The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-12-20
A POWERFUL LETTER.
A CHARLESTON CLERGYMAN ON TIE
KU-KLUI CASES.
Views OF Rev. DR.. E. T. Ivink.er.

We find In last Thursdays issue Oh tne NE"
York Examiner and Chronicle the following
strong letter from the Rev. DR.. E. I. Wlnkler,
of this city:
To the Editor of the Examiner and Chronicle:
MY DEAR BRoTHER-The admission of the
reporters, the lawyers, the judges, the Whole
colnmunlty, that In the Ku-Klux cases, now
on trial In South Carolina, the lowest class
of our population furnishes the lnfOrmers,
ought to awaken grave doubts in regard 10
the truth of the charges now urged aSalns!
the most respectable, wealthy anu lnnuehtla
citizens of the Slate. The people who nave
made these astounding revelatiols IN regard
10 the social state of the up-cohl'ry, are
Smiiarly known as "Crackers," "Cay- eaters
and natives OF Ozark Corners" Most of them
can neither read nor write. Many Of them
are the offspring of Illicit connections. Some
of them affirm that they have been LED TO eX-
meet better remuneration in their present nne
of business than they ever had DefOre-com.
Portable lodgings In the jail, and three dollars
a day during she time OF their incarceration.
Now. iust suppose that such an inducement
had been offered to the citizens OF Five Polnts,
10 testify against the mCst respectable cltlzens
of New York; suppose that the informers had
been backed by the ward politicians, ana the
wealth ard power OF the National Govern
ment. and then Judge for yourself what, alter
all, may be the real condition oil south caro-
lima
CRIME AND CORRUPTION.
lam not in sympathy with the Ku-Klux
Klan. I do not know any Of It's members;
there are none in the section oil the STATE
where reside. Yet Must confess that
have long felt the need Of some sort OF leSlsia-
lion, and some justice, such as we nave not
had in our State for many years. just look at
ssthe situation" The pest citizens Oh the
State are constantly despoiled: Their cotton
is plundered at night, and sold In the seed TO
t.cerner shops.n Their stock Is butchered In
the woods. Their property Is assessed aooVe
lis market value, and is sometimes taxed oe-
yond what 1t produces, or would sell lor
MANY persons have evaded taxation by ofer-
ing their plantations to the aX-gatherer! lInls
has been frequently done In Bal nweil Coun'y.
And crime goes unpublished. 1t Is not easy 10
arrest a criminal; 1t is harder TO keep him in
and impossible to keep the Governor
from pardonlng him. voter Is rare
ly allowed to serve out his time IN Inc
penitentiary. 1t matters not what he mas
done-wheiher he has broken Into house or
burnt It down-whetner he has commlted a
rape or murder-in any event MS rlgn' 70
vote at the next election must be secured by
tn. exercise of Executive clemency. Nay
more-as all Wall street knows by this time
our State Is largely under the control OF crlml-
nails. Many OF our highest offices are filled by
men once Uf broken fortunes aud broken char-
acters, but now invested With author1iy,
clothed In purple and fine linen, and faring
sumpuously every day. Our Governor is
seedy doctor from Ohi0-now become mill
ionaire. Our leading lobbyist is q jockey-rlder
from Jerome Park. The leader Of the Senate
ia a convicted biibe-taker. The leader OF the
House Is q pardoned bigamist On my way to
the late St. Louis Convention |, with other
delegates, saw a Judge OF the Stale embracing
q prostitute in the public cars, and near him
was legislator engaged in like obscene and
shameless dalliance. We were all thankful
when these wretched creatures left the cars,
with their women, at Granitevlie. During the
last year our corrupt Siaie Government mas
robbed an impoverished people OF more than
500, 900 per day; and The estimate must be too
low, for 1t is founded on Governor Scouts mes
sage to the Legislature.
HEAR BOTH SIDES.
You will, hope, pardon me for suggesting
that such state of society requires s)me re-
lief ouite different from that afforded by the
nenaf laws of Congress. When a vigilance
Committee has inflicted summary Justice, the
co,.rt ought to consider the whole case. II
s56uld number not only the scars, but the
crimes OF the victim. 1t should be Invested
with a certain supreme power. II should be
armed with statesn .anship. In state OF
society where there is no law, and Where men
must form tempo ary organizations tor the
redress of intolel able grievances, and the
maintenance of social order, justice itself is
perverted by an att ack upon these organiza,
lions. Here, for example, Is John Doe,
whose daughter has been ruined by "Ricnard
Roe:n whose crop | as been stolen or pur-
chased In the seed by "Richard Roe;" whose
ginhouse has been burned down with the
whole crop OF the year by "Richard Roe;,,
ioo hnc " skRiPhQ
Roe:, but who has at 'ast turned upon his
enemy, as even worm will turn against q
crushing foot, and who as scourged his op-
pressor with forty lashes save one. Does II
become a great government, In such an In
stance. to chastise John Doe" who looked To
it in vain for protection and to let Richard
Roeo 60 free Yet this Is precisely what the
United STATES Government are now doing IN
South Carolina The ationh officials are
bnniipe down and impr soning the best c;tl-
zens of the northern Ou1ties at the Instance
of maleactors aud ''sand 1illers," whose lives
defy the law, and who would not be believed,
on their oaths, in any other case.
We, who have had no connection with ku-
Kluxism, look with wonder and CONSERVATION
upon q sharp dragonnade, such as once deci-
mated France for the enrichment of South
Carolina, and Is now wasting South Carolina
for the enrichment OF neighbortng and even
foreign States. We encounter among the Uni
ted States soldiers Scared, triumphant Vete-
rams of war, who feel as keenly as we do that
they have now been assigned to service pain
iul and degrading-now, when the clash OF
arms has ceased, and they feel their hearts
melting with fraternity. They are required to
deal with an association Of neighbors. who are
pledged to mutual protection against the burn
ers of their houses and the plunderers OF their
crops, as If these were armed and foreign
foe. These soldiers. uL Ter whatever prelext
sent, do actually drive from fields ripe Tor the
harvest young and old, planter and lao0rer; 90
suspend the industries Of whole counties; and
do immure The proprletors of the soil and the
taxpayers Of the country In crowded and tithy
iails. In time Of profound peace, they are
called upon to deprive free citizens of the i'm
munilies of the common law; and IN regions
ali astir with barbarous feroclly and lcenlious-
ness. they are compelled 10 tear away from
helpless wives and virgins their natural pro-
tecLOrs.
WHO ARE THE VICTIMS.
A few days ago, had an interview with one
of the most eminent citizens Of Spartanourg
He told me that his sons had fled the county
because an order Tor their apprehension had
beer Issued. Just before they went, he asked
them swhether they indeed belonged to the
KuKlux Klan, or any other secret organlZa-
tion ~ They replied that they mad been ln-
formed, some time before, that the negroes OF
the county intended TO rise against the whites.
TThe apprehension, l may remark, was ex-
cited in the up-counlry by the fact that the
Governor had been organizing and arming
the negroes, while he refused to arm any COM
Isnies composed of white men, The youths
further said that they had then joined an asso-
cialiou OF mutual defence. Among other ap-