The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1878-05-28
The Radical Programme.

South Carolina is to secure the Leg;sla-
ture, and elect majority Of the Con-
eressuen from this State. That this is
their programme is clearly indicat'
ed by everything that they do.
Nor is it unreasonable that such
should b. their policy. They could
very well give up the State and
county offices, for the sake of get
ting control Of the Legislature, Of Con-
gress, and possibly of the next president.
With q federal congress and e1ecu-
tive ready at moments notice to thrOt-
tie States, and legislature of the char
actsr of those that have already bank
rupted the State, the Radical party
could very we'll afford to let the Demo
Gratis have the State and County officers.
Without q General Assembly resolved
upon advancing the interests OF the
State, Governor Hampton, with oil Of
his patriotism, wisdom and real admin
istrativs ability, could do but little for
the welfare Of South Carolina. The
work of reform would be checked and
paralized, and the condition Of our peo'
pie rendered even worse than during
the darkest days Of the reconstruction
period. But the next Legislature will
have something else to do, besides sup
porting or hampering the governor and
his subordinates. A successor in the
United States Senate to Honest John
Patterson will have to be chosen next
winter and, just now, the loss
of one or two votes by the Re-
uublicans would give the Democrats
control of the Senate. With the fed
eral Senate opposed to him, the Presi'
dent would in a large measure be pow
srless to put into execution many OF his
views of public polic5. South Carolina
isns wish to be represented in the high
est deliberativo body in the landry man
of their own choice /; and, to that end,
they win labor earnestly to secure
the next Legislature.
But, in the light Of recent events, 1t
is possible that upon the lower house of
the next Congress, will devolvc the duty,
Of choosing a President Of the United
States. And it is on this account TINT
both parties are striviDgto get posses
sion of the next House of Representa-
.tiyes. It il desired, of course, to have
a majority of the House. but the prin'
ciple object is to control the delegations
from majority of tho States. The i'm
porance of q majority of the State del
egations is apparent when we reflect, as
above stated, that it may fall to the
next House to elect Presidents in 1880.
In that event each State would have
one vote--the State going according to
the msjority of its delegation. The
whole number Of votes would be thirty
eight, of which twenty woald be neccs-
ssry to choice. In the present House
the Republicans have majority OF the
delegations from nineteen States viz. :
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Mas
sachusstts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania,
New York, Ohio, South Carolina, In
diana, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Ne
braska, Michigan, Minnesota, Kansas,
Nevada and Oregon: They claim that
they can hold those States, and gain
perhaps California and Colorado. Should
they succeed in securing twenty States,
and it is not improbable, the Republi-
cans may have the privilege of nam
ing the President in 1880. even
though the Democrats might have o
msjority Of the members Of tho House
of Renresentatiyes.
With all of these facts aud possibili-
ties before us, the seeming magnanimity
of the Radicals in not opposing hamp.
tons reelection is not surprising.
Sel6shness is at the bottom OF their
whole programme. BY Withdrawing all
opposition to our candidates for State
officers, they bope to lull us into false
feeling of security, and when the time
comes walk away with the lions share Of
the government. 1t remains for the Dem.
ocrats 50 say by their actions whether
or not they will remain idle and allow
them TO do this. With Radical
Legislature, a Radical Senate, Radi-
cal House Of Representatives, and pos
sibly a Radical President, We would
almost as soon, except for the name, not
have Hampton for Governor. He could
do us no good. It follows, therefore
that Democrats everywhere, and parti-
cularly in South Carolina and Kershaw
County, must be up and doing while it