The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-10-05
RADIcA1IsM IND BEFoRM.
A PLAIN STATEMENT OF THE, POINTS At
ISSUE. -r,,,
Being a Conversation between June
pinekney, an Honest Republican, and
Peter Hull, a stnunch Rcformer.

Peter hull, a Staunch Rcformer.
JUNE. Mr.. Bull, whore arc you going this fine
morning?
PETER. 1 am going to the Reform barbecue
to hoar tho speaking.
JUNE. Who do you reckon will DO thcrc2
PETER. They do say Judge Carpenter and
General Butler will speak this morning, but
any way, wo are suro to hear somo plain talk
about tho ro8ues who aro stealing my money
and your money too.
| JUNE. Why do you talk that way? know
you are rl-working man, and an honest
man. bat you ought not to speak 30.
| PETER. Why notP It's the truth.
JUNE. Even II it ls, you ought not to abuse
your tried friends for the sake of these Reform
ers who'll fool you in minute II you just'give
them chance. They are ready to promise
ANYTHING before tho elections, but il Carpenter
and Butler arc elected it will ho u bad day for
the colored people.
PETER. How so? Talk right out and tell
me what You mean.
JUNE. mean this. The Reform party is
the old Democratic party, and if it gets back
into power it will take away our rights.
PETER. You arc al! wrong. The Reform
party is not the old Democratic party, and the
proof is, that thousands Of good Republicans
are going 10 vote the Reform ticket. I am q
Republican, and, II 1.-Two, l shall cast my ballot
for Clrpenter and Butler
JUNE. Why do you abandon your party.
PETER. Because the Republican party Of
South Carolina is in the hands of bad men. I
can't trnst them any moro, and vote against
them, not because they arc Republicans, but
because they have cheated everybody, and got
rich while you and stay poor.
JUNE. You may be right. Just last night
old Sam Johnson told me that he saw i'll CO.
lumbia things, that made him sick, md ho did
tell Inc no believed nearly every one OF those
boss Radicals was thief. But, Peter, it's
heap better to let thom get bushel OF money
than for US to lose our rights.
PETER. Is that what yon arc afraid of 2
JUNE. It is that. And tell you that the
colorcd people in this county will not sign
their lborly away by voting for Carpenter AMI
Butler. They will go Tor Scntt every time.
PETER. Hold on q Minute. Do You know
what your rights are?
JUNE. do that. am q FREQ citizen OF
South Carolina, aEd have the right to enjoy all
the public privileges which arc possessed oy
any other citizen, whatever ha station or tho
color ofhis skin.
PETER. That's it. i'ell mo now who gave
you those rightsP
JUNE. The Republican party which set me
froe, and gavo me The right to vote anu hold
Office.
PETER. tell you, Juno, the Republican party
set you and me free to help Them to conquer
the South. Tho bouks show That President
Lincoln. and Congress- too, would hayo made
peace, and lott III all in slavery, il tho Soutil-
orn whto people had hid down their arms.
The North wanted t., uavo tho Union, mol TO
sayo tho colorod people. And it was TO get
Northern ucn in Congress from tho South, and
10 give South Clrolina 10 carpet-b lg%ers, that
they .gavo us a vote. And am going TO make
IL good use of the privilege.
JUNE. l don't mind much how we got our
rights. What want id to keep them.
PETER. And so 10 I. Now tell me what
gives you the right to vote aud hold office
There is no military hore now as there was
after the war.
JUNE Well, the Constitution of tho State
gives lno those rights.
PETER. Thea, unless tho State Constitution
is changed nobody can take the Ioast bit of
our rights away2
JUNE. That's tho way of it.
PETER. Tell mo who can change that consti-
tuition. Can the Governor do it.
JUNE. Of course not.
PETER. Can tho Legislature do il?
JUNE. That they can't.
PETER. Neithor tho Governor nor the Legis-
laturo oan change the Constitution
JUNE. The people might do it.
PETER. Yns The people con change the con-
s,ituton. Bnt there aru ninoty thousand col
ored voters in tho State, and only sixty thou
sand whiLe voters. Tho colored have the ma
iority. Now do you think thnt the colored
people would vote away their rights by chang
ing the constitution Do you understand
JUNE. Not exactly.
PETER. Well, iii any it oVor: The State
Constitution gives the colercd man all that 1t
gives tho wlito man, and allows the coiorcd
man to do all that tho wllito mau may do. This
stands so, and tho Constitution cannot bo
changed except by the people. Now as tbore
arc thirty Thousand more colored yoters than
white votors in South Carolina, if any ono at
tempted to alter tho Constitution SO ns to inJuro
our race, We should just vote it down. Do You
HOO now that Judge Carpenter and General
Butler, ana the Reform party, can't hurt as,
oven il thoy wantUd to ?
JUNE. Yes, L sec that.
PETER. And we hive moro protection still.
Tho Constitution OF tho United States pre-
vents any State from making any difference,
in eaythins, between colored man and
white man. All the Southern States put to-
ccfbcr cannot change the Constitution OF the
Iyuitod States, and, without it is changodi no
Slate and no party caa, over deprive MS OF any
of tho rights, big or little, that we now enjoy.
Now. what have you and l to fear from the
Reform party?
JUNE. VOL, not much, it does seem. But
yuu know. potor, they might put that Black
Code in operation again; mako us have passes
| TO 90 about the district, md in that way make
slaves OF us again.
pErEu. / tell you that is impossible. II they
have passos fol- the colored man, thoy must
| ,.., ,,,,.,l,u Enr I'm WlliIo innn The Gnnati.