The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-07-20
GOV. CHAMBERLAIN,S RECORD.


County Chairman.
GOV. CHAMBERLAIN'S RECORD.
As the time for the assembling of the
State Democratic Convention approaches,
the anxiety of our Charleston contempo-
rary, the Neacs and Courier, is evidently
on the increase, and with view of rem
dering all the assistance in the Demo-
cratic party, at its control, to Governor
Chamberlain, in the hope that its CO.
operation views can be engrafted into
the platform of the State Convention,
has recently been plying its uttermost
energies in laudation Of our present
Chief Magistrate. 1t is evidently will
ing to forget the past, for without one
single explanation of its vigorous TRADES
uponAhe Governor in the last canvass, it
takes up his present record, and upon it
proposes to vindicate the Governors
purity and sincerity so completely as to
render his adoption as the candidate for
Governor eminently desirable for the
Democrats of South Carolina. 1t claims
the canvass is to be shaped according to
the estimation of Gov. Chamberlain's
services, and proposes to consider them
in the following order,
81. Minority representation. 2. The
election ofjustices of the peace and con-
stables by the people. 8. The registra-
ton of voters. 4. The pardoning power.
5. Executive appointments. 6. The
consolidation act. Z. The veto power.
s. The Soloman bank failure. 9. Bo-
nanzs bills. 10. The tax laws. II.
Contingent funds. IL. Legislative ex-
penses. '1S. Contingent legislative ex-
penses. IA. The public printing. Is.
The salaries of public officers. 16. Tax
alton. IL. Deficiencies. IS. County
finances"
tits our purpose to first meet the issue
as presented by the Mews and Courier
under each of these heads, and then adj
vance some thoughts which are enter
tanned by many persons upon this sub
ject, and first we shall consider the claims
of the Governor to the good will of the
people on account of his action upon mi
nority representation. He has never done
anything to advance minority represen-
tation beyond recommending it in his
messages, which is nothing more than
Gov. Scott had done before him. He is
not the author of the plan of trying this
system of voting in towns and cities, for
Senator Cochran introduced bill to in
troduce cumulative voting into the town
of Anderson, which was passed and
became a law by Gov. Moses approval
before Chamberlain occupied the execu-
tive chair. In the last two sessions of
the Legislature no bill has been passed
upon the subject of minority representa-
ton that we know anything of, and the
Ne,cs and Courier can transfer its praises
from Mr.. Chamberlain to Gov. Moses so
far as the town of Anderson is concerned,
for he is the only governor who ever took
any practical step towards securing
minority representation, and he with
Senator Cochran took care to try the ex-
pertinent where the Republicans would
gain by testing it. As to the election of
justices of the peace and constables by
the people and the passage of registra-
ton law, the Governor has done nothing
more than make few rhetorical -four
ishes about them in his messages. There
the subject has quietly dropped. AL
though he has always had party in the
Senate and House, and, although the
Conservatives we're ever ready to assist
by their votes any measure of reform, he
has not made a serious effort to have any
of these measures passed, and in the in
stance of registration, which was proba-
bly, the most important of these three
subjects, his organ, the Union Herald, oi
which he is half owner, opposed the
passage of the law, which was likely to
secure an approximation to fairness in
our elections, thus showing that the Gov,
ernor had no special desire to secure its
passage. 1t will be said the Governor
could not control the Legislature
We have heard this plea offered in his
behalf frequently, but it will not escape
the observant that when he desires to &C
as delegate to national convention he
can secure the sufrages of his party, and
whenever any occasion induces him tt
try he can control the Legislature. The
simple fact is that the Governor never
made single effort to secure the passag'
of these measures, and supposed by re
commending them the white people
would be stupid enough to think ne hae
fulfilled his promises. Even if he hae