Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-02-26
CONGRESSMAN ELLIOTT'S SPEECH.

r. B. Elliott, one of the colored Congress-
men rom this State, delivered speech in Co.
lumbia on Monday night of last week, that
has attracted considerable attention. and was
the subject of reference by Mr.. Lathers in his
speech before the Tax-Payers' Convention,
which assembled next day. Elliott told his
hearers that the Taxpayers Convention was
no assemblage of soreheads, but that it was
seeking to do the work which it was the duty
of the Republican party to have accomplished.
He rasped the State Administration without
mercy for its violation Of its most solemn
pledges, and washed his hands of all partlci-
patton in its bad faith. The salvation of
"the party" he declared, depended upon its
instant reform of existing abuses. A great
change was taking place in the politics of the
country, and it was useless for them to shut
their eyes to the fact. If you goto the North,
he said, and mention the name of South Car
olina, you will find the estimate that they will
put upon it there To mention South Caro-
lima is to merit the sneers of the Common
weaths of the North. When corruption was
spoken of in other States, it was different
thing but when it was spoken of in South
Carolina, it was laid to the blame of negro
government. 1t was, therefore, the duty of
the colored people Of South Carolina to de-
monstrate to the world that they desired an
honest government. 1t WAS time that they
did something to remove this stigma. Con-
tinuing, Eve quote from the report in the Go.
lumbia Union) he said:
"If government is to 60 on from bad to worse it
would make the representatives ashamed to rise
up and plead their cause. 1t was with the people
to remedy this. He had told them only Of what
FrccnghuySen, Dawes, Sumner, Butler and
had travelled outside of South Carolina must have
heard, if he kept his eyes and ears open. The ne
grOes having been in the majority and voted the
clement into power, they are responsible. They
have brcn deceived; will the people be deceived
a second time? Will you permit this state OF
things to continue? 1t cannot be hidden that
there is something rotten in Denmark. There
must he no promised rcfUrmat0n but practical
reform. II there be any one in the way OF that
reform he should be at once removed out of the
path. and now is the time to do it. The national
Republican party to-day is ready tocut aloof upon
the slightest provocation from the corruption no"
CNlSllllS Ill lllc oOulll, anu JOh u"
thing, and that speedily, they will be compelled
to cut off the rotten branches. He had warned
them of this more thana year ago; this was no
new thing. One thing he knew, that instead OF
being better it appears to begrowing worse. The
TaX-Paycrs' Convention is no sore-head move
ment. The people have right to petition under
the constitution, and when it came, it would come
from his constituents, whether they voted for him
or not, and he was bound to have it properly re-
fcrreC That petition will be considered and do
not allow yourselves to be misled about it. The
only way you can prove that you sympathlze with
an honest administration of affairs is for you to
give notice to those who have mal-administered
affairs to quit-for you to bring forward new set
Of men. 1t your duty to ovindicate yourself and
prove to the world that you arc in sympathy with
all those who want an honest government. He had
no cause here to announce, or champion The cause
of any particular set. But it was his duty to point
attention to errors that have nearly resulted i'll the
bankruptcy Of the State. 1t was time that the
hands that had caused these errors were stayed.
With the finances thriving and the agricultural
interests increased it would be alike felt by the
rich and tho poor If the wealthy man suffers,
the laborer suffers ten-fold; if his taxes bring
burdens, no makes them up from the laborers.'
Mr.. Elliott closed his remarkable harangue
by telling the men Of his race how earnest
was the public opinion of the country and how
unanimous was the newspaper press in con-
demnation of the corruption that reigns in
South Carolina.