The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-01-22


pose tho Democracy of Fairfield pro-
pose to tho negroes rs follows: "Iiold
your convention, nominate one cnn,]i-
date for the Legislature, one forcounty
commissioner, select one of the thrco
men, whose names are respectively
submitted by us, for each OF the offices
requiring but q single incumbent. We
will nominate two for the Legislature,
two for county commissioners and
unite with you in clecting the whole
ticket thus nominatcd." If the ne
grocs. orr considerable fraction Of
them, but less than half. agree, aud
the whites remain united, the problem
will be solved in Fairfield, and may
DC elsewhere, Nth notifications to
suit localities. If they do not the
situation remains the same, with the
advantage to tho Democrats, which
the consciousness of an honest effort to
do right always affords. ~,
The serious consideration which tho
subject claims, is enforced by tho re-
hccIion that the chief pabulum that
has strengthened the hands of tho Re-
publican extremists is. and for Years,
has been, the agitation resulting from
TINS very amendment. 1t is not in
credible that they cxult in and cun-
nlngly encourage it. They are now
about to enjoy a new lease Of power
IRON it. 1t is nlso important to reflect
what this power embraces; the lewis-
lativc, executive and judicial DEPART
ments-in one word the whole govern
ment. The individual who, 6y fair
Or foul means, attains control Of all the
departments Of government is styled
and is dcspot, and his government
despotism--a tyranny. These terms
are no less correctly applied, when all
the departments are vested in party,
with this difference: the individual
government takes character from the
autocrat, who may be magnanimous
and just; while the government by
party is most necessarily vitiatcd by
the passions to which the parH owes
its origin, and as the party, for the
time, has power i'm fact as well as in
name, it may not hesitate, in q wild
excess. to transgrcss the bounds Of
justice or the barriers Of the cunstitu-
ton. Hence ii is an indulgence of no
more vcrbiagc 10 affirm that the pos
session OF the government in all its
departments by a party based OH sec
tlonal issues is q constant threat to
constitutional government, and that
the whole country, but prc-c c-cmincntly
the South, can scarcely make too great
concessions, in order to undermine
and dccolnposc such parties, whcther
Republican or Democratic.
These reflections suggest q subject:
the protection OF minoritics, which,
though. somewhat foreign to the mat
ter III hand, is of much Importance and
warrants few remarks. The consti-
tuition clothes the executive with
share of tho Legislative power, in that
1t vests III him the veto, q prcrogativc
that may be invoked to intc,'posc de-
Jay to unWisc, hasty or partisan lcgis-
Et,lon,. thereby securing calmcr de-
liberation. The executive, however,
is generally member OF the party in
power, and reason and observation
both teach that he does not and will
not often use this power for the Du,-
E'posc Of disappointing the wishes of
his own party, "nd protecting the in
tercsts of minoritics. This single con-
siderntion, while confirming the liz =
portancc Of this power, also suggests
it is not wisely lodged in the eXecu-
tive. 1t is further strengthened by
the reflection that tho genius itself of
the government demands clear out
! inning Of the boundaries between its
departments. 1t is respectfully sub
mlttcd that this power might be more
i.ai "i">>"l:- -~o-to.t -. ~ l. ..-..l ..r unl-
GERS, composed and appointed as fol-
| lows:
|. 1t should be composed Of thrt @
members; two OF the members should
,, represent and belong TO tho minority
party orpartics, the remaining one to
the domnantparty.
Ill. In each Presidential election
year the two great parties might each
| elect two officers to serve on this
board. When the result of the gcncr-
III election asccrtains which party has
received supremacy in the Congress,
the victorious party should suspend
one OF its representatives on this
board. Its representation in the House
may do this by ballot. The remaining
three will constitute the board during
the ensuing Presidential term, and
until their successors arc appointed as
above, unless during tho term
the weaker should become the
stronger party, in which case tho sus-
pended member should resume his
place on tho board, and the now
stronger party should, in the manner
above indicated, suspend one of its
rcprcscn ativcs from the board.
III. Vacancies, from death or other
cause, may be filed by the representa-
lives III the House, ofthe party or par
ties suffering the loss or losses, who
may elect by ballot a sufficient number
to supply the vacancy. No member
Of Congress should be chosen.
". Only persons eligible to the Pres
idccncy should be eligible to member
ship.
'. Great responsibility would at
tach to this Office and the salary of the
members should equal that Of the
Chief Justice. The suspended MEM
bcr should receive onc-loulth of the
full salary during suspension.
| VI. The duty OF the board shall be
to approve ana sign, or disapprovc if
the majority desire, and return with
objections every bill that passes the
House and Senate.
Tho present arrangement for passing
bills over the veto might remain un-