Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-02-23

SOUTHERN PICTURE OF THE POLITICAL CON-
DITION OF THE STATE.


The Atlantic Monthly Of last month con-
tanned q remarkable article on the political
condition Of South Carolina. The publish
erS do not reveal the writer name but they
youch for him as Southerner by birth, edu-
cation, associations and residence. He car
tainly writes Ike man who knows all
about what he Is talking about, from person
al observation; and who seems to tell what
he knows with remarkable impartiality.
lie photographs all parties with EiarciieSs
severity, and his picture is one of great
interest and of undoubted yaln,. We should
be glad to copy his article entire but mnst
be content with u hasty condensation Of 1t.
The writer tells us that alter the war the
negro received the cnrpet-bssgcr with
eagerness and full faith. The latter were
partly honest zealots. partly schemers-
Schools and churches were founded. Inc
Southern whites sulkily refused the oppor'
tunity to lead the blacks; the carpet
baggers seized it. The Union leagues and
the churches strengthened their power, In
1865 the Republicans adopted radical
Jeffersonian constitution. ren0uncing seces-
sion and binding the State to the Union
forever. Ii was a convention OF carpet
baggers. scala%ags, and few OF the
brightest field hands. The first Legislature
was Of the same sort. For six years the
government was mockery. All but the
purely legal bills had to DO carried by
bribery. A powerful lobby organized
plumber. The State guaranteed the bonds
of two railroads to the extent OF SIX millions,
taking a sufficient first mortgage. Carpet
baggers and native spectators bought
laws, allowing the roads to make hrst
mortgage to others but retaining the State $
liability. We quote:
The bonded debt Of tho State. amounting to
s. sO.eOD when the new regime began was run up 70
81 ,9OO.tU and the State was also liable Tor
So, 10000 Of railroad debts, above explained, its
money raised on the bonds was deliberately stolen
and the Legislature in 1873, alarmed by the clamor
OF the people and grud ging the money paid Tor in
terest. repudated about half the debt The rate OF
taxation was almost incredibly heightened. Before
the the taxable value Of property in the State
was SiSo,000c0O, and the taxes averaged siO0OOOa
year the highest ever known being Sjl5,67S in ISL
The valuation Of taxable property the war has
been Slsi 600 600 and the annual taxes, State and
county, have averaged 81 ,o0,OOOi Thisis confsca-
ton, pure and simple; and besides this tho assess
ments have been outrageous
The officials grew rich. The Executive.
of the peace, county auditors, county
treasurers and many other local othcers,
from corrupt whites and Ignorant blacks.
The local officers elected were Just as bad.
The Circuit Court kept honest; the Others
wero degraded. The highest number Of
penitcntiary conyicts in prison ut one time,
since the war, was four hundred and eighty.
In 1870, two hundred and five convicts were
pardoned. Petty crimes were universal.
From 1868 to 1874 the government wGs u
grand carnival oil crime and debauchery.
In many counties Ku Klux Klans were or
gained, whose excuses carried the score to
the other side and "drcw down the just in
dignation of the national Government. ="
This in counties that escaped the rayages
Of the war and had a majority Of white
voters. The militia were black, with black
officers. Independent companies might or
ganize, but il not accepted by the Governor
it IVES highly penal to continue the organ
ization. The Governor refused all white COM
panies, but gave the colored militia one
thousand Winchester, and nineteen thousand
Springfield rifles.
Now for the other side For years after
the war the people could not hear war men
toned without q shudder. The Northerners
who, as they had been told. would not
fight, had fought and fought terribly and
successfully. So tho people would not listen
to the old leaders who were constantly
endeayoring to rally and organize them.
[It is noticeable that the writer speaks of
the rebellious whites a. " the people " and
all others as the Republicans" lie
says:
Tho people regretted their defeat and loos ell
with hostility on both the emancipation and the
enfranchsem'nt o. their slaves. The war and It's
" But said they, Its no use trying to resist
the current the North IS too strong for u.s. and is
hound to have its way" To the solicitations OF
have misled us once; We will be more prudent in
the future" The course Of President Johnson In
spired them with hopes, but these fled when the
unity Of the Nerth was perceived. Inc prospect o!
eiectiny Seymour animated them TO some extent,
but events chilled them again. For years vot'
ing was regarded as a mOurninl and onerous faice,
and thousands RETAINED from 1t.
