The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1880-09-03


trary power, aud to that, extent. destructive of
our goSernnleptal system-is, in fact J, a substi-
tutiou Of personal for official power which is
antagoDisicto both the letter and spirit Of our
However worthy the motivcaor urgent the
emergency y-be, the exercise Of personal
power by ever the most patriotiSsoficer should
be watched and checked, as it opcus4 4the way
for faithless and designing officials to use the
machinery Of government for its subversionS -
Ii Is TO maintain these principles in the con-
duct OF the government that the Democracy IS
arraying its strength for the coming conflict
Whatever may have been the original object and
purposes of our great antagonist, the Republic.
can party, however honest and patriotic it's plst-
forms and candidates may once have been, ii
would seem that their organization was captured
in the hour Of their triumph by faithless, self
seeking ofiici Is, whose construction of the Con-
stitution as to their powers would have made
the misguided bnt patriotic old Federalists,
against whom Jefferson waged war and raised
the people in their might, stand aghast with
horror. The old ship that was steered through
the stormy sea of rebellion without the loss of q
spar had barely reached smooth water when she
was boarded by these pirates and used to plum
der aud destroy what she was built to protect.
It's flag, which was borne with such enduring
pluck through the bloody battles of q protracted
war, was seized by treachcrous hands and made
the standard of All arbitrary power infinitely
more dangerous 70 american institutions oil IO-
erty than the armed array of the world. I'm
der the shadow of its folds the old fortress of
the Constitution was dismsnled and its arma-
ment moved TO "camp outside" Government
tai organization was subordinated to party or
ganization Constitutional power was supplan-
ted by yextra-constitutional force, and the man
dates of party were substituted for the law of
the land.
Is it strange that this mode Of conducting a
constitutional government should render neces-
sary the expedients of fraud and force? The
employment Of both is prime necessity to it.
1t is an impossibility, without infamous betrayal
of trust the part of officials, sustained by the
force of extra constitutional organizations. The
practical result of all this is de facto central
lied government the powers of which are linn
tied only by the discretion ofts officials. Thanks
TO the wisdom of the fathers of the Republic tho
exercise of this discretionary power is curbei
by obstacles inherent in the matchless system
itself which they framed. The officials through
whom the powers of government are operated
arc ALL from the President to the humblest mu
nlcipal officer, sworn TO support the Cons tiution
and laws of the country, and the extent to which
arbitrary rule is practicable, is in proportion
to the faithlcssncss of these officials. Where
all are true to their trusts, it is impossible
Where oil arc faithless, arbitrary government is
fully equipped with the machinery necessary for
its complete administration. When, in the re-
cent past, our State government, under the con-
troll of the Republican party, was converted into
an engine Of oppression, degradation and ruin,
we were experiencing the full operation of this
centralized government. The sworn officials
furnished by the Republican party, SO far from
interposing the natural obstacles of our govern
mental system to the administration of unlaw
full government, themselves destroyed the bar
riers of the law, and added their share of arbi
trary power to the tide Of tyranny that engulfed
us all. This method of conducting government
is the only one known TO the Republicans of
South Carolina.
Driven well nigh to despair, the free born cit
izcns Of the State resolved to unite their strength
in supreme effort for relief They succeeded
in restoring the power and authority of law in
the State, and thereby placed her on plane
with the other States of the Union. But over
them all still hangs the centralized government,
a dark threat to liberty and an effective obStruc
ton to the quiet and peaceful reign Of the law.
The people are again called on to say which
Of these modes of conducting the government
shall prevail This question underlies all ques-
tons of mere policy under the recognized prin-
cipleS Of government for the United States, the
State and the country II reaches to the princi-
pies on which the government in them all Is to
be conducted. 1t is the overwhelming question
to be settled by the impending contest, and the
issue shoull be fairly and squarely made in cv.
cry State and County campaign in the Union.
II this view Of the political situation is the
trnc one, the disciplined and united energies of
the Democracy, which will be exerted 10 cstab-
lish on secure basis all that was regaincd by
their heroic effort in 1876, should receive the
support of the entire people. They will certain
ly be sustained 10y all in South Carolina who
the honor of the State and of the United States
to the liberty, peace and prosperity Of the peo
pie.
JomN BENTToH. Chairman.