722 



SOUTH CAROLINA. 



cooperation in securing the election of its distin- 

 guished nominees, Samuel J. Tilden, of NewlorK, 

 and Thomas A. Hendricks, of Indiana, and believe 

 that, under the wise and just administration ot its 

 distinguished reform leader, assisted by the emi- 

 nently patriotic and able counselors by whom he 

 will be surrounded, peace and prosperity will again 

 bless our country, and the dissensions, the contusion, 

 and maladministration of the past eight years will 

 give place to concord, good government, and a thor- 

 5u"h restoration of the Union in accordance with 

 the declarations of that platform, and utterances and 

 acts of our distinguished leader. . 



We demand genuine and thorough reform in tr 

 State of South Carolina, and call on all its citizens, 

 irrespective of race, color, or previous condition, to 

 rally with us to its redemption, for it is evident that 

 substantial and lasting reform is impossible within 

 the ranks of the Eepublican party of this btate. _ 



We charge that party with arraying race against 

 race creating disturbances and fomenting dittcul- 

 ties ' with prostituting the elective franchise and 

 tampering with the ballot-box, and holding unfair 

 and fraudulent elections ; with having accumulated 

 an enormous debt, mismanaged the finances, and in- 

 jured the credit of the State ; with levying exor- 

 bitant taxes, and squandering the money when col- 

 lected, thus wringing from the toil and livelihood of 

 the honest poor man of the State a large percentum 

 of his hard earnings, without giving in return any 

 compensation therefor, and hopelessly involving 

 in debt a majority of the counties of the State. Iti 

 management of our penal and charitable institutions 

 is a shame and a disgrace. 



We charge its legislation as demoralizing, partisan, 

 and disgraceful, and the venality and corruption 

 which have characterized every branch of the gov- 

 ernmentexecutive, legislative, and judicial have 

 no parallel in the history of nations. It has created 

 a multiplicity of unnecessary and useless offices, 

 complicated in their system, and unnecessarily ex- 

 pensive. It can never purify itself, give good and 

 impartial government, or by its moral force and 

 character exercise in its free sovereignty the law of 

 the land. We do not charge the condition of things 

 (which every patriot must deeply deplore) upon the 

 masses of the party, but upon the leaders, who made 

 sal use of their confidence and trust ; for it 



BUCll ft I tit til tlOt/ VA KJVii w**** -*,-.--*. .- - i 



is our firm conviction that all good people of the 

 State, of both races, desire peace and prosperity. 



We therefore call upon all fellow-citizens, irre- 

 spective of race or past party affiliation, to join with 

 us in restoring the good name of the State, and to 

 again elevate it to a place of dignity and character 

 among the Commonwealths of this great country. 



We discountenance all disturbances of the peace 

 of the State, and denounce all instigators and pro- 

 moters thereof, and earnestly call upon all fellow- 

 citizens, irrespective of party lines, to exercise for- 

 bearance and cultivate good-will ; and if the govern- 

 ment of the State is committed to our control, we 

 pledge ourselves to protect the persons, rights, and 

 property of all its people, and to speedily bring to 

 summary justice any who dare to violate them. 



We desire a fair, peaceful election, appealing to 

 the reason and not to the passions of the people, 

 and demand of the Eepublican party a fair showing 

 in the appointment of Commissioners of Election. 

 We demand a fair election and a fair count. We 

 call upon all patriot sons of Carolina to join us. We 

 ask but a trial of committing the State to our keep- 

 ing, and if good government, security, protection, 

 and prosperitv, do not dawn on our over- taxed, de- 

 spoiled, and disheartened people, then drive us from 

 power with scorn and indignation ; our object is re- 

 form, retrenchment, and relief, that by honesty and 

 economy we may reduce the taxes and lighten the 

 burdens of the people, giving at the same time ab- 

 solute security and protection to the rights and pros- 

 perity of all. 



Upon this paramount issue we cordially invite co- 

 operation of every Democrat and Eepublican whc is 

 earnest and willing, in this crisis of our State, to 

 unite with us in this great work. 



The Republican State Convention met in 

 Columbia, on September 12th, and nominated 



D. H. Chamberlain for Governor; R. H. 

 Gleaves (colored) for Lieutenant-Governor ; 

 F. L. Cardozo (colored) tor State Treasurer ; 



E. B. Elliott (colored) for Attorney-General ; 

 H. E. Hayne (colored) for Secretary of State ; 

 T. C. Dunn for Controller-General ; J. R. Tol- 

 bert for Superintendent of Education; and 

 James Kennedy for Adjutant and Inspector- 

 General. The following is a synopsis of the 

 platform : 



First, the party reaffirms its confidence in the na- 

 tional Eepublican party, and pledges its adherence 

 to the principles adopted at Cincinnati. Second, 

 ipdorses Hayes and Wheeler with the assurance 

 that all necessary reforms can be effected within the 

 party. Third, heartily indorses President Grcnt, 

 and his economical administration is commended 

 to the future observance of the party. Fourth, de- 

 clares its belief in plain and unm^takable principles 

 for the platform, rejects glittering generalities, and 

 adheres to specific and substantial truths. Fifth, 

 abhors and repudiates violence and intimidation 

 and fraud in elections; will jealously guard the 

 right of every citizen to choose his political party ; 

 denies the charge that Eepublicans countenance in- 

 terference with colored voters who prefer the Dem- 

 ocratic ticket, and denounces the Democratic prac- 

 tice of attending Eepublican meetings, and taking 

 part therein without invitation. Sixth, pledges a 

 thorough reform in all departments, and will sub- 

 mit the following specific reforms : The present ad- 

 justment of the bonded debt shall be inviolable ; 

 the General Assembly to meet once in two years, 

 and no session to exceed seventy days ; the number 

 of the sessions of the Court of General Sessions and 

 Common Pleas to be reduced to two annually to each 

 county, the judges to call extra sessions ; the veto 

 power to be modified so as to allow disapproval of a 

 part without reference to entirety of an act ; agri- 

 cultural interests to be fostired; an equitable dis- 

 tribution of taxation, and a system of licenses to be 

 adopted ; no public funds to be devoted to sectarian 

 purposes; local and special legislation prohibited 

 whenever private interests can be protected by gen- 

 eral laws ; especially pledges to support the free 

 schools, and advocates an amendment to the const: 

 tution to establish a specific tax for this purpose ; i 

 reduction of salaries consistent with the necessities 

 of the government; a reduction of fees and cos-ts, 

 especially of attorneys in civil cases ; an immedia 

 repeal of the lien law ; the public printing to be r< 

 duced one-third ; convict-labor to be utilized under 

 humane laws; annual appropriations shall be ex- 

 pended economically ; the number of trial-justices 

 shall be reduced. The platform charges the Dem- 

 ocratic party with a perversion of truth and history ; 

 with a denial of rights to their opponents ; with ai 

 tagonism to justice, the disruption of the Union, an 

 opposition to reconstruction. 



The election was held on the Yth of Novem- 

 ber. On the 10th the State Board of Can^ 

 vassers met to determine and declare the r 

 suits The members of the board who acted 

 were Henry E. Hayne (colored), chairman of 

 the board and Secretary of State; 1. L. U 

 dozo (colored), State Treasurer; Thomas C 

 Dunn, Controller-General; H. W. Purvis (col- 

 ored), Adjutant-General and Inspector-0 