In 1870 the leaders tried 'citizens re-
form" party. but were defeated. They
were excited by Greeley's nomination, but
soon gave up hope, and ran no State ticket
in 1872, but supported m unsuccessful
boiling Republican ticket. In 1874 the
Republicans nominated ID. Ii. Chamberlain
for Governor, and in the belief that be was
corrupt, an honest minority boited. and the
white natives united with them but were
defeated. The whites expected that OPP
preston would be redoubled. but Chamber
lain made wholesale removals of corrupt
officers. relentlessly vetoed corrupt schemes,
refused, on legal bubble, TO commission
two Infamous Judges. chosen by the Legs
lature, threatened to veto the usual extor-
tomato tax bill, and secured the most
one known in eight years.
Ill Oh hn
tertiary began to fill up, crime and race
hatred dmished. and immense relief follow
ed. Chamberlain became popular with all
the whites
The whites were unable to make,too make much
of their saw ior. lie was admitted into the most
aristocratic society. He was elected orator by the
colleges, called by fashionable associations TO re-
spond to toasts. and liOnized everywhere. The
white leaders and tho papers called loudly for his
o-election and though the corrupt element OF his
party were determined to nominate another man
or bolt should he carry the convention, u large
whites shuddered at the terrible o:deal they had
gone through, and seemed ready to recognize the
rights Of the negro and do anything in the way Of
com rom!s 50 to avert such evil in the future. In
several municipal elections (norceaby in Charles
toni mixed tickets half Democrats and half blacks
Dr. Republicans. were elected. 1t seemed as II
political millennium wero shout to dawn.
For two years the Governor carried forward
Ills TGlOTus WIN lChb SuSCcsc anu oIOCpsd-
ton. The relief of his measures was every
we're felt. The affairs of South Carolina put
IN bright and hopeful look.
But u change came over the spirit OF the
= hits mems dreams. In i67; the House
IF Representatives at Washington became
Democratic. "A wild hope seized the old
esders that tho palmy ante-bclum times
we're about to return, that the Democracy
vas again to coptro! the National Gov
rnmenr, and that tho SOuth was again to
ole the councils of the Democracy" In |
the shotgun policy drove the |
out OF power in 1873. Sonth |
carolina had good government, but the |
whites resolved To support it no longer. |
,hey concluded to have ''whito mans
government" and they adopted the Mis-
issip ri plan" to secure their object.
Thousands of Confederate soldiers appear
! under arms hot Southern speeskcs were
iade; W sde Hampton, eloquent, hOt-hoat-
d. and popular, was called to the lead.
t6iiOwed-the killing of q
,gislator in Darling; the lynching OF two
egrOes in Marlboro aud SIX IN Edseheld,
nd the Hamburg massacre. Tbe Govern
RS action was made tho excuse Tor APP
ea,s 10 tho whites, with all the Old ye-
emencs OF Carolinians" Everybody va.
rged TO huy arms. Rifle clubs were every
here formed. Br0wbeatins and chal-
nging were tried. 4 minority Of the
hltes urging patience and care were over
He'd. The writer says
Tho plan was, first, to arouse tho wa.ts Sopula-
On TO secession or notification msdLess; nsst, TO
It AS many negroes rs possible to vote ne l'efnG-
Ltic ticket, and prevent as many as possible re!n
ting the Republican. and finally, to put such Il
90 On their doings MS to work no harm 10 tho
cause outside the State.
Hampton. with T0ombs. Hill and Gordon
DIn Georgia, canyassed the State. in u
iumphal delirium. Armed Democratic
owds insaited and broke up Republican
ceilings, active Republicans were booted.
suited, sometimes knocked down or shot
was denounced with more
al than he had been praised. Fraudulent
liayits charged the negroes with aggres-
IN at Elleuton and Hamburg, and justi-
d the whites in everything, and reconcil
ton to the result OF the war was every &
here proclaimed Great accessions OF .
groes 60 the Democratic ranks were false b.,
proclaimcd. Colored Republicans were ,
fused employment or discharged, and
lh. al, h.