The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-01-17
"Consistenc., Thou art Jewel.v
From The Charle,ton Neu, aud Courier.

From The Charle,ton Ners aud Courier.
The conduct of Mr.. Murray. of Ander-
son, the editor OF the ANDERSON INTEL.
LIGENCER in advocating the amendment
of the Railroad law Of 1882, is virulently
criticized by the Greenville Neps. Mr..
Murray was one of the foremost suppor-
tcrs Of the law Of 1882, and his change
Of position, it is estimated, is due to other
reasons than desire 10 serve his con.
stituents to the best Of his ability. The
member from Anderson needs no assis.
tance, and is well able TO meet his crit.
ica but it is not out Of place to say that
Mr.. Murray is an indefatigable worker
in the Legislature, that he is fearless in
expressing his opinions and pertinacious
in enforcing them, and that no one who
knows anything Of him, in private and
public life, would dream OF suspecting
him Of base motive in his conduct as
Representative. We grant that he is, at
times, irritating and annoying, but his
faults Of manner grow less rs he ages
and ripeps. Mr.. Murray is as honest as
he is earnest, and we consider him one Of
the rising men in the State-a man too
young, Also to have had any connection
with the war. and free from the prejudi-
ces which, more or less, affect the feelings
| Of those who shared the glory and the
sorrow OF the men who wore the grey.
Honesty of purpose and sincerity Of
speech being conceded, il is foolish in
the extreme to tvit men with inconsist-
cncy because they change their opinions
Both English and American history are
full Of instances Of change of opinion,
and consequently of action, on subjects
o! ar.reaching Importance. Sir Robert
Peel the leader of Protcctionist party,
became the advocate of Free trade. The
champion for the greater part of his life
of the exclusion of Roman Catholics
from Parliament. he yielded at last to "a
moral necessity" and supported the Re-
lief bill. Mr.. Gladstone, who was an
ardent Tory in his youth, became, in
manhood, Wing, and is now an advan.
ced Liberal. Mr.. Disraeli, Red Re-
publican in his college days. rose to dis.
tinction ns the leader Of tho country
squires. In our own country, Calhoun,
Webster and Clay changed or modified
their opinions as the necessity arose.
The Democratic party itself can appreci.
ate the logic of events. In 1868 the
National Democratic Convention declar-
ed the Reconstruction Acts "unconstitu-
tional, revolutionary and void" and in
1872 the Convention pledged itself to
oppose any -eepes!iag Of the questions
settled By the thirteenth. fourteenth, and
fifteenth amendments to the Constitu-
tion," and has acquieBced in the Recon.
struction laws ever since. In truth, If
there must be no change of opinion, as
the result of experience and reflection,
every law on the statute. book would be
like the laws Of the Medes and Persians
and whosoever had once announced an
opinion would be constrained to hold it
always, no matter ow unjust, or unrea-
sonable, or injuri> /. the course Of time
might prove it to be.
We have little patience with those who
have 30 blind confidence in their own
wisdom and foreknowledge that they re-
fuse TO admit even the possibility Of any
variation in their opinions on any subject.
Such person, as Whately says, "prides
himself on what he calls his consistency
ON his never changing his opinions or
plans; which, as long as man is fallible
and circumstances change, is the wisdom
Of one either too dull to detect his mis-
takes, or too obstinate to own them"
The whole truth is put in few words by
| the same writer: ut is mere idle dec.
lamation about consistency to represent it
as disgrace to a man to confess himself
wiser to-day than yesterday" There is
true consistency in varying the means to
secure the unity of the end. Come what
may, and in scorn of consequence, each
should do what seems right and best at
the time. The public, if they have any
interest in the matter, will have no diff
Guilty in distinguishing changes of con.
duct which are the result Of fickleness
and thoughtleasness from changes which
are the result Of study and inquiry and
the comparison Of theory with practice