Year: 1874

SHlatFA1aAF"A" S'""|"y
SPEECH OF JUDGE MACKEY'


By invitation of members of the Republican
party of this county, Judge Mackey addressed
the citizens in the Court House on Thursday
evening last. A goodly number Of persons
we're present-the hall being flled-and the
auditory was about equally divided between
the two races. AS Judge Mackey is prom
inent light in his party, and as he claims to be
working for the reformation Of the Republican
party and good government in this State, We
present below copious report of his remarks
On being introduced by Senator White


He said he responded with pleasure to the
call with which the Republicans of York
county had honored him, and in obedience to
that call he came to speak tonight. In
speaking, he proposed to address the judg
ment of his hearers, and if in so doing he
should wound their feelings, he begged that
The motive which impelled the language
would excuse its harshness He should ex'
tend his remarks beyond the limits of his own
party and address the citizens of South Caro-
lima, who share an interest in our common
destiny.


In few short months We will be called
upon to frame the administration of govern
ment in the State by electing our rulers at
the ballot-box. 1t is the pride and boast OF
the American citizen, whose country stands
foremost in the history of nations, that every
where within the limits Of the United States,
as freemen, they elect their own rulers un'
trammelled. 1t is cause of congratulatlon
that Republicanism secures to the citizen the
largest liberty, but to the National Govern
ment the greatest power. There are repub-
lies that rest upon the same foundation, but
have not the same ability to maintain them.
Our Government embraces one.ifth of the
land on the GLOBE the wide arch of its en-
pire sweeps across the continent, resting on
the two great oceans; and our flag is the SYM
bol Of power, strength and freedom on every
sea. Our nation declares that on its soil man
bends bis knee only to his God; and when
we assemble to assert the will Of the majority,
it is done not by arms but by the ballot. In
vested, as we are, with this high responsibility,
the obligation to exercise it rightfully is pro-
portionately increased. Our State contains a
republican majority of nearly forty thousand
voters, and we are rapidly approaching the
period when we incur the responsibility more
than ever devolving upon majority of vo-
ters newly created Only few years ago, a
large fraction of the people had never cast a
vote at the ballot. box they had no voice in
the selection of public officers. For six years
that majority has ruled in the State, and no
power could check it but the will of the ma
jority ITSELF In asking ourselves, as Repub'
licans, how we have exercised the power, the
answer neither gives encouragement for the
present nor hope for the future.


True, the State Government was founded
under the auspices of the National Govern.
ment and the law of equal rights, and lifted
the negro from state Of chattelhood to a
condition of manhood, and was designed to
bear equally upon all classes, and has re-
moved from us that day not far back in the
past, when South Carolina Senator wanted
to close the common schools on the ground
that the poor white man ought not to be edu-
Gated Our State Government however,
guarantees education to the whole people.


Our State Government is designed to ele-
vate the common interests Of all the people.
1t cannot be denied that majority of the
Republican party are Of those who were a
servile people, who, on coming into power,
have never yet sought to avenge the wrongs
of the past. Yet with the benefcence of the
system of our State Government, what has
been its practical workings? 1t is in vain
that we can press the excellence of the sys-
tenn upon the attention of our opponents.
Like the village clock, which had all the re-
quisites of finished piece Of workmanship,
except the one qualification of keeping the
time, it was worthless because it wouldn't 60.
Our system is good if properly run but if it
be not carried out within the letter of the
true intention, it will surely run down. 1t is
a law of divine providence that wrong shall
fall. Why did slavery fall? Were the men
who sustained it weak? No. They were in
tellectual; the foremost men of the age, not
wanting in knowledge, were recognized states
men, princes in fortune and courageous, whose
swords cleaned in battle. But the institu,
tion fell because it was an agent of wrong and
oppression. 1t oppressed the right-crushed
the weak and strengthened the strong. tits
fixed law that oppression and wrong will come
to grief:


In our State Government, what do we see
We see our debt increased, within the last six
years, s16,OOO,O0O, including s6,000,0O0 Of
conversion bonds, which were properly repu-
dated. With this enormous increase are
there any benefits to the people? No. Not
mile of railway-no public institutions of
benefit erected-no school system. Yes a
school system, it is true; but like the village
clock, only nice to look at, and not in rum
ming order, except in the county of York,
which is fortunate in being the best governed
county in the State. Here you have a few
schools; but look over the broad State, and
you find the schools in the woods and silent,
the grass growing around them, as if to hide
the shame of South Carolina. Why are they
not open? Because the school fund is appro-
priated by our rulers to their own private
use. Our school commissioners, too, are un-
learned in letters, and the commissioners
charged with the examination Of teachers of
high or low grade, are totally incompetent.
The competent commissioners throughout the
State can be counted on the fingers of one
hand. Our school trustees, too, are ignorant,
even in spelling and reading, and are indifer-
ent to their duties, while majority of teach
ers are men who can scarcely read and write.
Hence good system is perverted in its prac-
tical application:


So in every department. You find good
men in the Legislature. You find few true,
competent and worthy, and with will to do
their duty and you also find the base, the
corrupt and the ignorant-some so ignorant
as not to understand the simplest proposition,
and only competent to count the bills they re-