New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-17
THE SoUTH CAROLINA BALLOT STUFFERS.


carried Out 1t is very certain, however, that
the State authorities and the party they repre-
sent would not hesitate at taking such step
from consldcrl ions of public morality OF re-
card tor the forms of law. The fact that the
violat0rs of liw are sustained III their law
lrssness and their conduct defend by the
leading ID mpcrntc OrGan in the State ana
! by what are called L" our best people" Is evil
| dencc enough that the measure would not ne
unpOpul + with the party III power. Bnt thcre
| must he intelligence enough among the leaders
to comprehend it, effect upon people outside
| the State, aud on that account prevent 1t
being done. The ChdrieSfln Nc'rs is generally
| understood to be the OrgaI OF the most
conservative Southern sentm mt. When
! il said "A week or two ago tIat the men
charged with violating the election laws must
! be backed by the Deuoc'alic party 1t WAS
not understood to advise that the State Itself
shOuld tlkc the responsibility for their crimes
and officially ASSUME their d, fence. 1t hlntel
rather that the Democratic party, rs party,
| should assume he task of defending the
f,nuls by which IL proltcd. And there's where
IFS cons, rvati- m comes in. The conservative
| Democrat would have the party succeed by
fraud and pay it, own bills; the 0d-fISh-
Inned Democrat would resort 10 fraud and
assess III. cos. on taxpIyrrS of all pIrues.
The difference between them Is simply in the
length 70 which each carries the argument
with winch both set out. The premises being
granted, the old-!ashoned Democrat is the
ucartr right IN his position, Tor hc alone car
rirS his argument to It's logical conclusion.
Each ASSUMES that the public welfare impera-
lively demands the success ct the Democratic
,alty that this ~ of such oversize dowlng i'm
poriamcc 10 the State and people that, II nee
| .,.ary To compass IT, fraud not only may,
but must he rcsortcI 10. In PLAIN lam
glIlcr, the rule OF tine majority, III the ma
lorIty happens Ia he constituted III South Caro-
lima, would De such Erlcyous and mt0Ierabc
WONG upon the ni,uOlty that the latter are
in iii Il IN r,soItIng 10 violence or fraud To
prevent it. lh put 1t above party polit cs
even they Say tAc rule of The majority would
not merely be an injury bu absolute rum 10
the State. Hence bo h cla-,eS agree that
Ii.udS are uCCcs,dry-Hut 50 much TO the
party "a. to the Statc-iud that they mus DE
defended. But here tn Conservative cuts
lis logo short and puts til" cost of the de-
fence uuon the party, which ne says must
eve the patriotic !aw-DicIkrr moral support
and mlcrlal AID. Not - the old.fIanIOncd
Democrat, who pluuycs Oh to where his logic
leads HIM without regard to policy. lie says
tnc.r pat iot> were not moved by narrow and
paris n considerations, but were aciuttcd by
the highest aud hocst OF moives-the desire
10 save the SKATE from degradation, dlshOnOr
and ruin that they served the State, not the
rarty and thai it il the buoiness OF the State
10 .,rc0guz' their service by throwing over
them the rgIs Of It's protection and assuming
tLr cost of ihrir defence. lis logic ut least is ir
rclragabc. Ii the interests OF the State require
the violation of the election laws then the State
ought to stand uy those who do It's work and
pay the bills, and there's nothing for 1t but TO
c4l the Legislature together and make the
Appropriation.
There is not such vast difference after all
between the present rulers of South Carolina
and the description they give OF the carpet
baggrrs and negroes who preceded them. The
great grievance of the Democrats was that the
carprt-bag Governments by various indirect
methods levied upon the taxpayers the cost
of pcrpctuating their power. 1t was the rule
Of the majority, to be sure, and there were
antccedent reasons not wholly unconuected
with the political mistakes of those who COM
plaincd at the burdens put upon them, why
the majority were not entirely wise or always
honest in their administration of ncw-iound
powcr But the Democratic taxpayers COM
planned nightly ut being taxed TO keep Re-
publicans III Office. No doubt il was hard.
south Carolina Republicans, however, are
having taxes to-day, and have been for
the past tour years, to keep Democrats Ill
office. Not only that, but the present
uroposition # the Old-iashiOned Dem
ocrats is to tax them to pay the
expense of perpetulting their power By fraud
and violence An, but they say the welfare Of
the State demands their continuance i'll office.
Well, there was time not many years ago
when the welfare of the State, and the MAIN
t,nance of the liberties of majority of its
citizens required that these same people should
be kept out OF power. Upon that prctext, 40
doubt, mIny corrupt foolish and cxtravagant
things were done. But no one ever heard a
proposition seriously made during the worst
of that period to appropriate money from the
State Treasury to defend crime and pcrpetuato
the power of those i'll possession by fraud.
They were very weak, inexperienced and
not ovpr-h0nest neutrality-suspicious. as corrupt
and incompetent perhaps as some of the mu-
nlcipal governments the Democrats have
did not openly draw on the State Treasury
for the cost of maintaining themselves in
power by fraud.
The South Carolina Democrats seem to agree
that their control of affairs is an end that JUS
titles any means, and that those who promote