The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-05-01
Letter, 60 ~ ColSxsd A1a,s-arsmbsr
X Elect TO the New Legislature.
- .,- April, 1885,. :,

| t, 80 APRIL lSbS!f :
\ To r7------: Your recent election
tosa responsible Office under the ter
acohstrhetion measures of the radical
party, leads 9 friendly neighborlto
ask some very plain questions + lie.
cline all further discussion with Sbn,
or any man, for pohtioskis no more
my trade than you're. g. s5ss+j 4
But respecting, as I. .doS your CHAR
acter as dn industrious, honest man,
/ (though I must think greatly wrong
in fhis,) I wish TO know how you S,
could conscienqioasly accept, in times
|of great public danger, an office SO
,fnp of responsibility, affecting the
property and lives of thousands,
when You know nothing about it.
and are unfit by education or other
wise for it?S How can you draw nav
from me and others by taxation, for
protesting to do work in the public
service, which. you cannot do wisely.
to save your life? I suppose others
in that Legislature are s.:ea less uDie
than you--do other mems wrong
doings excuse yours and mine? Sup
pose you were nominated and urged
by yonr friends, what does your con
sent mean, but that yougagree to do
the work and take the profit? ii Won
agree thus, and yet are .confessedly
unfit you really know nothing of
politics, or your duties, is Mat honest?
Congress did not say you must run
for Office, if uneducated. Loyal
leagues could not compel you. You
acted freely, and are to blame for it,
If wrong is done.
Let me seriously ask you, is it
modest and proper in ignorant men
to become lawmakers and rulers
over wiser. men? Should children
try to rule and tax grown up men?
How do you expect this to affect.
the educated white men? Is it natu-
raj for then, to be satisfied with being
ruled and taxed by the uueducated,
who have no property and pay no
taxes themselves? Take it home to.
yourself. If you were master ME.
chanic, building house, and a party,
of men were to set an inexperienced
apprentice over you to spoil the lob
and ruin your tools, how would you
feel about it2 And when they went
away, what would you be apt to do
with the saucy apprentice?
My good friend, what will the CO.,
lored people gain by making enemies
of the whites, which you must. do by
putting uneducated men into powerp
While the, colored people may out
number them in certain places, vet
over the South the whites are two to
one. White men from Europe will
be coming in constantly, but no more
black men come hifhes from Africa.
Besides. the respectable white men
OF the North are our kinsmen. We
have one race and one color. It is
true that they are very angry with us
now, and are willing to see colored
people rule over us. But anger will
not last forever. They are naturally
our friends, and when all white men
agree, who will protect you, if your
immodesty in thrust;ng ignorant men
into Office, shall have made enemies
of the Southern people?
Do you believe that the radicals
will al,cays be in power? They are
growing more unpopular every day
in the North. They nre running the
Government in debt. increasing
taxes and robbing the United States
Treasury, $50 say many Northern
papers. They are losing votes Mt
home, and in order to hold their
power, make votes of colored people
here, and put them up to ruling over
us. They did not intend giving you
freedom, if you will believe their
Congress, until they saw they could
not conquer the Confederacy until
they raised negro soldiers to fight
with their hired Dutch and Irish.
And now they are using yonr votes
to help themselves into power, for
you and [ have repeatedly heard
them declare publicly, that they
would take away the power. if you
do not vote their ticket. Are YOU
willing to make bitter enemies of the
people with whom you live, Ito please
these selfish strangers? You ought
to know that educated white men will
never consent to be ruled by people,
inferior in numbers and in mind.
The white man won this land from
the fierce Indian, before over black
l. - L =.