The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-08-17
REFORM IN EDGRFIHLD,
Speeches OF Rev. Jonas Byrd ana Ex-
Governor Bonham.
Correspondence Charleston News.]
EDaEFIELD, August l

EDaEFIELD, August l..
To-day at high noon large audience
gathered in the Courthouse to listen to
a speech from the Rev. Jonas Byrd, OF
Charleston, prominent colorcd man of
the Union Reform party. He has been
here for some days on business connected
with the interests Of his party. The
Courthouse was filled to its utmost
capacity, and at least one. half of tho
audience consisted of colored men. The
Rev. d. D. Brunson was called to the
chair, and Robt. A. Lynch and George
Simkins, colored, were requested to act
as secretaries. The speaker was in
troduced 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 Cow
tion in Columbia, and that the platform
adopted by that convention guaranteed
to his race all the privileges and fran
chises that were vouchsafed to them by
the constitution and the laws of the
land. He believed in the honor and
integrity Of the mon who composed that
convention, and he believed that when
they pledged themselves to tha. plat
form that they meant to carry out their
pledges in good faith. All that is neces.
sary for tho welfare and prosperity of
his people were secured to them by that
platform, and that he had espoused the
cause OF the Reform party because he
honestly believed it would be to the
benefit OF his race and Of all the people
OF the State for it to triumph over the
corrupt government now in power in the
State. He had been told that he had
deserted the Republican party and
turned his back upon his race. He
denounced it as falsehood worse than
that which the devil had perpetrated in
the garden of Eden. He was as good a
Republican as any in the State. Said
the speaker, whilst in the convention in
Columbia, had the honor to address
that body, and standing in my place 1
held out my right arm and said that, if
| believed that was doing aught to
injure the welfare Of my race, 1 would
suffer this arm to be cut off or to become
withcred at my side before would
suffer myself to be made tool of to OPP
press my people. repeat it here to-
day, that l would endure any tortue
before | would become willing instru-
ment in depriving them of any of their
rights. He said that the Republican
party had raised up a great wall Of
prejudice between the black people and
the white people Of South Carolina.
That carpet baggers had come into the
State, aud told the colorcd people that
they were their friends, aud that they
had set them FREQ. lie denied it. The
war was not fought for that purpose.
They were freed by the Providence of
God. These carpet baggers avaicd
themselves OF that plea to get into Office,
and they had been thieving and plum,
dering the State ever since. lie said
many OF them came here without q
second shirt to their backs, and now, in
two years, they were rcvelliag in luxury,
and boosted Of their thousands and their
tens of thousands. lie showed up the
Phosphate bill !; charged the Legislature
with the most unscrupulous and un.
blushing bribery and corruption 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
elsewhere, which were not worth two
dollars per acre, and sold then to the
freed people for eigh. dollars per acre
that they had voted fifty thousand dol
lars for tho support Of free schools and
appropriated thirty one thousand and
FIVE hundred OF this to pay the school
commissioners, besides heavy salary
to the superintendent of education, and
lie bad no doubt that tho pittancc that