Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg Court House [S.C.]) 1877-1881, 1878-06-22
Parties.

J
liveby single pursuit, as agriculture
manufacture or traffic, there crn
scarcely exist moro than one political
party, and even that one will be i'm
perfectly organized and based upon
principles too undcined to Justly
entitle il to the name of Il 'Political
Party" There can never arise those
great emergencies to call forth suf-
ficient activity to make organization
necessary, nor can questions ever he
considered so vital rs to arouse a party
feeling sufficient to ncccstate Il gone.
raj discussion, from which alone can
eminnte truths sufficiently dignilied
to constitute governmental princi-
pies as the foundation for political
parties. There being but IL single
interest, and that common to all the
inhabitants, effort will be directed to
its successful development 1T the
expense of every political question
whether of State or nation. Indeed
the citizens of such communities care
but little for politics, and that little
extends Gil y 10 Il reasonable protcc
tion of person and property by the
government. Such II condition of
affairs will be found to continue to
exist until some other interest Of
sufficient importance be introduced to
attract attention and draw forth effort
for its development. If these interests
be found to antagonize, tkcn discus
sion will ensuc and truths be evolved
upon which will be based party,
whose efforts shall be directed to Sc
curing protection, at the hand Of the
government, for its peculiar interest.
Such was the condition of the
South anterior to the war. Our pco-
pie were essentially an agricultural
people, every voter land holder and
.:aseggSd &C. in tilling his land,
d4eing such means rs might CON
duce TO his material prosperity with
out injury to that Of his ncighbor.
lie seldom gave serious thought
either to the Offices of President,
Governor, Members to the l I.egisla-
iurc, or any other official Of his State
or county save when his personal
rights were molestcd OF his protection
of property questioned.
In South Carolina very nearly all
the rights Of the citizen were dclega-
ted to the representatives, who thus
invested, performed the duties Of
their office with scarcely IL thought Of
dependence upon their constituents
and never with n corrupt motive
prompting thciractions. These elected
the Presidential Electors, the Gov
ernor, Judges, Treasurcrs, School
Officers, Magistrates, Commissioners
DC, directed all the machinery of
government, and for their faithful dis
charge Of duty received the we'll done
OF an npprcciativc constituency. The
people were freed from these cares,
and the corrupting influences conse-
qucnt upon general elections. And
never was u government better pro
Vldcd, or lis laws more honestly and
faithfully administered than that of
South Carolina before the war; never
did people enjoy greater happiness
among themselves and confidence in
the integrity Of their ncighbors, or
larger prosperity than her citizens
during the same period.
Much Of this tranquility was due
to the existence Of slavery, which
destroyed the antagonism usually
existing between the rich and the
poor, or the capitalist and the laborcr.
The large majority Of our citizens
had direct Interest in the perma-
nency of this institution, either as Ii
species of property they owned, or as
the great source of ravcnuc to the
State, from which were derived his
personal Eproteclion and the freedom
of his lands and home from taxation.
Tho need Of two political parties did
not and could not exist under such a
system ard unity Of interest; there
fore cur people knew nothing rof
politics, or trather the antagonism of
nnriinc ,rhinL nN ists in nnn,n,.,n.t;o.,