The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-08-09
REFoRM IN EDaEFIELD.
Speeches of Rev. Jonas Byrd and Er-
Governor B0nham.
(rRoM OUR own CORRESPONDENT

a
EDGEFrELD, August 1.
To-day at high noon a large audience gath
cred In the Courthouse to listen to a speech
from the Rev. Jonas Byrd, Of Charleston, q
pro mincnt colored man of, the UHion Reform
party. He has been here for some days on
business connected with the interest OF his
marty. The Courthouse was filled to its utmost
capacity, and at least one-half of the audience
consisted of c0lored men. The Rev. D. ID. Brun-
son was called 10 the chair, and Robt. A.
Lynch and George simkins, co!ored, were
requested to act as secretaries. The speaker
was introduced by the chair, and spoke at
length on the issues of the day. He said that
he had served as delegate from Charleston
to the Reform Convention in Columbia, and
that the platform adopted by that convention
guaranteed to his race all the privileges and
franchises that were Vouchsafed to them 6y
the constitution and the laws OF the lano. ne
believed In the honor and Integrity OF Inc men
who composed that convention, and he be-
!leved that when they pledged themselves to
that platform that they meant to carry out
their pledges in good faith. All that Is neces-
sary for the welfare and prosperity OF his peo-
pie were secured to them by that plat
form, and that he had espoused the
honestly believedit 1t would be to the benefit
of his race and of all the people OF
the State for 1t to triumph over the corrupt
government now in power In the State. Hehad
been told that he had deserted the Republican
party and turned his back upon his race. he
denounced 1t as falsehood worse than tnat
which the devil had perpetrated IN the garden
OF Eden. He was as good Republican as any
in the State. Said the speaker, whilst IN the
convention in Columbia had the nonor 10 aa,
dress that body. and standing 10 my place helo
out my right arm anG said that, II believed
that vas doing auSht TO lnlure tne welfare
of my race, would suffer this arm to De cut
of or to become wlthered at my side before l
would suffer myself to be made tool OF to OPP
press nv people. repeat 1t here to-day, that
| would endure any tortue before W0uld De-
come willing instrument IN depriTlng tnem
of any of their rights. He said that the Repuo-
llcan party had raised up great wall OF PrsJu, Pe
people of South Carolina. That carpet-oaggers
had come into the State, and told the col.
ored people that they were their friends. and
that they had set them free. He denied It.
The war was not fought for that purpose.
They were freed by the Providence OF Coo;
These carpet-baggers ayatled tnemseises OF
that plea to get Into ofiice ana taey naa Teea
he said many Of them came here without q
second shirt to their backs, and now, In two
years. they were revelling In luxury, and
boasted of their thousands and their tens OF
thousands. He showed up the phosphate Dill;
charged the Legislature with the most un-
scrupu.ous and unblushing bribery ana cor
ruptton; said that the Land Ring had stolen
ninety thousand dollars at one dash and
under the cover of one transaction; that they
had purchased lands In Lancaster and else
where. which were not worth two dollars per
acre, and sold them to the freed people LOT
eight dollars per acre; that they had Voted
6fty thousand dollars for the support OF Tree
foI th0nQQnn
and Ave hundred OF this to pay the school COM
mlssloners, besides a heavy salary to the
Superintendent OF education, and he had no
doubt that the pittance that was LETT had been
stolen before it reached its legitimate destina-
ton. II these be our friends, God save us
from our friends The speaker said that the
Republican party did not deny that tnere hao
That it was too glarlng aud fragrant to be de-
MED. he referred to the enormous taxation,
and asked what benefits had been conferred
upon the masses.
He also showed up few ofthe transactions of
the Edgefeld County commissioners He said
he had it from the best authority, (the books
of the internal revenue assessor,) that there
were thir,v-fve licensed liquor-dealers in
Edgefeld County. The county commissioners
had charged fifty dollars the first year, and one
hundred dollars the second year, which would
make upwards Of s50e0 for licenses, and
that they had only made O return OF twenty
two hundred dollars collected by them in two
years. Another gigantic swiRdle and fraud
ipon the people. They had charged the
country thlrty-fve hundred dollars for their
services, when they should not have charged
more than FIVE hundred. Still another in.
stance OF the fattenlng of public officials upon
the spoIls of Office, wrung from the people by
dishonest means; and at the same time the
poor people who sat on jurtes, and did other
small Jobs for the public, had to hawk their
tickets and drafts about tue streets and sell
them for fifty cents on the dollar.
The above Is but brief synopsis of the tell
ing and scathing speech of this honest pioneer
of The colored men. He was listened to very
attentively by all parties, and was frequently
interrupted with applause.
Governor Bonham was then called Upon, and
he responded in short and spirited address,
He said, among other things, that he was
clad to welcome to Edgefeld such men
of the Republican party as Judge Carpen-
ter and Mr.. Byrd, and that he could take them
by the hand and call them his friends. At the
close of his speech the meeting adjourned.
Within the last few days there have been
good rains in some portions Of the county
where they were greatly needed They were
not general, however, and some sections are
still Suffering. The crops are now about laid,
by, and except the few sections above alludedN
to, they are said tc be doing very well. j. =