Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-11-24
Party Troubles.

The success Of Mahone in Virginia has In
dueed some of our contemporaries in the
State to volunteer 90 much advice to the
people, politically, as they did after tho
drought in reference to "sowipg oats" This
Injection has broken ous vigorously, oom-
mencipg with our esteemed friend Of the Co
lumbia Register, and winding up thus far
With tho respected Telephone, Of the state
OF Horny" This 10 an "off year" in politics
hnd our friends are right in giving their
views Of the situation, political or otherwise.
The impression has been gaining ground,
according to our contemporaries that thero
arc bosses or rings in South Carolina, the
head center Of their operations boing Colum.
bia.
1t has been alleged that the last Demo-
cratic State Convention wac unduly manip-
ulased and all tho candidates for State Offices
selected from the low country. We believe
oil the candidates were from the low country
but We do not know as certainly how tho
thing happened. It may be that tho COZ, en-
ton came to the conclusion that all tho
"wealth, intelligence and ou.ute,n reside In
that section Of tho State aud acted upon .ba.
belief, 1t has been stated, with grounds for
bolief, that tho up country was not "solid"
IN that body; that the counties of Laurens,
Union and Spartanburg strayod of after tho
ne'h pote, but were much disappointed in the
result. The tone Of one or moro of the Jour
nails OF these counties after the event lopt
credenoe to the statement Bo this as it may,
all the State officinls fell to our low country
friends, and MIR. Boykin has; been recruited
from that section since.
We deprecate. as much "a anybody can,
divisions on personal or sectional grounds
Candidates, as q general thing, should be So
lected Tor their fitness for the Office, without
reference to locality. Though it is we'll
known that no party can 1.-Two long which
does not in some measure take its candidates
or representatives for place and distinction
from all sections of the State. The up coun>
try has the votes and the power in the cot.
Ventions OF the party to mako it's own seleo-
t'ons, end it will be tho part Of wisdom on
the next suitable occasion to be little more
solid" than heretofore. 1t is impossible to
please everybody in the selection of candi.
dates for Office, but justice and prudence in
the. selection will satisfy the majority and
prevent "bolts" aud the growth of indepen-
dent movements. such as has takon place in
Virginia.
We have heretofore conceived it to be our
duty to speak plainly in reference to the
distribution Of tho Offices in this Congress.
sonul District. All eeotions of tho Con.
gressional District ought to have fair chance
for tho Offices and honors. And tho sumo
reasoning applies to counties as we'll as to
larger bodies or sections. And we aro sat-
isfied the people will look moro closely into
these matters than they have done heretofore.
One thing slruok US forcibly in reference
to the campaign in Virginia: The Republi.
oan vote was solid for Mahone's candidates.
Those candidates were white, and so far as
has been stated. competent to discharge tho
duties Of The Office they wero seeking. In
other words, the negro was not on the hunt
for Office, bot voted according to the instruo-
tions received from his leaders So, there's
fore, so far as qualification goes, the Malone |
government in Virginia will not be like the |
Radical government in South Carolina. An
plying the aame tactics to this State, the
Radicals would say: Put up your indepen.
dent candidates for Office, the bost men YOU
have or can get. and we will oleot them. It
ls only in this aspect that the result in Yir-
ginia can affect us, and whether that can or |
not, is only in tho womb Of tho future.