The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-05-29
COL. A1KEN,s rARTIKG SHOT.

present new one. He began his cor
respondence upon the statement that we
were making platform for him which
lie did not occupy, and being driven
from that position he has very little
ground upon which to continue con-
trovcrsy. The evidence against him is
too complete to admit Of question, and
he naturally seeks to turn the issue
upon us in another direction. We re.
peat that his article of last week did
seek to misrcpresent US, by charging
that We had pinned our faith to Mr.. Ran.
dali, when Col. Aiken knows, or ought
to know, that we have done nothing Of
the kind. We do not believe that Col.
Aiken intended to misrcpresent us in
this matter, but it was just piece of
nexcusable carelessness on his part, for
the INTELLIGENCER is sent him regular
ly, and he either ought TO read it or
refrain from cha yiDg it with entertain
ing views which il has been combating.
We presume Col. Aiken has not read the
paper, or surely he would not have made
such loose statement.
Col. Aiken is likewise in error in say
ing that we have to resort to letter Of
his four years old in order 10 attack his
position of to-day. We dissenled from
his recent utteranccs lavoring the forma-
tion Of au independent party on national
politics, and made no refercnce to his
letters. We did say that his position Of
to-day was similar to his apeech at
Townville, and when Col. Aiken asserted
that We were misrcpresen,ipg him, we
published his letters to show that he not
only held the views we attributed to him
to-day, but that he had held substantial
ly the same opinions for the past four
years. Arguments are by no means
scarce with which to attack the PROPOSE.
ton to disrupt the National Democratic
party, and form an independent party at
the South. 1t is not necessary to go four
years back to get them. The common
sense Of our people will repudiate such
position. We are not ready to wipe
out" the Democratic party.
Col. Aiken still thinks his prophecy
that if Garfield was elected we would
never have another Presidential election
verged upon ful6llment. We do not
think so. Garfield's administration was
eminently conservative and republican
in its tendencies. There IS no chance
of destroying the FREQ institutions of
America, to the extent Of taking away
from the people the election Of their
chief ruler. The tendency of the Re-
publican party is to centralize the gov-
ernment to m extent detrimental to local
government, but it would take very
many years of Republican rule to take
the right of election away from the peo-
pie.
Col. Aiken is not moro fortunate in
his attack upon our tariff position. We
favor tariff for revenue, reduced to the
lowest figure which wil. r,eet the neces-
sary expenses Of the government. This,
We understand, is also his position. We
do not disagree MS to what ought to bo
done, but as to the best way to do it.
Col. Aiken thinks everything g yht to
be made subservient to tho tariff issue,
aud believes that the minority can reform
it. We do not think so. There is no
instance on record, with which we are
acquainted, in which o. political party
which instituted measure has allowed
the opposing minority t. make great
reform in that measure. The Ropubli-
can party passed the present tariff act.
Preoident Arthur approved it. They
have the Senate, anil it would have been
useless for the House of Representatives
to have sent bill TO the Senate which
WAS sure 10 be defeated. We had the
Republicans on the defensive Us to the
tariff before the present agitation. They
now have us on the defensive. We have
lost scme advantage in the fight. We
have divided the sentiment of our own
party, and have consolidated the Repub.
lican. We do not think the tariff the
first point Of attack, as we regard admin
istrstiTs reform Of mere Immediate prem
ise. Tho tariff, in our opinion, will not
be reformed until the Democrats get into
power, and therefore anything which de.
lsys Democratic ascendaucy delays tariff
revision. For that reason we favor the
nomination of the most available candi.
oates, and when we get into power 1t will
oe easier 10 make the necessary reforms
in our governmental expenses.
Col. Aiken likewise, if we mistake
not, is in error as to Mr. .Tilden's views.
The platform Of 1876, upon which Mr..
Tilden ran, declared in favor of tariff
for revenue only. That is not q protec.
tive tariff. The fact that Mr.. Tilden is
a friend Of Mr. Randall's does not make
him q high tariff Democrat, Col. Aiken
once said in speech that the Republi.
cans Of the North were more congenial to
his tastes than the Democrats, but. he
would feel greatly aggrieYed if any per.
son were therefore to claim that he il a
Republican; and yet he attempts to
make Mr.. Tilden responsible for his
friend Mr.. Randalls opinionu. We are
not attempting 70 paddle Mr.. Tilden's
canoe. That is being efficiently done by
ADLER and stronger hands than ours. We
have merely recorded passing events on
this subject, and expressed the opinion
TINT from, these events Mr.. Ti,den ,vao