Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1882-05-11
A New Plan to Govern South
Carolina.
Fort MADISON, s. Q. May s.

Mcssrs. Editors: Tho trials now going
! on in regard to election frauds is attracting
quite as much attention elsewhere as it does
/ at home, and we'll it may. 1t is tho aame
old story, told in a thousand wnys, times
aud places in other lands than our own by
other people and ia many ways. 1t is this.
that the ,vhitc man is born to ,ule. He
will do it by just and honest meaps if Eo
can, no will do it by force, by violence or
fraud if he must. Look at India, with its
hundreds of millions, held in absolute de-
pcndcnoc and governed by the presence of
an hundred thousand white men; iu Africa,
wherever he has put his foot, the weight of
his hand is likewise felt. IIe governs,
whether for good or bad, for veal or woe.
am assuming this, that the white vote
by an honest count or vote is in minority
in South Carolina; but it would not matter
if the majority against it were ten times as
great as it is to day; the white man would
still rule, when free to exercise his own
skill and resources, and he would do this
without rcsortiug to violence aud under
the color aud shadow Of the law. at the
present time there is being put into force
an election law which was enacted solely to
defeat the other party. No Other excuse
can be offered for it, and perhaps it needs
no other excuse. 1t would have been iuster
and tairer ii the occasion warranted it. 1t
would have been worse aud moro outrage
GUS if necessity demanded it. It was
enacted for a purpose, without much
regard to the privileges conferred or the
| wrongs inflicted
But would not govern South Carolina
in this way Tho ends may justify the
means. will not argue that. 1t may not
hurt us at home, but it Injuries US abrond
Our good name is worth something mud the
constant howl about election frauds leads
the world to think thnt VIC do little else
tian buildoze negroes or stuff ballot boxes
am II II publican outright downright
10 co,umuu with the most of the them
am opposed to universal suffrage, that is,
Democracy; hui am IN favor of impartial
suffrage. There must be o line somewhere
where suffrage ohnll begin; certainly another
where it sh'll end 1t must have some
limit Within these limits it should be un
otstructcd in its exercise. No vulgar pre-
judice, such as color should limit or OBJ
s,rnct it. 1t is SO difficult with US to tell
just whore the negro begins and tho white
man ends.
am opposed to sNxatioa without repro
scntntion. Our forcfathcrs wc,e and had
fight about it, and they established the
principle that the right to levy a tax con-
fcrrcd the privilege of representation upon
the thing or people that were taxed | be-
levo it does and | believe it ought to be
exercised, and would exercise it in au
honest, just and impartial way.
l would govern South Carolina on the
same principle on which all great corpora
tions are governed. | would give to each
man, white or black, precisely that power
in tho government of the State that each
individual slockh holder in great corpora
ton possesses, for what else is the State of
South Carolina but great corporation,
VII h taxable capital Of say slOO, 100000.
How IL corporation governed? BY the
stock or capital being divided out among a
large number Of people in various amounts,
from single share to many thousands, and
in the management of that corporation each
individual exercises precisely the power
that his interest in or ownership of such
shares entitle him TO. If he has ono share
nc casts one vote. IF he has ten shares
he casts ten votes, and so on, according to
the nunber Of shares he holds. He has
d vote for every share he owns. Nothing
GOULD be faircr. 1t is exactly right and
proper. Nobody denies him this right.
Everybody will admit that this is right and
the law guarantees it to him.
We'll, the State of South Carolina is o
corporation. Tho Constitution is it's char
ter 1t has certain amount of capital,
owned ia various amounts by large nun,
Der Of people, ns appear recorded upon the
tax books. Ii has laws for its management
and officers for their eforcement and they
are elected by the stockholders; but in
very different way. Accorditg to the Dem-
ocrntc plan every man, whether he owns
one share or n hundred, casts the same mum
Der of votes aud the consequence is that
the corporation Of the State OF South Caro-
lima has been governed at.times by the voice
Of less than tenth of its stock kholdors.
This was all wrong, as we learned to our
sorrow. What would become Of railroad
if each holder of single share cast as
many votes in its management as those who
| held hundreds? 1t would bc sudden and
merited bankruptcy Nobody would in
vest in such property. How much moro
indifferent the owner of sinalc share would
be tran the one that owned hundred. 1t
is those who have something ut stake we
would look for honest aud careful manages
ment. Who is most interested 10 tho hons
est administration of tho laws in South
Carolina, ho who does not pay tsx upon
dollar or he who pays it upon thou-.
sands?
N,,y III, ;,,st onI ,,ouo, 49, l.. ,,.u.,.