The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-10-04
FENCE QUEsTION...POLITICs, sc,

hearty acquiescence by both parties
should be the order of the day. Itso
happens that while a large majority of
the townships have decided in favor Of
the change, the popular vote is so evenly
balanced that neither side can claim the
! victory. And it SO happens that the
townships decidiug in favor Of the stock
law lie in a compact body, and are pre-
cisely those portions of the County that
stand in the greatest absolute need of
said law, while those deciding against it
lie also eeaapactly togethes, with one ex-
ceptioa, and are precisely those portions
of She County having The most timber,
aua who have nes yet felt the hand of
NECESSITY pressing 50 heavily upon them.
I'm ether woras, THAT both sections, in the
election, have acted upon the same prin-
cipae, only giyiHg up the old plan when
the direct necessity forces it upon them.
TEis condition should reconcile both par
ties to the exercise of the greatest for
clearance and kind feeling towards each
tother, because the rapid course of events
lis driving all portions of the State to the
same result, and it is only q question of
stime as to how long before Brushy Creek
:and the other objecting townships shall
stand shoulder to shoulder with Hope
well and the other belt of. townships
voting for it. IF this be q reasonable
view of the situation, and we think 1t is,
how absurd the idea that the fence ques-
ton possesses legitimasely any political
significance whatever, AS we'll might it
be said that the proper width of cotton,
whether two, three or fcAr feet; or
whether said crop should be manufed
with guano, a compost, or stable manure;
: or whether man who is dreadfaily
shaitened for timber would find it AAase
economical to fence the stock rather than
the. crops; that all these are political
questions upon which parties must divide.
As good reasons for one rs the other.
These are all questions of agricultural
economy, of dollars and cents, TO be
judged of by discussion, and by prac-
tical test Of che advantages or disad-
vantages of the different plans proposed.
That every sensible man will come to
this conclusion, after the passions and
prejudices of the law have passed away,
there cannot be a particle Of doubt. Let
the Commissioners proceed at once to
carry out the provisions of the law as to
those townships adopting the proposed
change in the fence law, Tor which would
be better, if generally agreeable, to fence
in the whole County, and the practical
test viii soon develop whether it be q
good plan or not. If Improves advan-
tageous and generally satisfactory, then
the next suep. for the Legislature to take
is TO pass y general stock law for the
whole State, excepting those counties
only whose grazing interests would be
inquired thereby. In conversation with a
very intelligent gentleman from Oolenoy,
in Pickens County, near Table Rock,
since the recent election, on the subject,
and who expressed himself as opposed to
the proposed law of the last Legislature,
he said that State law, properly framed,
would be acquiesced in even by the
mountain people. Such law would not
injure even stock raisers, as they could
easily fence off large pasturage grounds,
by telling a few trees across gaps or
gulches in the mountains. On the other
side of the Blue Ridge, in North Caro-
lima. McGalloway said the people were
generally in favor of the law now. So
that little time or breathing spell now
will likely bring all the people of our be-
loved Palmetto State, from the noun
tains to the seaboard, in full and harmo-
nious accord on the fence question, and
all other questions affecting the develop
ment O. our material and industrial in
terests, and our general prosperity and
happiness.
But higher than all, and above every
other consideration, is the perpetuation
Of our present State government. The
developments of the Legislative Investi-
eating Committee have unearthed an
amount of rascality and corruption
throughout the whole machinery of the
late Radical government, with scarcely
single exception, that has caused a
moral horror to vibrate every honest
mans bosom in this broad continent, and
across the waters even to the other hemi-
sphere. When the people overthrew this
monstrous pyramid Of fraud and thievery
and corruption at the ballot-box, last
November, by the election ofiHampton
and Democratic Legislature, they did
not conceive, in the remotest degree, the
heigbth and breadth and length and
depth of our great deliverance. But
every day is adding, and adding, and ad-
ding to the terrible truth-that under
Radical rule South Carolina, for the last
ten or twelve years, has been governed
by set of the most graceless scamps
that ever disgraced the habi'iments o!
man in civilized country. But we have
been partially rescued from this appall-
ing maelstrom of ruin aud destruction
that threatened to engulf every thing
dear and noble and patriotic in Caro-
linian's heart, by the election of Hamp-
ton and his compeers. They have but
Just commenced the great work of reform
and they themselves stand aghast at the
z stupendousness of the work entrusted to
their hands. To go through successfully,
they need. above all things, the moral