Litchfield enquirer., 1876-01-13
RwPUsLlcaM DUTY IN souTH CAROLINA. ~

& ~ Ar NOrtonrs Mississippi resolutions are dsubt1ess introduced in the interes, of the Republican party. But the welfare of that party IS much more involved in sAe kass proceedings in South Carolina. TAe ehaEwsin MiEsimippiis that the Dem ocr1ss have intiEaidated the colored Re. pahEcau voters, but the fact in South C1rozina ia that the colored Republican vuaeD have elected tEo of the most no- toE101aly corrupt and dangerous men in ths Saaks t0 the bench of, the Circuit Cont Tnis IS an eSent which not only Eos& justly threatens Republican asceh. de1cy in South Carolina, but threatens tke dearest interests of every citizen of ths State It is an evil that cannot he reached by an Investigating committee of Coegre<z, but 1t Is one that cannot fail to wD1nd tAe Republican party every where. nmA party can stand before the country and eaa hope for success thls year only as ls 1 believed to be substantially honest @2d bent upon good government. 1t has u1aenlablV fallen under suspicion, and szra &cts ss the election of Moses and Wkipper to be judges, unless most prompt. ly @@d znreservedly denounced by the grsmt w&zB of the party, will tend to
 
 dsah4 into disgust Republicans should una3ewssaDd thai to trv to save the seven eseesorzl votes of South Carolina by tol. exz8Ing CT giozing oyer the infamy of the eaeekl0a Of these men by the Legislature wl1 bs to Lose not only those votes, but Q RsUmt U4ny more in other States.
 Docs any Republican think that Secre- tAry BElzt0w has injured the party by his hxzxe and vigorous and thorough assault upea f2uduient conspiracy in the party lka@Sff Docs any Republican, think that tAe p@x&F was injured in New York at the late election by its cOmmendation of the ear upoa the Canal Ring? Does any Re P1h&le@n In this State imagine that the PaEsy can gain by exeuslng or sustaining the eg1dneE of the Auditor, as lately dis eSased, which, although not showing nrmmd. does show a lamentable want of 0Gesa1 honor That in 90 vast . country ns fhiz, w1th . myriad offices of every de- gree of responsibility to be filled in &C., coraaHce with system that defies experi- smes and cOmmon-sense, and with i'm @e2He opportunities for swindling, there sAs1A be great frauds and delinqnents, is nok aaFpgi1ng. These are misfortunes tk7t kefall every party. But they become fatal injuries only when the party is too 6mM tO expose and pursue and punish them Every intelligent man knows that the action of Secretary Bristow strength s1s the party and improves its prospects for this year, and that the hearty Repub- I6sAn approval of the canal war in New IoEk largely contributed to the reduction q the DemOcratic majority of year ago.
 We trust that Governor Chamberlain and hm fnends in South Carolina will not kezikAke to declare unconditional war up- ca the party management of Moses, Whip per. Elliott, Davis, Johnston, and the 0sAer leaders in the late outrage. Mir. Elliott is the Speaker of the House. In sse0nding the nomination of Whipper he said that he woald measure the Republi- eaniam of members by the votes they should east upon the occasion. In nom mating Moses, Mr. Johnston said that whils he may have had his faults, yet they were all 0a the Republican side, and that Republicans should recognize his devotion to shs State. and especially to the Repub- heAn party. The result in the Legislature appmrandy shows that these men control oe ~ilI control the Republican organiza- ton in the State. 1t is for the honest msn of that party in South Carolina and elsewhere tO decide whether the organiza- ton in such hands ought under any cir. eumsfances to be sustained.
 Governor Chamberlain has been Q strict party man. He has. indeed, supported the party when. as a good citizen, the task must have been very severe. But the time has surely come for him and thOse who agree with him to break with the organization controlled by Moses and his followers. and to leave the responsi- bIlIty of results where it belongs. He cOald not do himself, his party, his State, and his country a greater wrong than tn give hls name and character and influence to such conspiracy, for the sake of his party Ascendency. It would be to repeat the great error of Governor Tilden during the supremacy of Tweed in the Democrat ic party of New YOrk-the error to which p<Ety spirit and political ambition always tempt. but which lofty political man hood ScOrns and withstands. The Repub- lScan party can bear the loss of seven electoral votes conditioned upon the SUD- port of Moses and his men, but it can not bear the responsibility of their characters and conduct The duty of all good cit E1e1s in South Carolina is to unite to save civil order itself This is not the time to handy criminatiOns as to the original re- accessibility for the situation, but to rem- e3y tt. and the first remedial step is un- eeDding opposition to the corrupt leader ship of those who have just elected Moses and Whipper. In taking such position, evea tO breach in the party, we believe Governor Chamberlain and his friends w0ah be sastained by the patriotic and Republican sympathy of the county HaEPxs Weekly.