New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-28
Plain Talk from n Black Congressman.


Congressman r. B. Elliott (colored), who
is now in Columbia made q speech in that
city on Monday night, which is noteworthy
as one of the signs of the times. He told
his hearers that tho taxpayers convention
was no mblage Of soreheads. but that it
was seeking to do the work which II was
the duty ot the Republican party to have
accomplished. He rasped the State admi'
nistratiop without mercy for Its violation
of its mos. solemn pledges, and washed
his hands of all participation in its bad
faith. The salvation of tho party. he
declared, depended upon its instant re'
form 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. II you go to
the North he said, and mention the name
of South Carolina, you will find the estI-
mate that they will put upon it there. To
mention South Carolina is to merit the
sneers of the commonwealth of the North.
When corruption was spoken OF IN other
States it was different thing; but when 1t
was spoken of in South Carolina it was laid
to the blame Of a negro government. 1t
was, therefore, the duty Of the colored
people of South Carolina to demonstrate to
the world that they desired an honest gov
ernmant. 1t was time that they did some
thing to remove this stigma. Continuing
1--WE quote from the report in the Columbia
CNiO3t), he said:
III government is to 60 on from bad to
worse it would make the representatives
ashamed to rise up and plead their cause.
II was with the people to remedy this. lie
had told them only of what Frelinghuysen
Dawes, Sumner, Butler and Others were
thinking; Of what every man who had trav-
eled outside of South Carolina must have
heard if he kept his eyes and ears open.
The negroes have been in the majority and
voted the element into power; they are re-
sp0nsible. They have been deceived; will
the people be deceived second time! Will
you permit this state OF things to continue!
! 1t can not be hidden. that there is something
! rotten in Denmark. There must be no
promised reformation, but practical re-
form. If there be any one in the way
Of that reform he should be at once re-
| moved out of the path, and now is the
! time to do it. The national Republi-
! can party today is ready to cut alOOf
upon the slightest prOvocation from the cor
| ruption now existing in the South, and un-
| less you do something, and that speedily,
! they will be compelled to cut off the rotten
branches. He had warned them of this
thing. One thing he knew, that instead of
being better it appears to be growing
| worse. The taxpayers convention is no
| sorehead movement. The people have a
| 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 prop
erly referred. That petition will be con-
!, sidered; and done allow yourselves to be
| misled about it. The only way you can
prove that you sympathize with an honest
| administration of affairs is for you to
! give notice to those who have mal-ad-
nlnistered affairs to quit-fOr you
to bring forward now set of
men, 1t is your duty to vindicate yourself
! and prove to the world that you are in SYM
pathy with all those that want an honest
| government. He had no cause here to an
| nounce or champion the cause Of any par
| ticular set. But it was his duty to point at
tention to errors that have nearly resulted
J in 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 in.
| creased, it would be alike felt by the rich
| and the poor. If the wealthy man suffers
| the laborer suffers tenfold; if his taxes
| brings burdens, he 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
| condemnation of the corruption that reigni
in South Carolina.