The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-11-02
Appeal of the German Business Men in
South Carolina to Northern
Brothers.
AIKEN. S, c., October, ls76.
O,r Esllotn Gern,ans 7hrouahouf he Unfted &ates

AIKEN, S, c., October, ls76.
To Our Fslzoto Germans Throughout The United States
Feeling that, Just at this time, false
and highly colored reports of the cendi-
ton of affairs in this section of the
country by different partisan journals,
which tend to produce impressions and
opinions unfavorable to the good name
and reputation of our adopted home, and
indirectly to seriously injure our
trade and business prospects; and know
ing that however earnestly the native
citizens have labored to repel the charges
of iawlessness and unchecked disorder
on their part, these explanations with
very many have been regarded as polit-
ical efforts to whitewash and palliate
ofenses of which they were really
guilty; we, the undersigned, being all
of the German merchants and citizens
of Aiken, S. c., desire to present fair
view of the condition of things here to
our friends and fellow Germans through
out the country.
Having come over from the fatherland
for the purpose of advancing ourselves
in life by means of the business facilities
offered us here, we have constantly, since
the time of our coming, devoted our
selves zealously to that single object,
and we have never allied ourselves with
any political party in times past, giving
our suffrages at each election to the
candidates and tickets which we thought
would best advance the interests of our
adopted home and our own private in
terests, with those of the public. The
course of events in South Carolina dur
ing the last few years, however, has
forced us to affiliate with the Democratic
party here as the only one that can re-
fieye us of the burdens which are we'll
nigh crushing us. especially oftbe, sys-
tenn of exorbitant taxation which is
gradually depriving us of the fruits of
many years labor, while at the same
time running those upon whom we are
dependent for patronage, and of the mis-
appropriation Of the same when col
lected, which has thrown the State into
a condition Of prostration that can find
no parallel North or South. Year
after year we have watched the course
of the Radical party here, in hopes
ll1dU ll5 UCbbS1 ClCiuChbo l1oC iheO
power and by proper administration
of the government bring us back on to
the high road to prosperity. But we
utterly despair now of any change COM
ing from them. Now and then reform
is promised, fair words are spoken and 4
few favorable measures are passed; but
it is not long before the corruption that
has always characterized them crops out
again, and the beneficial effects of the
good measures are soon destroyed and
overwhelmed in the disastrous conse-
quences of the bad. The country towns
in this State, nearly all of which were
once thriving and prosperous, are grad
ually losing the good appearance which
once marked them, under the effect OF
misgovernment. Many of them now,
with their badly cleaned streets, dilapi.
dated fences, dirty, unpainted hous es
and almost empty stores, are sad but
speaking monuments of the ruinous eff
fects of the radical misrule. We ask
you to look for moment at the charac
ter of those who govern, and then yor
can readily understand the reason O.
the PROSTATE condition of our State.
The negroes who largely outnumbel
the whites, were suddenly lifted, with
out any preparation, from state of ser
vitude into one of equality with theil
former masters, and endowed imme
diately with the right of suffrage, un
qualified by any condition, property o
educational. Political adventuIers from
all sections of the Union came here ant
began to work upon the mind of the ne
gro, in order to elevate themselves int,
positions where they could advance thei
fortunes.
is it any wonder that with such mel
at the helm our good ship of State shoult
be well nigh stranded upon the shore 0
irretrievable ruin?
AS part of the Commonwealth Q
South Carolina, az men who hol'
no Office and seek no position a
all, but look to the renovation Q
her fortune for our own bushes
success, we can not stand apart at thi
crisis, but we must join our hands eal
nestly with the party which is laborin
for this result, which appears to us S
vital to our weIl-being, and we are eanxiou
that our countrymen should realize tn
true condition of affairs here, so that
fair, impartial judgment can be had.
To our business friends, who know l
and our standing through the Coninsercic
Register, and to our fellow Germans an
countrymen generally, we appes
earnestly and dispassionately for ttha
sympathy and aid in our great struggl
here which comes through an honest RI
cognition of our position and aims.
HENRY HAHN, w. II. HARBERs,
II. SCHROEDER, EDWARD SoMMERs,
JOHN SrAUBEs, JOHN MARJENHoFl
HENRY VESSELS, j. II. BoCKMAN,
]. H. MANGLEs, l. S. BUSCH,
G. KLUTrE, JOHN KLEIN,
III. BUsCHING.