The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-04-18
rHE pglrpLsroH CLUE.

The Pend.eton Democratic Club held its
regular monthly meeting on last Saturday.
President ]. B. Sitton called the meeting,
which was large one, to order, and intro
duced as the Speaker for the occasion Col.
r. W. Simpson, Of whose remarks the fol-
lowing IS synopsis:
Iappear before you to-day, Mr.. President
al,d gentlemen, for no selfish purpose-nos
expecting TO again be candidate for any
Office: 1 have no motives in what am
about 10 say, other than to advance the in
terest and maintain the integrity Of that
great Democratic party which defeated Rad
ic,lism, drove the rayenous and vindictiye
thieves back to their homes, and established
in South Carolina once more pure and
honest government. The Press and many
individuals have, without stint, criticised
the actions of the last Legislature, and have
forgotten when SO criticising to tell of the
real good actions performed. or to explain
those acts which need explanation. Such
course is ruinous to the party, and will
surely work lbs disruption. Fair and hon.
es. criticisms are right and proper, but such
net to bring reproach upon the whole DEM
ocratic party, because the Legislature may
have passed acts which you cannot approve.
R..ther visit your wrath upon the Represen-
tatiy9 who were instrumental in passing
the Objectionable laws. IF have done
wrong. or any other Of your Representa-.
ti,e. have done wrong, blame the party so
doing, but for Gods sake blame not that
political party to which we all belong, and
under whose banner We marched Inst fall
one year ago to such glorious victoy-a
victory fought with such momentous results
to every man, woman and child in this our
native State.
We frequently hear it said by men of in
tellisence that they long to see the Legisla-
ture return to the modes in operation before
the war. ! can ascribe such remarks to
nothing but lack of thought. Consider
what O tremendous and Overwhelming revo-
luton through which we have but recently
passed. When reconstruction was COM
pleted our Constitution and our laws were
overturned, and almost every yestige Of
fundamental law existing before the war
was swept away, and new Constitution
and new laws instituted in their stead, en-
bodying the results OF the revolution. Be-
sides this the entire colorcd population was
sdded TO the body polite, rendering neces-
sary an entirely new code. With such laws,
and with Constitution framed by the bit.
ter and malignant hatred Of our opponents
for the purpose Of the perpetual subjugation
Of the white people, what could we do?
The Constitution we we're sworn to support,
and yet it hung like pail over the paral-
yzed industries Of the State, and turn which
way we might, it stood ever ready to veI
us. The laws were purposely in such q
tangle. There was not lawyer in the
State who could tell what the law was.
Besides, the debts Of the State were in such
confusion it seemed hopeless to attempt to
rectify them. The bonded debt, Of which
We knew nothing, the floating debt, be-
lieved to be millions, the deficiencies Of
previous Legislatures. which by the oonsti-
tuition we were bound to provide for, the
contingent debt. amounting to many mil
lions, and the bills of the Bank of the State,
amounting to q million or moro, all were
clanoring for recognition, and were so
bound up with contracts and Supreme
Court decisions, obtained under Radical
rule-but which was law, nevertheless
seemed impossible to adjust them, so as to
give satisfaction to any ons.
Another result Of the war I would coll
your especial attention to: The Radical
party is the party Of centralization, and so
long as it remairs in power this State can
not legislate independently, and as if there
Was no national government. In fact, our
every act IS closely watched, and if We are
not circumspect Radical politicians at the
North will make use of our blunders to iE>
fame the minds of their people so as to con-
tinuc in power the Radical party; and so
long as this is the case We can never be in
truth free and happy people.
Now, with these explanations, let US COM
pare the Legislature recently adjourned with
the way they did things in ante-bellun
times. 1t took before the war from FIVE to
seven hundred thousand dollars to run the