The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1896-01-15
THE DECENT pAIIT.

made by the leaders Of the 6. o. P.
TO recusitate and clothe the Repub-
lican party in this State in the garb
of decency, respectability and hon
esty. Serious, because the indica-
tions now are that the Republicans,
with the exception of few South
ern States, will sweep this count y
in the elections this fall like cyclone
of destruction, carrying the doc
trines and traditions OF the Dem
ocratic party as laid down b.;
its fathers and founders, to disaster
and ruin. This activity in the Re
publican ranks in this State will give
just enough color to their claims OF
fraud in elections, no matter how
fairly, honestly and impaltially they
may be conducted under the law, as
to lie annoying and expensive IN the
event of the success Of the National
Republican party this fall. No only
is this true in regard to the present
activity in the Republican ranks, but
the situation becomes more serious
and complicated when we conslded
the external and internal strife, di7l-
sion and petty jealousies existing IN
the ranks of the Democratic party
OF South Carolina, and the further
thought that, even with a united and
harmonious Democracy, it is q ques-
tion as to the voting strength
of the two great parties. These
conditions are confined not only
to the Democracy Of our own
State, but the rumblings Ct political
volcanic dissatisfaction at the policy
of the reigning Administration can
be heard in every State in the Union.
The outcroppipg Of discomfort can
be seen and felt among the people
at the real or fancied mistakes Of the
leaders of the party. AS there are
men in South Carolina today, good
and true Democrats at healt, whose
loyalty and fidelity to tho principles
of the party have, prior to 1890,
been tried in the crucial test Of dis
aster and defeat at a sacrifice Of
time and money with no hope Of re-
ward save the consciertiousness of
having been true to themselves, true
to their State in the hour of her ey-
tremity and true to the principles
in which they were trained from
early infancy up to that year, and
who, being led astray in an evil
hour by the teachings CT new, de-
basipg and degrading school Of poll
tics whose basic principles in the
tenets Of belief are that, lit is bet
ter to rule in hell than serve in
heaven" and "weli rule or ruin"
would rather witness the defeat of
the Democratic party as now organ
lied in this State by Republican
victory, than to see It's continued sue
cess; not by any active participation
in movement antsgonistic to the
organized Democracy, nor an afi!ia-
ton with its enemies; but by spirit
of indifference and carelessness en-
gendered and kept alive by the ad-
vice Of disgruntled and disappointed
politicians whose influence over them
contribute much to jeopardize tie
safety of the party to accomplish
their desires.
The same conditions exists in the
National party. There are menin the
Reform wing Of the South Carolina
Democracy who would glory in its
defeat in November, if, by that de-
feat, the downfall of Grover Cleve-
land and the defeat of the policy Of
his administration could be accom-
plisned. These conditions surround
the Democratic party, both State and
National today; and while there
is an apparently rift in the clouds
which have hung like pail OF dark
ness and gloom over our political
skies, and there are seemingly signs
Of returning peace in our
political family, yet to the
careful student of current
events there are indications Of a
smouldering fire of volcano which
needs only the indiscreet word from
the leaders of the factions
to cause it to develop into an
active burning one, belching forth the
lava and ashes of elimination and re-
elimination of greater intensity
than that which has heretofore
prevailed. Fortunately there
is a happy medium between
these two warning elements, the true
and real conservatives in both fac
tions, who stand as strong bulwalk
of defense against the overthrow Of
the State Democracy on the one