Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-06-27
South Carolina Politics.

CarOllna ldckS d STedl uSdi VI bCihS III
healthy condition politically, and II
Is going to take a lot of hard work
and patient self-denial on the part OF
the more intelligent, patriotic and lofty
minded citizens of the state to estab-
lish a condition that will compel per-
manent respect.
That there are certain material diff
ferences between the Blease and anti
Blease factions for instance, is appar-
ant to all intelligent lockers on; but
that these differences extend to es-
sential principles is more or less
doubtful When it is said, for instance,
that the most important difference be-
tween the two factions hinges around
the question of the extent to which
one or the other will pursue the same
general inclination, the ground Is pref
ty we'll covered.
In making this general classified
ton, we would not be understood as
apportioning all the citizenship Of the
state to one side or the other. To all
intents and purposes, to be sure, all
the citizenship of the state Is so ap-
portioned in the final contests at the
ballot boxes: but that does not mean
that the vast majority of voters is in
real sympathy with the ambitions or
purposes of either side. 1t means rath-
er that in accordance with existing
political conditions, there is little
choice for the vast majority to ex-
press itself except by way of protest
and because there are things on both
sides that are equally Objectionable,
each individual protest is about as
apt to go to one side as to the other.
One great trouble with South Caro-
lima during a great many years past
i'm fact ever since the days of Wade
Hampton, and the first two or three
administrations following, the govern
ment has been run by rings and cliques,
instead of by principles, and the main
incentive to political activity has been
personal interest and ambition, instead
of patriotic concern in the highest
and best welfare of the people of the
state. We believe that this fact has
been generally recognized all over
South Carolina during all this time
and it is generally recognized all over
| the state at the present time; but real
healthy and much desired reform has
been postponed for the simple reason
that no leader of ability and capacity
has ever attempted determined effort
to bring it about.
| The overthrow of the old regime by
Tillman in 1890 was a good thing; but
the good lay principally in the demon
stration to the people Of their ability
to bring about a changed order of
things. The regime that followed the
regime overthrown was in no sense an
| improvement thereon. On the contra
ry, it became more Objectionable, be-
cause it showed no pause in adopting
and more openly practicing all of the
most glaring faults that had been
charged against its predecessor. The
leaders of the successful movement at
once went to work in establishing
themselves in all the assumed prerog-
atives that they had charged against
those who had been overthrown, and
the resulting ring was not slow in be-
coming more bold, powerful and rapa-
cious than the one that had been torn
down.
We have no defense to offer of the
present incumbent of the executive
office He stands for all the things just
outlined, even to more marked de-
gree than has been manifested by any
other incumbent of the office since the
war. He said as much in his inaugural
address, and he has been carrying out
the politics announced in that address
ever since. But after all the main diff
more open in what he does than most
of his predecessors have been. For
instance, others have stood by their
friends" and protected interests and
punished their enemies, and have done
these things under the cloak Of pub
lie duty, while the present incumbent
has been using the power of his office
as he chose and without much eXpla-
nation other than that he makes it a
rule to stand by his friends.
In looking back over the political
history of South Carolina during the
past generation, we can see very little
that affords ground for great deal of
pride, except during the three admin
istrations first referred to, and there is
as little ground for pride now as there
has been in all the time referred to.
We do not believe the people of South
Carolina are at all pleased with the
present situation. They are certainly
no more pleased with the present sit
uation than they were with the similar
situation existing for some time pre-
| vious; but so far as we are able to
discern there are i'm the signs of the
times no indications of an immediate
change.
| What South Carolina wants, in our
opinion, is the establishment of gov
ernment of principles rather than Of
men, cliques and factions. There is a
widespread desire for complete su-
premacy of the law, of justice and
right. There is desire for the eleva-
ton of the judicial system to the point
where no man can prevail in injustice
or crime, because of his personal or
political influence, or because of the
power of political connections. There
is desire for a governor who would
not exercise the pardoning power in
behalf of his own son, unless it were
shown that that son had been wrong
fully or improperly convicted. There
is desire for public officials who af-
ter they are sworn into office become
the public servants of all the people
along the line of their official duties
instead of the mere pals and acces-
sories of the wirepullers to whom they
may owe their election.
In what we are saying We do not
want to be understood as speaking any