The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1875-06-09

man has beon hanged, and only one
has been punished in any way. ]
should add that there /. no evidence
that any Of these murders arose out OF
political causes.
Now, then, consider that the parish
had for years n corrupt judge and o
thieving tax collector, who managed
to got all his sons into Offices, and a
police jury loounty supervisory
made up mainly OF illiterate negroes.
Governor Kellogg, in 1874 appointed
as police jurors three colored men
who could neither read uor write, one
white man Of infamous character,
whom even his fellow republic loans
publicly protested against, and one
decent white maa. Utder such
rulers the parish tax, which amount.
cd to $l3, ATS, with valuation of 49,.
100000 in 1860, rose to $46, ,894, on o
~aluation of but $2,000.OO0 in 1869,
$3.50 in 1870, and in 1873 it rose
to $82,2o7' This was the parish tax
alone, exclusive Of the State tax.
The Supervisors allowed them selves
ono year fifty cents mile mileage
for every time they met. They paid
out s 500 for bridge which could
have been built for $500, aud gave
the contractor privilege to levy toll
upon it for his own use when it was
built. The Parish Judge, Myers,
acknowledged before the Congression-
al Coromittee that he had for two
years retained $1,000 of parish money
In his possession, in violation of an
order Of u District Court to return it
to the Treasury he refused repeat
cdly to draw .juries, in order to shield
his oonfederates and yet this person
was appointed by Governor Kellogg,
District Judge, higher office. The
people formed n taxpayers associa.
tiou and warned Myers and one of his
confederates, the Tax Collector
Boult, to leave the parish. The sons
of Boult to-day hold offioos in the
parish, but none Of them were killed.
Myers and Boult walk about freely
in New Orleans and arc not molested
but they tell fearful stories of intimi-
dation and danger to their lives, and
call themselves 'Union Men," The
Taxpayers Association wua oonpose,l
of republicans as we'll as democrats.
and had among its members 200
negroes. Myers calls it q white
League, of course, and talks intimida.
tion Of republican Votera, hut tho Off.
cial returns of the registration and
election show those figures The
parish had by tho census of 1870
7,3l2 whites and 1929 blacks. Of
these one in five and half blacks
registered ss voter and onl, one in
>seven and half Of the whites in 1874,
the year Of the disturbance. Of the
1865 who regi.terel 3,l3l actually
and the republicans carried the
parish by 3l5 majority. 1t was
shown that many negroes voted with
the conservatives, aud many others
'stayed at home, because they were
disgustod with the theft of the school
fluid.
AsPEAcEfUL.PARIsH.
I have taken Natshitoohes as an
example, because it has an especially
evil reputation. Contrast with this
parish in which the republicans
have given the people an honest and
economical goTernmcnt, and wh.re
there has been no disturbance. There
are but four or'tive honestly govern
ed parishes in the State. I happen
to be we'll Informed about one of
these, Tensas, Ike Natohitoohes, a
cotton plautiag country, and with q
lange .Prepondcranoe of negroes.
There has never, since 1858 boon any
disturbance in Tensas, nor any pre-
tence Of init midation. Here Is the
story since 1868 The republicans
who camc, into 1t from the MOI tn hup.
pened to be boneSt and sensible men.
Tkelr leader was General Steel, now
As istant Attorney General .of tho
State, and an able man. They pur-
suaded some of the most subs anti L
Of tho old residents to take parish
Offices. They took caro- to put
always three prominent whites
and two oolored men on tho police
jury. The parish judge had been
confederate officer, and is q capable
man and q property holder in the
parish. They b we always persuaded
the negroes to elcot such men to the
local Offices. rcnsas had, lin 1870,
i 400 whites and ll,0l8 blacks.
With economical management they
have extinguished since 1855 a debt
ofBl00, 900, contracted for Ievees be.
fopo the war, paying off &a30, 600 CT
'it. The rest was proved fraudulent
in the courts. Tho parish has good
roads, bridges, thirty schools, four
graded sohools--two for each color !;
it has money in the treasury ; les as.
sessmoat is ~ery low =; the courts are
res l,eoted, tho Laws are enforced,
os'obtains; eaea stock stealiag has
beea put down. Meantime, the
Northern men have not coased to be
republicans nor have they given up
their share Of the Offices. The State
Senator aud Representative and some
of the local ofiosrs ure Northern men
and republicans. The negroes ARD
satisfied, and when once some drunken
ruffians, from q neighbofing county
4 L. A. 4 4 =