The weekly Louisianian., 1874-03-28
PLAIN TALK FROM Il BLACK
CONGRESSMAN.
the Charleston News.

from the Charleston News.
Congressman r. B. Elliot (color-
ed), made a speech in that city on
Monday night, which is noteworthy
as one Of the signs of the times.
He told his hearers that the taz-
payers convention was no assem-
blage 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 participation in its
bad faith. The salvation of the
party, he declared, depended upon
it's instant reform Of existing abuses.
A great change was taking place in
the politics of the country, and i:
was useless for them to shut their
eyes to the fact. If You go to the
North, he said, and mention the
name of South Carolina, you will
find the estimate that they will put
upon it there. To mention South
Carolina is to merit the eneers Of
the commemorative Of the North.
When corruption was spoken of in
other States it was a different thing;
but when it was spoken of in South
Carolina it was laid to the blame of
a negro government. It was, there
fore, the duty Of the colored people
of South Carolina to demonstrate
to the world that they desired an
honest government. I; was time
that they did something to remove
this stigma. Continuing 1--WE quote
from the report in the Columbia
Union,) he said:
If government is to go on from
bad to worse it would make the
representatives ashamed to rise up
and plead their cause. It was
with the people to remedy this.
He had told them only of what
Frelinghuysea, Dawes, Sumner,
Butler and others were thinking; Of
what every man who had Travelled
outside ofSouth 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 responsible
They have been deceived. Will the
people be deceived a second time
Will you permit this state Of things
to continue? It can not be hidden.
that there is something rotten in
Denmark. There must be nc
promise of reformation, but practi-
cal reform. If there be any one il
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 to cut aloof upon the slight.
est provocation from the corruption
now existing in the South, and
unless you do something, and that
speedily. they will be compelled t.
cut off the rotton branches. HI
had warned them Of this more
than a year ago; this was no new
thing. One thing he knew, thai
instead of being better, it appears
to be growing worse. The taxpey'
ers convention is no sorehead move.
ment. The people have a right tc
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 referred. That
petition will be considered; and dc
not allow yourselves to be misleo
about it. The only way you car
prove that you sympathize with al
honest administration of affairs il
for you to give notice to those who
have mal-administered affairs tc
quit-for you to bring forward 6
new set of men. It is your duty te
vindicate yourselves andprove to thu
world that you are in sympathy
with all those that want an honest
government. He had no cause
here to announce or champion tho
cause Of any particular set. But il