Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1872-11-07

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in Congress to turn out at the election. In
Fairfield, a county distinguished for its intel
ligence and wealth, one.third of the white vo.
ters remained at home. The same thing oc-
Cured in every county. If all had gone out
to vote, and had exerted proper influence
with the colored people, the elections would
have gone very differently. We might have
redeemed and regenerated the State.
know that the negroes are banded together
as race, under the lead of vile carpet-bag-
gers and infamous scalawags, who would as
quickly sell their God for thirty pieces of sill.
yer, as they have betrayed their race and
country for Office, promotion and the hope Of
stealing, swindling and plundering. But not
withstanding this antagonism to the white
people, know that all influence might be
brought to bear on them which they could not
resist, if the property-holders of the State were
so disposed. Let every land-holder refuse to
rent to or employ any laborer, unless he will
agree, with proper stipulations, to vote with
his landlord or employer. This may be done
without incurring any of the penalties of the
Act Of Congress against intimidating voters.
There will be no intimidation, but fair and
legitimate agreement, which the parties have
right to make. But it may be said that our
lands could not be rented or cultivated on
these terms. This is presuming that the Ia
borer can live longer without food than the
employer can without his labor 1t is far
better that we should work for ourselves, and
let the greater part Of our lands lie and rest,
than to live any longer under such govern
ment as we have-robbing US of all we can
make by taxation, and corrupting all the
fountains oflegislation.
In every other country in the world, where
they are allowed to vote, the tenantry and la
borers vote with their landlords and employ
ers. John Quincy Adams, Jr., told me,
speaking Of this very question, that when he
was Republican, all of his tenants and Ia
borers, about forty in number, voted with him,
and when he quit the Republican party and
turned Democrat, they also turned with him
and voted the Democratic ticket, without
word being said to them on the subject. He
expected them to vote with him, and they
knew it and did so. Now, I suppose it is just
as proper for cotton planter to require this
of bis colored laborers in South Carolina as it
is for Mr.. Adams to exact it of his white Ia
borers in Massachusetts. And especially so
when these colored laborers are voting for
rogues and scoundrels in preference to honest
and intelligent men. Chief Justice Chase
said to me, in 1868, that we need not appre-
hend any difficulty in controlling the negro
vote in South Carolina. "Brains and proper
ty," said he, twill always control labor" I
replied, this might be, if it were not for the
carpet-baggers. He said the carpet-baggers
would soon become identified with the citizens
or leave the country.
But the carpet-bagger in South Carolina,
instead Of leaving the country, or identifying
himself with the people, has become, with the
scalawag, through their influence over the
negro, sort of aristocrat or autocrat and
tribune of the colored race. Now, we must
get rid of these autocrats and tribunes. We
must dethrone them and break their sceptre
by destroying their influence over the negro.
This can only be done by teaching the negro
that he is dependent on us, and not we on
him. Let US, therefore, resolve unanimously,
and stick to it, that we will not rent our lands
to or employ any one who will not agree to
vote with us in all the elections. In this way,
and in this way only, can we rout the carpet
Dagger and scalawag, and get control of the
colored people. Cuffee has no gratitude in
general, as I have we'll tested, though there are
exceptions, and he can only be Influenced by
his wants and necessities. I, therefore, urge
upon the white people, all over the State, to
determine unanimously and at once, to have
nothing to do with the Radicals, white or
black, in renting their lands or employing
their laborers, without they will agree, in
writing, under penalty, to vote with them
in all future elections. In three months after
the enforcement of this rule, there would be
no Radical party in South Carolina, no car
pet-baggers, no scalawags, except in the peni-
tentiary. And once more we should be living
under an honest government in South Carroll
ma. Until we adopt some stringent rule of
this kind, and adhere to it, and 60 out at elec-
tions and vote for honest and wise men, we
shall be getting worse and worse every year,
until the most horrible aud terrible revolution
and civil war covers the land with bloody
desolation and ruin The remedy is simple
and easy and peaceable. The evil is frightful
to think of Let me beseech you to avoid it.
will mention to you that I have heard Of
great frauds in the election. 1t is said that
hundreds of North Carolina negroes, at work
on the Airline Railroad, who had not been
in the State twelve months, voted in several
counties. 1t is further said that hundreds
under twenty-one years Of age likewise voted
all over the Congressional District. And it
is likewise rumored that gross frauds were
practiced at several places in Laurens, by re-
fusing to open the polls at the proper time,
and throwing out large number Of Demo-
cratic votes at Clinton. These matters are
for future investigation. In conclusion, re-
turn you who went to the polls and voted my
most grateful thanks; and to NIch as were
too Indifferent to turn out at the election, I
can only say that I hope you will never be so
apathetic again.
SOUTH CAROLINA NEWS.