New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-08-06
SOSttss Carolina.
lleSSec.

New York city, in the days of Twced's
supremacy, and also the State of New York,
were as corrupt as the inordinatc greed for
wealth and power on the part of controlling
politicians could make them. To return the
State and city governments to the hands
Of honesty was task reformers cheerfully
accepted. For long time the accomplish
ment of the result sought by the best men in
the State seemed hopeless. The rascally
Tammany ring controlled with powerful
hand. Its managers were shrewd and I'M
scrupulous; the ring appeared to be irwin
chile, and IFS boss, with much bravado, met
the complaints of the people with the inso-
lent inquiry, "What are you going to do
about it?" The New York corruption was
the best organized and most stupepdous
known to history. Its cunning, its strategy,
its tricks and It's manners" were revealed
and its overthrow was gratifyingly consum-
mated. The struggle was not an easy one,
and reverses were not few.
South Carolina to-day is said TO be stag
gering under weight of corruption and mis-
government. Its speculation consists of white
people and colored people. The colorcd
people comprise the majority, and are held
to be responsible for the condition of the
state. The masses Of the colored people of
the State of South Carolina are as DESTROYS
for an honest administration OF the govern
mcnt as are the masses of the people any
where in the ITnited States. That they have
been deceived by the very men whom they
have placed in position cannot be urged as
evidence of the dishonesty of the masses and
of their ncapacity to participate in the gov
eminent OF the State. ali enemies of negro
Acknowledgement hail the state of affairs i'm
South Carolina as the strongest kind of evil
dence with which to fortIfy their arguments
against justice and freedom. Such enemies
fail to remember that the votes of white men
in the State of New York sustained the
corruption in that State year after year, and
that the colored voters of that State were
invariably found voting with the party OF
reform. The people of New York could not
be brought to believe. that the corruption
charged against Tammany was anything but
political invention. When the people be-
came aroused TO the reality of the situation
they voted down corruption and consigned
to infamv the men who had deceived them.
1t would have been absurd to have argued
that the people of New York were incapable
of intelligently using the elective franchise
because corrupt men, getting control Of the
reins Of government, and so controlling the
ballot, committed frauds with impunity.
South Carolina will nd herself of the
corrupt men who have brought her in disre-
pute. The colored people of South Carolina
will vindcate their right to the ballot, and
justify the zeal Of their friends in behalf of
equal suffrage by electing an honest and pat.
riotic administration at the fall election. If
we mistake not the feeling of the represen-
tative c0lored men Of South Carolina, there
will be as thorough cleaning out of corrup-
ton in that State as the most ardent WELL
wisher may desire. To accomplish the great
and needed work our friends need be vigi.
liant. We trust that no petty jealousies will
be allowed to come between the efforts of
leaders and the accomplishment of the de-
sired result. Hon. II. b. Elliott accepts the
responsibility for one,- We. hope that the
leading colOred men in South Carolina will
give him full encouragement, and themselves
honor. in the great work Of proving that the
negro is not only DESTROYS Of having a good
government for that State, but that they