The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-05-22
COZ. AIKEN,s PLATFORM.

the position of making platform LOT
hin, which he repudiates, spurns, con-
tennis, &c. In this he is arguing from
an assumed premise which does not exist.
35lVe have made no platform for him, but
fsmerely criticised the platform he has
made for himself. In this we do not
think We have misrepresented him. Our
remarks were predicated upon the follow
ing dispatch from Washington:
aCol. Aiken says heis in favor Of the
Southern Democrats in the House form.
ing party of their own. Then they
could control the balance of power.
They could. then say to these other gen
tlelnen. go ahead and propose such legis-
latipn as YOU desire. IF we like it we
will vote for it, if not, we will vote
saesinstit, no matter whether it originates
ON the Democratic or Republican side
They: could then, be says, command such
! :rlespect as is now denied them. For the
past ten years the South mas been play
ins. kite for q. tail end of the party, and
tho tail has controlled the movements OF
the, kit"
This Is what re called favoring inde-
pendentism, and as Col. Aiken does not
deny holding these views, We are Of opin-
ion that he has nothing to complain of
in i our article. He is not independent
/ in State politics, nor an independent,
individually, in National politics, but he
1 ;fayors an independent party in National
politics. He does this, of course, because
he does not like the action Of the Nation
al Democratic Party. This is precisely
what McLane and company have been
doing in South Carolina. They have not
only advocated an independent party
here, but have actually formed one, and
our people will remember that in their
speeches they really claimed that they
were the true Democrats, and that the
Test Of us had left the faith. This is pre-
cisely Col. Aiken's position in National
affairs. By this we.do: not mean that he
IS i member or sympathizer with tho
Independent party in State politics, but
what We mean is that the same principle
shatfwould ajustifygthee formation Of an
Independent party I'M National politics,
would also lead to it il State politics.
Col. Aiken fayors the formation iof an
Independent party in the Union, because
heiis dissatisfied with National legisla.
lion. Upon the same principle others
might favor. The formation. Of 3 an indepen'
dent,party insState politics because they
do not ike State legislation. In our
opinion, both these positions are mis-:
chieYons and wrong. The remedy. for
any grievance lies inside Of theIlines aud
not outside.
These independent sentiments are not
i1lsl new with Col. Aiken, for ne deliberately
expressed the opinion in letter TO the
Ne,us and Courier in December, 1873, that
both political parties have ontliyed their
usefulness and should be wiped out.
The following extracts from that letter,
5 written from. Washington, show his real
sentiments
ut seems 10 me there is no greatness
statesmanship-here. The leaders of
both parties are partisans, not statesmen;
they are sectional in politics, and not
patriotic. Every question of Importance
! hiss its Democratic and: Republican
friends and enemies. "a "yea and nay"
vote generally separates the focks but at
heart there are sheep and goats in both
flocl;s. Sectional measures show that
blood is thicker than water. Pension
appropriations or Northern improve.
Z faentsl easily close up the gap between
& Norshern Republicans and Northern
Democrats. Southern pensions or South.
ern improvements keep it closed up. At
the South ne have struggled most man
fully for home.rule, and style ourselves
Democrats. Atthe North mere senti-
mentlthe Solid South-has whipped rs
I per cent. of the voting population into
the Republican party, and if our South
ern leaders continue to thrust into North.
ern faces Southern choices for Presiden-
tial honors, the remaining 25 per cent,
will be there before the ides 0fnne1t
November. And then, "what arc you
going to do aboutiit7"
Looking the field all over, Messrs.
Editors, and analyzing the incentives
that prompt the actions of your legisla-
tors, Tam irresistibly convinced that if
We wish to live in peace and prosperity
under our own vines and fig trees at.the
South, and cement this Union with
cohesion really patriotic and true, the
time has come for a. .''tnew deap political
tly; or if not. yet, is not far distant.
Both the political parties of this country
have out.lived their usefulness, and
should be wiped out. The word Repub-
.lican, used in bipartisan sense, is hateful
to eYery respectable Southerner who loves
the land that gave him birth. i have
reason to know that the. word Democrat
ic. used in partisan sense, is no less
distasteful to a majority of the iyoters of
the North, and they of the better classes.
Then, how cant these two :discordant ele-
ments assimilate for the public veal?
They cannot. I would not destroy par
ties. They are necessary to establish
wholesome public opinion. But they
should never be allowed to become sec
tional. A Solid South VS.. Solid North
simply means house divided against
itself. andas true as the book in which
It was written will be the. sequence of
such division. We have the "Solid
South" to day. The "Solid North" will
come 30 soonethat it will seem like to-
morrow when it is passed. My convic-
ten is the partisan does not live who can
sscsrry'' New York as a Democrat.
Neither will Democracy carry" Indiana.
3 All else is Republican. If this result is
inevitable, as I verify believe it is, what
alternative have ne?
The people have it in their power to
remodel the structure 80 unwisely built
by their leaders. The industrial ele-
ments of the country, both North and
l.