Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-09-21

| deceased soldiers. AT an expense OF seven
million dollars it had educated 9S per cent. of
these children in that State, and Of this num-
Der 92 per cent. have turned out to be useful
members of society. Twelve thousand chill
dren were educated at AL expense of seven
million dollars, but this expense had saved the
State many more millions from the peniten-
itentiary and poor houses, and had given to
these poor children that which was above all
price.
We are blessed by Providence with fertile
soil and genial cline, and with all our chill
dren educated, there is no telling what our
people in the next generation might accom-
pish. The brains of child reflect an immor
tai soul which shall live through ages, and it
is your highest duty to train up your children
in ways of intellectual and moral worth.
The school district trustee is an office OF
great Importance. A distinguished man, who
had been Governor of his State, and filled
many other high and important positions,
was elected district school trustee after serving
his term as Governor, and on speaking to me
about it, while he was then acting in that SEEM
ing humble position, said he then held all office
in which he felt he could render some service
that he then filled a position in which he could
do some good.
Recurring to the Greenbacker question, he
said that tile papers inform us that when Nc
Lane received the nomination of that party
for Governor, he exclaimed, 'By the Eternal,
elect me Governor, and if l am not seated we
will have military Governor 70 l hurl the
imputation back in his teeth. l answer not
in boastful spirit but if. Providence spares
my life, I'll be Governor of South Caroliua.
He next touched upon eX-Judge Mackey,
though only slightly, as he had just learned
that Mackey had withdrawn from the Con-
gressiOnal canvass in this district but as
there was no telling what he would do next he
should only adopt the words of the Rev. Mr..
White and say, 'sWatch Tom ~
The people of South Carolina have an
nounced, and through the ballot-box they will
onfrm that announcement, that we shall gain
this victory with honor to the Democratic
party. He then concluded by alluding to the
call of the State Democratic Convention which
had imposed upon him great responsibilities,
and assured the people that when elected ne
would administer the office of Governor with
out regard to race, color OF party, but for the
good of the whole people and the prosperity OF
the State in all her interests.
| Col. Thompson's speech elected rounds OF
applause. After music by the Yorkville band,
the chairman introduced
COL. c. RICHARDSON MILES,
candidate for Acknowledgement. Col. Miles
spoke as follows:
Fellow Citizens and Ladies and Gentlemen:
1t affords me great pleasure to meet with the
people of York on this occasion, and to meet
the splendid gathering of the voters of the
county, their wives and daughters, to hear
discussed the questions of the day. 1t is
pleasant to meet so many brave men and
fair women. But may also say that feel
grateful on this occasion, because feel that
I am addressing those whom may well call
my friends. BY the disaster of WAL, at time
when my home was overrun, / sought shell
ter with my family in your midst, and for
the Kindness which was then shown me by
this people l shall ever entertain the warmest
recollectiOns.
In the presence of such al assemblage,
adorned by the grace of woman, as is now be-
fore me, it may seem strange that we talk to
you of your duties, and if it were only to speak,
the task would be useless. But we say to you,
that we present what demands your confidence
and earnest consideration. We speak OF men
and principles, and propose to show you both
men and principles. We say to you, pointing
to Col. Thompson) look at the next Governor
of South Carolina. He is the embodiment of
the man and principles, and was placed before
YOU because he has done his whole duty in the
past. and because it was known that he would
be faithful in the future.
/ shall address you in sober serious words.
and will turn to the past in our political his
tory only when necessary, and then not for
the purpose of engendering strife and arous-
ing feelings which happily under the benign
government of the last five years are becom-
ing allayed. But when you have elected
Democratic candidate in this canvass have
you done your wholeduty? No; there is more
to be done. There is more before you during
the next two years than there has been in the
y thl
root of the political troubles from which we
have suffered in South Carolina has been the
debasement of the suffrage. This was forced
upon the people of the State through the Con-
stituti0nal amendments which were officially
and auth0ritatively declared to have been
adopted and ratified by the Southern States.
The problem which the people of South Caro-
lima have had to solve since these amendments
is, how can good government be secured IN
State in which universal suffrage is fixed by
the fundamental law, and where the majority
of those entitled to suffrage have not sufficient
virtue, intelligence or independence for its
proper exercise The paramount obligation
of every political community is to maintain a
government which will give adequate protec-
tion to life and property, preserve order, and
maintain the supremacy Of law. This is the
end and means provided, for the attainment
of the end should not be confounded with or
made paramount to the end itself. The fran
chse of the citizen is only one Of the means
through which it is sought to obtain good gov
ernment and 80 the ballot is not the fran
chse, but one of the methods in which the
franchise may lie exercised. And yet there is
much clamor and defamation about "a free
ballot and fair count" which has been un-
ceasngly indulged in to the drowning OF
the voice of sober reason. 1t would seem
that the ballot itself was the ultimate end
and aim of our government, instead of a
mere mode or mNthod through which it is
sought to obtain the franchise of the citizens
and the franchising of the citizens is only one
of the modes through which it is sought to es-
tablish good government. The legitimate and
natural product of the forces thus put into
operation was the government which ruled
South Carolina from 1868 to 1876. Through
the degradation of the franchise all power
passed into the hands of the ignorant and ire
sponsible numerical majority, and, controlled
by depraved political adventures, was used to
establish a government, which, tor unDlushng
corruption and utter disregard for right OF de-
cency, is without parallel in history.
1t is now difficult to describe, and almost
impossible to recall the condition of things
which prevailed in South Carolina from 1868
to 1876. 1t is like striving to recall the horrid
phantoms which oppressed us during the de-
iirum of fever. The utter prostration OF all
our previous history, the recklessness and cor
ruption which pervaded every department OF
the oyernment-executive, legislative and jul
dicial-produced results at which it is no ex-
apgeration to say the civilized world was
agllast. 1t wasnOt a travesty OF government
so much as it was subversion OF all the con-
ditions under which stable government is pos
sible. The carHiva, of corruption was with