The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1876-03-01

feel it himself but while ho ;ihaNy
know it, he by no means realizes it,
or appreciates it's necessary con
sequences. Theirs are many minds
! that are quick to grasp al idea by
itself, but equally slow to perceive
$s probable results Of such,
necessarily, the law making power in
South Carolina is very largely COM
posed. This want of proper ap-
preciation of the consequences of
certain official acts has shown itself
III numerous ways in the msferity
ia the general assembly. The
amount of time wasted upon Wsaloss
anu frequently frivolous matters is
tnffe OF the most notmlhle features of
Or present system of lawmakang
An the dnys when the menlhe,ts re
ceivea a per diem of six dollars,
1T seS Hnirequcntly happened that
'@olo time and money were con
slNned nm the discussion of IL meas
ure Of 30 called economy than would
DC saved by it's enactment. This
mode ofpvocedurc wns in some
cases 'Hhd0hP,tedly d,lc to the posi-.
tive dosirA Of the monsbcrs to in
crease tlsskr f,ny by prolonsing the
session, but 1T was chiefly dhe re,
suit Of that ign nornAAcr to which wc
have alluded. THIS e,useo is cqNally
apparent and equally potent III pro
ducing corruption. To the ieno
rant mind there appears Motlling
specially immoral in the sale ~f a
vote upon any question of public
interest The right to vote i% re-
garded rs an emolumcnt of .otiicc
and not a s:.~rcd duty to le ,~cr.
formed with due regard "a The trust
nvolvetA The consequence is that
the traffic in votes was ut one tisnc
N constant practice III the state
!egis)at,uv>. The prices pai& depend
cd. of course upon the m,.uencc like
ly to bo welded Ivy the purchased
member, and the importancc of the
ISSUE. For Instance, in the at
tempt or pretended attempt, of
the hotsc ofrcprcscntativcs, in 1871,
to impcach the governor and state
treasurer, it was charged by onc
who had every opportunity to know,
that two members received five
thousand dollars each for voting
against the resolution Of impoach-
ment. whereas others received sums
varying from ono hundred dollars
upwards. Tho two parties said to
have received tho five thousand dol
lars cnch were members of Il commit.
toe upon whose report tho rosolu~
tion had beon offered; hence the
grcnt Importance Of securing their
votes and their Influence. AS long
rs the majority in tho lnw-making
branch Of tho government is conf
posed of ignornnt mcli, SO long may
wc expect cStrayaSa,tcc, irreg,tiarity
and fraud. G!,a5 many of tho col
ored me'nh"rs Of tho Legislature
have bocn but thu hp!plnss tlnpon of
designing white mrn. thorc can be
no doubti and it is n matter of some
surprise that with all their bonstod
love and appreciation Of Freedom,
they have allowed themselves to be
drawn into slavery to tho tricks of
unscrupnlous advent Lm crs and roliti
cal hacks. The remedy for tho OWL
Is slow to find, and when found
equally difficult Of application. 1t
hes in the election of educated,
Intelligent and incorruptiblc men
to places of public trust, to the on
tire exclusion ofmerc political office
sockcrs. Until some such romedy
TO applied, VIC may entertain little
hope OF roal reform. That il must
and will come orc long, VIC arc firmly
convinced. If it come not through
the agencies OF rithnr political party
III South Carolina, there is but little
left to tho people Of the state to
work for or to 1.-Two for. We aro of
those who believe that the democrat
ic party contains MI tho clements
necessary to attain tho Desired ond-
an honest, economical government,
securing equal rights to all, and
protecting every citizen in tho oxcr.
else of those rights a general re,
form is nh inevitable necessity. It
can no longer bo postponed without
tho most serious consequences,
| s.N.-------sSas l-sN----
Tho Nn'rS ant CoTicr raises n
nice question MS to tlc right of