The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1880-04-01
on the Call of the Con-
yentiOn.

UtUW, III Ill aule ultlSlS NiiNh } "@ N">'J
and endorse, condemns the
action of the State Democratic ESccu-
tive Committee in calling convention
so early; and the Kershaw Gazette, in
lengthy article, which we all know ema-
mates from headquarters, and not from
the ostensiblc editor of that journal,
tries, rather unsuccessfully, to justify
ard defend that action. But both OF
them overlook the most Objectionable
features of the measure, which l will
venture to point out and expose.
The Legislature is the "wedk sister,
of our State government, whose fralltles
and errors have done more to weaken
and bring rcproach upon tho Democracy
of the State than all other causes COM
bined, and demand more than all other
abuses stern rebuke and sharp correction
at the hands of the people whose conf
deucc has been so betrayed. But the
people are not yet aware of the extent
and fagraucy of those errors. Nay, the
acts of the General Assembly (session of
10 and extra session of '90) have not
vet been issued from the printer, though
more than three months have elapsed
since the former were approved. None
of the people, therefore, save the rery
small number who happened to take
Charleston or Columbia daily papers
during the session, have had any op'
portunity of knowing what has been
done by the Legislature. Yet, they are
beginning to open their eyes to the
follics which we're committed there, and
doubtless will have them fully open before
the proper and normal time for the call
of convention, and might then decide
intelligently as to the merit or demerlt
of their legislators. Doubtless, too, there
is much reason to apprehend that
their decision will not be favorable to
the latter gentlemen. So the State Es-
ecutive Committee calls State Con-
vention for the first of June. This pre-
cipitates an early meeting of the county
conventions, when delegates to the Legls-
lature (probably in most instances the
same delegates) will be nominated, after
which all exposure of their Delinquent
cies will be suppressed on pain of being
denounced as a traitor to the party !!
Now, is not this q coup d etat :? Yes,
sir! Louis Napoleon, ifliving and in his
prime, could not have executed a finer
one under similar circumstances. 1t Is
not my purpose here to charge these
gentlemen with having intended q coup
d. ctat; yet where the obvious effect of
measure is to operate as such, it IS
difficult to imagine how men of shrewd
and able intellects could overlook that
effect, or be quite Innocent Of the inten'
ton. Nor do know how many of the
Executive Committee are strongly in
terested- directly or Indirect YIN such
coup d ctat. But I do know that in
this county one delegate to the General
Assembly is chairman of the State Ex>
ecut1ve UounIttee, -r1id auvtirvr
chairman of the County Executive Com
mittee, and 7 can only take these as q
sample Of the rest,
But coups d etat are not practicable
in Democracy; and when resorted to,
must signally fail or prove fatal to it.
The people of South Carolina, if they
have the independence which should
appertain to freemen, will not passively
acq quiesce in being thus hoodwinked,
but when they fud, as in many instances
they assuredly will find, that they have
been hurried blindly and prematurely
into the nomination of candidates who
have already proven unworthy of their
confidence, they will in disgust with
hold their support, or if they give it at
all, will give it without the zeal and en-
thusiasm necessary to ensure success.
Party leaders commit an absurd error
when they imagine that score or so of
gentlemen in high position cau at pleas
ure call forth the strength of party.
The mistake would scarcely be more
absurd if they attempted to stir up the
Atlantic from its "vasty deep" with the
paddles of a row-boat. The action of
party is only powerful when its forces
come from the bottom-when the masSes
Of the people are inspired with one pur-
pose, one will and an all-pervading
enthusiasm. 1t is true, the light which
is to produce these must come through
the higher strata Of the party. But it
must be left to act in the Legitimate way
upon the understanding, the senses and
the feelings ofthe masses. These must be
unconstrained; and if the light does not,
in due time, produce the desired effect,
the leaders may shrcwdly suspect there
is something wrong in their policy, and
change the programme. At all events,
it will be futile for them to imagine they
can do anything by political prestidig-
itation or ring tactics when the masses
are out of sympathy with them.
Now, is the State Executive Com
mittee sure that the neonle Of Soutb