The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1889-02-21
STATESNANSHIP, INDEED

p 6y.o statesmen in the recent
Elliott contested election case
y :, was decided in Congress" last
81 SO far as. we can see from the
Nt, there was no necessity Of any
lument at ell upon the Democratic
Rao. They, like many juries in our
= State who are drawn to sit in judge.
mcnt upon important cases, had
Sc ade up their minds long ago as to
be verdict they were to render. Evi-
lencc was not to be considered at
all. Even though the truth WAS as
clear ~ the noonday sun, it was to
! be called a lie.
It matters Int little to as. or to
the country. as to which oAe is seat
ed. We ere taking the common
sense view Of the right and wrong
involved in The question. How was
it possible in 4 ''pure, free and fair
election (tho kind Of elections Gov
ernor Richardson says we have In
this Stnte) for Que Democratic vote
to overcGmsabout fifteen Republican
votes &c understand that the
h figures stand in about that proper.
Ation in the Seventh District. We
don't believe there was any fairness
hbout It, and 81 Tie argument these
skY,eat Statesmen could bring to bear
on the matter would not make it so.
We do not propose to endorse any
such fraud, no matter who perpe.
tretes it.
1t was this class Of statesmen who
- brought about tie late war between
the States, and which proved to lie
the b!oodiest war OF modern times.
costing the lives Of hundreds Of
- thousands Of the best men in Tie
county besides untold mil ions of
money, and causing every portion Of
the South to be stained with the
lifeblooA Of its sons, while the great
statesmen remained ut home, or re.
treated to bombproof positions where
there was creas honor and no fight.
ing TO do.
1t was this class OF statesmen who
caused the South 10 reject tie terms
of peace offered to tie Commission
ers al Fortress Monroe, which act
caused the sacrifice Ct tens OF thous
sEds more OF valuable lives sand
finally q most overwhelming defeat
of the Southern arms.
It was this class Of statesmen Who
caused the majority Of tie white
men OF TIE S0Hth to igaore tie ne.
gro after lie Was SET free, and to
treat him with contempt when he
was given the franchise, although he
went to them Tor advice, They
cursed him and tU7nc:i their backs
eFFeeasa nm tthvss- thhvss siiring him over to
the carpetbagger, tHUs giving US the
dark regsme from '6S to '76. These
great statesmen are responsible for
regime.
ISIS this class Of statesmen wio
-b@se hsd contro! of our State coyo
ernmsnt. from '76 TO the present
time, and Who have concocted and
carried out the grandest schem s
Of rascslity and corruption in elec-
tions tbat'have ever been known to
any civilized country in the world
and it is this class of statesmen who
to-day have the assurance, in tic
s:face OF all facts ard evidence to the
contrary, 10 openly ana boldly pro-
TO the whole country that "we Lave
the Durcst, fr@eat aud :a;rcst elec-
tions in the worlh."
1t is this kind o. statesman who
can deliberately &proi4t 10 Office, in
clear violation Of al written law,
usage or precedent bearing opo9 The
point, men whose names have been
rejected b. The Senate thus, even
tualIy, cntailiug uron CIR county
anepdle>s amonnt OF cost and con-
I frsion IL, tie courts However, lie
) will, probably, be sustained in his
position by those Of lis itk who usnrl'
y authority and act without pTo@a:
inc o shadow Of law or evidence to
q sustain them in tIeir position And
thus it goes on.
May God hep Us and. so"n deliver
- US from spth craftsmanship. Il is
n curse 10 = Christian rntry al"
Eto ciylizatir. We Cannot recall