National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-02-25
SOUTH CAROLINA.

.-E SOUTH CAROLINA.
We notice that some of our cotemporarles,
in commenting upon the proceedings OF the
recent convention of South Carolina tax
payers, assume that the whites OF the State
are not WHOLLY without responsibility for
:be very condition of affairs Of which COM
plant is now made. This deduction is
most truthful and appropriate. The sug-
gestion, however, that such men as Chief
Justice Moses and the late Governor Orr,
natives of the State, could have rescued the
Commonwealth from danger is great mis-
take. If their efforts in times past could
have been combined, as they were not, they
would have been unavailing against the
predominant prejudice of the white land
owners In 1872 the opportunity was Of
fered to the white mans party to join with
Governor Orr in an attempt to overthrow
the clique of corruptionists who had dis
graced the Republican party and had only
ruled the State for the benefit of their own
plunder-filled pockets. A bolt was organ
lied during the campaign of that year
within the Republican ranks, led by such
reliable statesmen as Hon. T. A. Sawyer,
now Assistant Secretary of the Treasury,
and sustained by Governor Orr, which was
intended to defeat the nominations of the
State house clique" The campaign was
calamity contested by the small band of re-
formers against the prestige Of a powerful
and selfish organization, against the money
and the greed of corruptionists, and against
the disadvantage which naturally attaches
itself to a boiling movement. If the De-
mocracy, Ii. e., the whites had Joined the
honest effort thus made, the result would
have been the triumph of the reformers;
but they remained away from the polls and
abstained from voting, as if by preconcerted
arrangement, throughout the entire State.
The regular ticket was elected by an over
whelming majority, and the opportunity to
rescue the State from the hands of the
spoilers was list.
We fully appreciate the force of the ad-
missions here made, that the men who con-
troll the Republican party in the State, as it
is organized to-day, are unworthy to hold
such trust But we do it advisedly, and
with a conscientious sense of duty. The
majority of the voters being colored, the
suggestion naturally arises that they are
responsible and Immediately we expect to
hear that they have been led astray by de-
signing carpet-baggers. This is the usual
charge but the truth docs not sustain it In
this instance. 1t may be true that "non-
natives" as they are now euphoniously
called, have had something to do with the
legislation of the State since the war, but
the most notorious of them have proven
their faith by their works. Thus Massa-
chusetts carpet-bagger, who represents
Charleston in the Legislature, has built ad
dition after addition to the city of Columbia,
and has otherwise benefited the community
by the exertion of an indomitable enter
prise. On the other hand, the men who
have grown rich, or who have squandered
the money of the State treasury either at
home or in New York, are natives. Let it
be understood in this connection that the
word natives is used to convey the idea of
Southern born" and that it applies to
persons born in North Carolina as well as
others Not to be too prolix, we assert it
to be capable of proof that the heightened
taxpayers who complain so bitterly Of
negro rule are of the same color, blood and
birth as their plundercrs. To be plain, the
men who have robbed the State and bank
rupted the treasury are Southern whites
When the war ended and the negroes were
cnfranchised they were wholly ignorant of
the responsibilities of their new privileges,
and possessing but little intelligence in their
own race, naturally sought for leaders among
Tie whites. Here Was the opportunity for
the Hamptons, the Buffers, and others OF
like kidney, to grasp the reins of power.
1t is in vain that they attempt to excuse
themselves now by saying that they were
Sisfranchised. Congress never refused to
remove the disabilities of any man who
even offered to make an attempt to restore
good government in the South. But the
gentlemen of the kidney to which we
refer he'd themselves aloof or disgraced
their manhood by vain repining over
the lost cause. A few designing, and,
as it turned out, far-sighted schemers, en-
braced the chance, and now have reached
positions which enable them to rule the
State with Al iron hand. As an instance
of this kind of success, we can recall the
romantic experience of young man who
now represents Collector district in the State
Senate. Born in Charleston, and being
without employment at the close of the Wal,
Ibis young man, then a stripping, moved
to WATERFORD, the county scat of Colleton
district. Here he found himself in the
midst of colored vote which outnumbered
the white nearly ten to one. Ambitious
and INSCRIPTIONS, he did not hesitate to
ally himself with the blacks as against the
whites and to aid them in the organization
of their political associations. As he could
read and write he soon became leader
among the ignorant masses, who instinc-
lively fiocked to the support of the Repub-
lican ticket His house was open to the
blacks as they came during the campaigns
which followed from all parts of the county
to the court house. The reward of his ef-
forts was his election to the Office of State
Senator, and the almost positive assurance
of reelection so long as he may desire it.
But this young man is merely an humble
example of the success which attended the
efforts of the natives to secure the control of
the black vote. One apparent reason for
this success aside from the advantage of
superior intelligence, is that the blacks are
rs proud of their native State as the whites.
They may not detest non-natives 30 thor
oughly as the latter, but all other things
being equal, they show decided prefer
ence for persons of either color born in
their State.
No responsible man will deny the state.
mcnt, in view of the foregoing facts, that
the present unfortunate condition of affairs
could have been obviatcd if the complain
ing taxpayers had pursued proper coursc,
or had taken the interest in the welfare Of