The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-02-12
Senator Gary's Position in Stats
Politics.

"''A '"'H' III ltSpOIlSc 10
sorcnado rendered to him in Charles
ton one evening last week, made II
lengthy speech on the issues of tho
day and upon his record. lie had
nothing to say about his controversy
with Senator Hampton, while some
ono in the crowd was guilty of the
bad taste of proposing thvcc cheers
for Wade Hampton, in the midst of
Senator Gnry's speech. Senator Gary
reviewed his past course in the
raishtout movement, and since then
in the Legislature, covering substan-
tially tho same ground rs that taken in
recently published interview. lie
then discussed the issues of the day.
In his opinion it is needless to draw
tho line on the constitution. Il is
safe, and the Democracy must seek
other live issues. In this Senator
Gary is much more sNnguinc than we
are. Nothing has held the Demo-
cratic party together so long but lis
unswcrving adherence 10 great con-
stitutional principles. It's recent at
tempts To do battle on cphcnlcral
issues nave wcll-nigh ruined il, and,
differing with Senator Gary, we be-
lievc our only hope Of success is in
going before the country with the con-
stitution as our platform, and ignoring
smaller matters. Senator Gary be-
lievcs IN making National Banks an
issue. Unfortunately Democrats arc
divided on this question, and if we 90
back to the constitution, General
Gary's alternative of sott-moncv is
utterly opposed to the letter and spirit
OF that instrument. Hard money was
the Democratic slogan that brought
untAiling victory before the war.
Thrice have the Democrats thrown
down thnt standard and thrice it has
been picked up by the Republicans to
encompass Democratic defeat. FIVE
are to have financial issue at all, let
1t be Senator Bayard's and not Senator
Gary's. Senator Gary fnvors low
taxation. In this he stands on COM
mon ground with all taxpayers. The
State requires certain amount of
money every year and the tax must
he levied to meet it. When the State
grows richer the levy will diminish.
not before. Senator Gary also plumcs
himself upon the reduction ofthc State
debt by the Supreme Court. This was
quite relief. Still it would have
been much better for the State to pay
u fraudulent debt than to rcputliatc an
honest one, as was advocated by those
who wished to sweep Off tic Radical
bonds and then scale the antc-JeUum
claims to boot. The credit of the
State is badly enough run down nj the
heels now. 1t would have been no
where had the ultro reputation wing
succeeded. See the spectacle that
Virginia now presents.
We all believe in white supremacy.
But there arc different ways Of sccur-
ing this. no say that every man is
equal before the law, is by no means
to establish social, intellectual or
moral equality. Give the two races
civil equality, and if the Caucasian
cannot keep ahead, white supremacy
Is dclusion. AS the constitution
now stands, everybody is bound to
have his political rights secured to
him. South Carolina, if it wished,
could no more defy the world now, or
even the Federal government, than it
could in the days of its pride. Gcncr-
alitics sound well enough, but coming
down to the ultimate analysis, Senator
Gary is not fairly and squarcly upon
the Democratic platform.
Senator Gary speaks very kind
word for the public schools, but at the
same time tells how strcnuouslv he
opposed the adoption of the constitu-
tional amendment lcvying two-mill
TAX to support them. The defeat of
that amendment would have been
eternal death to tho schools. for, if not
Senator Gary himself, certainly others
who descant upon low taxation and
kindred topics, would, in the I.cn;sla-
turc, have fought with desperation
every proposition looking to the OK
penditurc Of single rcd cent for
schools. The adoption of this amend
mcnt was the browning feature of the
Democratic administration, and it
will be so acknowledged by all ere
long. Opposition to this two-mll tax
Is not card that will win with the
bone and sincw Of the country.
We regret exceedingly to read Scna-
tor Gary's aspcrsions Of the South
Carolina College, which hc stismatizcs
us burden OH the poor ran for the
benefit of the rich. Senator Gary
himself was a student Of that institu-
ton. 1fhe was poor boy he himself
1s a practical rcfutation of his arru-
ment; ifa rich one hc should be pre-
cludcd from declaring himself to have
been an infringement on tho poor
mans rights. How was this college
q burden on the poor9 The property