The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1878-08-22
The Democratic Platform.

The committee on platform and
resolutions, after having carefully
considered The platform Of the De
nocratic party of South Carolina for
the year 1870, and the various reso'
lutions that were referred to them,
beg leave to make the following re-
port:
" We recommend as the Democratic
platform Of South Carolina in 1878,
enunciations of the same principles,
policies, and pledges, as were con-
tanned in the platform Of 1875, which
is as follows, to wit: "The DemC4
cratic party Of South Carolina, in
Convention assembled, announces the
following as its platform Of plinci-
pies: We reiterate our acceptance
in perfect good faith of tie Thir-
teenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth
amendments, to the Federal Consti-
tuition, accepting and standing upon
them; we turn from the settled and
final past to the great, living and mo
mentous issues Of the present and
the future.
I'VE reaf1irm the platform of princi
pies announced by the National Demo
CT attic party assembled at St. Louis,
and in accordance with the declara-
tion ofthat platform and the utterances
and acts of our distinguished loader,
Wade Hampton, we call upon all OF
our fellow citizens irrespective of
race, color or previous condition, to
unite with us- in continuing the work
Of reform and redemption inangu-
rated, by the Democratic party Of
South Carolina, tor it is evident that
substantial and lasting reform is i'm
possible within the ranks Of the Re-
publican party of this State. We have
charged and convicted the Republi-
can party with arraying race against
race, creating disturbances and TO-
menting difficulties; with prostitut-
ing the elective franchise, 'ampering
with the ballot~box, and holding un-
fair and fraudulent elections; with
having accumulated an enormous
debt; mislnanaged the finances, and
injured the credit of the State; with
lcvying exQrbitant taxes, and squan
delipg them when collected, thus
wringing from the toll and liveli-
hood Of the honest poor man of the
State largo percentum Of his hard
earnings without giving in return
any compensation therefor, aud reck-
lcssly involving in debt q majority of
tho. counti.s of the Sta'c. lis man-
agement Of our penal and charitable
institutions was a shame and dis
grace. We charge its Legislation as
demoralizing, partizan and disgrace~
tnl, and the venality and corruption
which character lied every branch Of
the government, executive, legislative
and judicial, as having no parallel in
the history of nations. 1t created a
multiplicity of unnecessary and use
less Cfficcs. complicated in their syeU
tenn and unnecessarily expensive,
and can never purify itself, give
good and impal ,ial government, or
by its'moral force and character ex-
erciso in it's tnll sovereignty the law
OF tho land. We do not charge this
condition Of things, which every pa
triot must deeply deplore, upon the
masses of the party, but upon their
leaders, who made such fatal use of
their confidence and trust, for it is
our fl M conviction that all the good
people Of The State Of both races de.
size peace and prosperity. We
therefore call upon all Of our fellow
citizens, irrespective OF race or past
party af1ilia,ion, to join with ns in
preserving the good Eame of our
State, and in maintaining her dig
nifty and character among the ComA
II onwealths of this great conntry.-
We diecountenance all disturbance