The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1876-04-20
NO. 33,
The Legislative Recess,

ter incapacity of the party now in
power in this this State to carry on q
civilized government, says the Char
lesion News and Courier, it would be
amply furnished by the behavior of
the Legislature in the matter of ad-
journment.
Hero is body which, with two
thirds of the State debt repudiated,
has failed to meet promptly the inter-
ost on the part which has been lucky
enough to escape repudiation-a body
which cannot provide for the payment
OF tho expenses Of the ponal and cha
ritable institutions of tho State, nor
even for the labor performed in sweep
ing the floors Of tho Statehouse, and
yet has the audacity to keep on adj
ding further to the burdens of tho
people by refusing to adjourn! If
forced to give reason for this putting
off of final adjournment, we could as.
sign no other than-puro imbecility.
1t is undoubted that largo major
ity of tho House of Representatives,
and even o majority of the Senate,
really wish TO get away to their homes.
1t is only that they havo not tho
strength to desert the leaders Of the
party, and the leaders arc at loss.
They arc aversc to adjournment, but
they do not know exactly why. The
railroad free passes, which are only
good "during the session of the Legis-
lature," may indeed assist some of tho
Republicans, who are also members
of the Convention to nominate dele.
gatos to Cincinnati, in getting 10 Co
lumbia on the 1lth; and this is cause
quite pa!try enough to influence party
action in South Carolina. But al
though this may have had some infu-
once, and, while tho anger of tho ems
ployees of the two houses, that no
means has been provided for paying
them, may have induced some mem.
bcrs to vote to como back, in tho
hope of contrving way of appeasing
thoir wrath, the real secret of delay is
that the leaders do not know what TO
do. They know that tho Legislature
was a power in the flush days Of Re-
construction when all rascality was
allowable and backed by tho Federal
bayonets because committed against
"rebcls," and they think it must be
power now. They distlust and fear
tho Governor they distrust and fear
each other; and. moro than all, do
| they distrust and fear the honest
people of the State-the Taxpayers
end property holders, whom they
have robbed and despoilcd. And so
they sit and sit, hoping for something
to turn up. Hoping that their divis-
ions may be healed. Hoping that
Elliott may mako terms with Whip
per, whom be fret urged his moro
Ignorant followers to vote for, and
thcn-a fit specimen of his parliamen-
tary knowledge!-donounced from the
chair as q "knave" and "liar." Hops
ing that Whittemore and Swails and
John Patterson, with Worthington,
Drank" Moses and Bown, may de-
wise some scheme for continuing the
plundor, circumventing tho Governor,
and escaping tho wrath of tho people
Of the State and the country at large.
Well! Let them sit. Let them
continue in session until the Fourth
of July, and exhibit to the Conton--
nial visitors the antics of the only
specimen of real "Reconstructed' -
State Legislature now extant. Hard
as it is to stand, let US have patience.
Unless we have very much mistaken
public feoling everywhere, tho skies
are getting unpropitious for thieves,
and the days of corruption, in South
Carolina even, will, before the expira-
tion of the year, bavc come to On end.
William Mcclure has boen impris-