the truth of any man, nor to criticise his
acts, when we deem them detrimental to
the public interests. Therefore, we pro-
pose commenting upon this article, to
show wherein it is unsatisfactory.
1t is true we charged Col. Cochran with
being the colored party's candidate, and
the best proof of the truth of our asser-
ton is, that every negro in town, and
some outside of it, voted for him, with
\ probably three exceptions. Now, as to
his independent" candacy, every sensi-
BILE man knows it was only intended to
secure some white votes, and that the ne
groes all looked on him as their candi-
date, and championed his cause. Next,
he claims that because the white people
voted for him one year ago for Inten-
dant, and at the recent public meeting
gave his Council a vote of thanks for Its
service, he has no reason to believe his
official conduct nor political principles
are obnoxious to the majority. If this
is not enough to give every white man
who cares for decency that ever voted for
him a spell of nausea, they must be able
to stand a great deal, for because they
voted for him, he claims that they en-
dorse both his official acts and political
principles, which are certainly not such
as we care to support. AS he claims all
white men who vote for him are repub-
publicans, it is time for every white man
to let him wake from his reverie, by
ceasing to place himself in this position
by voting for him again, if he has ever
through misplaced confidence done SO
before. But the vote of thanks was ten
dered to the Council, and not to Col.
Cochran, and that, too, when there was
an effort to keep down all feeling, and
put out new ticket to suit the people.
1t was only al effort to let the old Coun-
Gil retire, for if the former Council had
been condemned, Col. Cochran would
have made use of it as an excuse, as he
did the year before, for running again !;
and as proof that the resolution was not
intended for the Intendant specially, the
man who offered it, and most of those
who voted for it, voted against Col. Coch-
ran. AS for the motives which induced
us to expose Col. Cochran's conduct, we
will admit they were of political ma
ture. We felt that the interests of our
town and County demanded that his ar
hitrary and unreasonable course should
be stopped, and that as public journal
ist it was our duty to do our part. There
was no spite nor disappointment in the
matter, and his fling about youthful lead
ers is entirely gratuitous, as there was no
leader in the late election, for it was a
move on the part Of the citizens of our
town, from the oldest to the youngest.
We do not think Col Cochran is the
proper man to talk about leaders. He
has been the leader of the negro party
in this County ever since reconstruction,
and has managed all the time to keep
them arrayed against the whites.
I As to compromising with republicans,
we admit we used misnomcr. We
should have said surrender, for they are
not content with any compromises, and
nothing short of giving complete power
will ever satisfy Col. Cochran. We
would like to know who the democrat
elected by the negroes is? Capt. Nc
Grath claims, we believe, to be an Gin
DEPENDENT" and Messrs. Cochran and
Pcgg have repeatedly avowed themselves
republicans, and the reason no negro was
elected on the Council was that they
thought they were obliged to do as their
Leader wished. We are in favor of draw
Ing the party lines, and think it is all
nonsense for Col. Cochran to attempt to
prevent it, for he has the colored vote
solid for him on any question he desires,
and if the whites do not have concert of
action, they will invariably be defeated.
We believe that the white citizens, who
are the taxpayers, and entitled to gov
crn. on account of their superior intelli-
gence and interest in the government,
should unite for the purpose of securing,
as far as possible, a good government,
that will represent the true people of our
State. 1t is time to be actuated by prin-
ciplc, and not by a cringing expcdiency,
that has so often been yielded to without
any beneficial results. We should re-
member that no political advantage is
worth the sacrifice of single particle of
principle, and act up to this doctrine,
with determination never to depart
from it; and whenever we do, we may
rest assured that the end of our troubles
will soon come, and in their stead an era
of Success and prosperity again dawn