The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-08-04
How Ooiored Voters arc Dissuaded from
Voting for mr. Greeley.

How Ooiored Voters are Dissuaded from
Voting for mr. Greeley.
To the Editor Of tho Tribune.
SR: AS illustrating the influences at
work to prevent Southern negroes from
voting for the Liberal Republican candi-
dates, I send you an account OF CONVEX
sations recently had with two or three Of
them in this vicinity. On Saturday last,
the Republicans had barbecue few
miles from our house. A negro preacher
and exhorter was urged to make an effort
in favor of Greeley and Brown. His re-
ply was. "Greeley was the man who
wrote and published the book trying to
prove that the negroes we're descendants
OF monkeys, instead of human beings"
It was impossible to disabuse his mind
of this conviction. as he had been 30 in
formed by the Radical leaders.
Another admitted that he perceived
the evils resulting from the Radical rule
in this State, but could not vote with
any other party. On being pressed to
give his reasons, he stated that. should
he do 80. some injury would be done to
him. On being told that. although
threats might be made, still no one would
might had no eyes," that once before,
OF negroes had come to his house. For.
tunateiy, he was outside and saw them,
and escaped by running, and since then
he had not dared to return to his former
home, in the adjoining County. A third
stated that he had been shot at three
times when he was the president of
colored Democratic club, and had now
made up his mind that it was safest to
go with the crowd. Instances similar to
these could be cited in every locality.
Even the women take an active part in
keeping "the party" together, and the
people of the North have not the slight.
est conception Of the pressure which is
brought to bear to prevent the colored
people from joining in the Liberal move
ment.
Heretofore, when such statements as
these have been made by the Southern
whites, they were disbelieved at the
North; but it is to be hoped that the
time has arrived when the reports of a
few interested office-seekers will not be
received in opposition to the testimony
OF respectable citizens. One of the Ra-
dical Judges of the Supreme Court Of
this State, (Willard) in conversation
with the writer, stated that no Ku Klux
outrages had occurred in Counties where
there was an upright and respectable ju-
dietary; that the fault lay in not proper
~ administering the existing laws.
Much has been published of the
enormous increase of the State debt and
the wild extravaganza of the Executive
and Legislative Departments of the State
Government, but there is another set of
evils which come nearer home, and which
are more onerous to bear. The manner
in which the local County and minor
officials of the State conduct themselves
is intolerable, and the local unlawful and
indirect taxes levied on the citizens pro-
badly exceed in the aggregate that of the
higher officials. Not that all of it pro-
ceeds from malice, although large part
is attributable to that cause, but it is to
be partly ascribed to the ignorance of the
officials and voters The disrepu table
conduct OF the Radicals is enough to
prevent any man WHO has any self-re-
spect from affiliating with them. Gould
the pressure referred to be removed, it
would be possible to carry even South
Carolina for Greeley. To do this, pro-
minent lifelong Republicans, especially
colored men. should stump the State and
disabuse the minds Of the oolored voters
as to the questions at issue. It is more
than probable that split will be made
in the party at the State Convention,
which will be held in August, and should
the boilers carry with them one-ffth Of
the colored voters, the white vote Of the
State would turn the scale. NEKIA.
AIKEN. 8. G., July 20, 1872.