The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-03-26
Another Republican Newspaper s'Unloads.' -


The signs of the times indicate with un-
erring precision that the day is fastening when
the political atmosphere will become purified
and cleansed from the terrible evils now sur
rounding u.s. Among the notable expressions
from Republican standpoint, which are be-
coming unusually frequent and forcible, we
make the following extract from a recent issue
of the Columbia Union-Herald
We have reached that point when we propose
to vindicate the great Republican doctrine of
equal rights-that all men are equal before the
law. The day is past, in this State, when
Republican newspaper-which, like Repub-
lican official, is nothing more or less than the
servant of the people-should bend the supple
hinges of the knee before any other power
than the throne of the popular will. The peo-
pie of this State, white and black, are in des
perate condition They are, in many cases, in
a starving condition. The laboring population
are, nine cases out of ten, Republicans. They
are in want of education, and ignorant of the
things that are done against them by those
elected to take care of their interests. They
toll and sweat in the streets, in the fields, at.
the forge, and in the home of the well-to-do.
They are the hewers of wood and drawers OF
water, and nearly every dollar they earn, by
hard work, is paid to them by those who own
of their wages, in one way or another, they pay
nine-tenths of the taxes. These taxes-the
blood money of the State-is gathered up and
paid into the State Treasury, and there it comes
under the control of the public officers whom
they have trusted.
Every dollar of that money is sacred. 1t is
a part of the life and labor of the poor Repub-
licans; it is part of their anxiety and hard
ship; it is part of their bread and meat; a
tribute to the State out of the mouths of their
wives and children. Why are our colored peo-
pie still so poor, walking about in rags, living
in small cabins that scarcely covers them from
the rain, and unable to buy themselves home.
Why is this? Because of the enormous amount
of money drawn out of them every year. How
is it that there is such difference between the
same two men in one year, if you put one of
them in the Legislature, and leave one OF them
at home? The man in the Legislature only
gets six hundred dollars, and more than half
of this he has to pay for board and other ex-
penses, even if he is of sober, temperate habits:
How, then, can be, doing nothing else, afford
to sport gold watch and chain, worth a couple
of hundred dollars, magnificent diamond
pin, worth probably thousand dollars, a flne
carriage and pair of horses, worth two thou
sand dollars, and, besides that, give fine sup
pers and receptions, and hand out any quantity
of wine and cigars? 1t makes no difference
whether the man is black, white or yellow, or
whether he be Democrat or Republican, the
question is, where does the money come from,
and how does he get it? 1t comes from the
people, and he gets it out of the public treasu-
ry Now, this thing cannot last. The people
cannot be deceived all the time year in and
year out. We are not the slaves of any set Of
men, Slavery is dead, and if the people are
not able to see all these things, there are some
of them who are. The eye of the United
States is not blind the eye of the great ma
tional party is not blind; the warm heart of
the great American people is not stone; the
stronc hand of General Grant is not palsied;
the blood of the gallant people of this broken
State is of the same color in the white man
and the black man, in both races is full of
generous love for the poor unfortunate mother
that gave them birth, and is burning with
deep, angry sense of wrong shame and humill-
alton. This ruin, this fraud, this corruption,
this crime, against the honor of the State, this
oppression Of the rights of the poor people,
must and shall stop.
The day is breaking along the hills the hour
is striking in the night when the bugie call OF
the national Republican party, sloughing Oft
this gangrene and this cancer, will rally the
laborng men of both races and march them,
shoulder to shoulder in one solid column under
the glorious flag of the Republic, to retrieve
the wreck of our political credit and save the
honor of South Carolina.
If that day does not soon come, then another
and more terrible day cometh.