Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-06-07
THE CHANGE IN COLUMBIA.

The following are DR.. Red6eld's Impressions
of our Democratic State government, as writ
ten by him from Columbia to the Cincinnati
Commercial: ,fr-f7g, .grg
, To see large parties Of well-dressed ladies
and gentlemen going up to the Capitol, visi.
ting the Senate and House, calling on the
Governor, chatting with the heads Of depart
ments, and making merry all about the dis
NAL building, is a sight so new and novel as
to invite attention. In all my experience in
the South Carolina Capitol, which has been
considerable in the past eight years, have
never seen lady within the walls of that
building until this week. This shows with
what adherence the whole thing was regarded
by the white people. They had as much
aversion to their Capitol as to smallpox
hospital. How changed! Yesterday and to.
day have seen two or three hundred ladies
visiting the Capitol. Seats have been provi.
ded for them as much as possible on the floor
of the two houses, and the sight Of so much
style and beauty among them makes the old
time colored legislator open his dull eyes in
astonishment. ...s1E'. s.
The House of Representatives is different
looking concern from what it was when last l
saw it. Formerly the Democrats had only
from twenty-five to thirty members, little
body of whites shelved of in the southeast
corner and surrounded in front by eighty or
ninety veritable looking black Republicans.
They were powerless to do anything but ar
que with the black mass around them, for their
votes made but small showing upon the
white side of the book. Wallace, the present
speaker, was then member, a fine looking
man from the up-country, but utterly unable
in former days to see way out. de used to
tell me that he could not conceive from what
direction the salvation of South Carolina was
to come, but only knew that the then state of
affairs could not in the nature of things forever
continue. Now the entire right side of the
chamber is occupied by as fine looking a body
of white men as you will see in any legislative
assembly. What change from the motley
crowd of few years ago-a change for the
better in appearance and conduct. The old
black Legislature was noisy and turbulent
body, smoking, drinking, dancing, laughing
and cutting up all sorts of unmannerly capers
iu the truly joyful African style. The speak.
er had as much control over them as herd
of Kentucky mules Elliott was the only
black Speaker who could hold them within
the bounds of anything like decency; the
others, like Lee, who is small man with not
much physical or orintellectual force, could do
nothing but rap and yell, drowning other
noises with the volume Of his own making.
But now the body is so we'll behaved as to
strike the observer the moment he enters.
Upon the right, as have stated, every seat
(save two or three) are occupied by white
men. Upon the left half the seats are vacant,
and the others are occupied by about thirty
coal black negroes. What contrast it
makes! Step to the front, and look first to
the Democratic and then the Republican side.
The contrast is over.powering, and you in.
stantly ask yourself can this continue9 Shall
we ever see again even as many black legisla-
tors here as we see now? This question is
answered by a close investigation of the feel.
ings of the whites. Behind all their profess.
ions in favor of equal rights they are bitterly
hostile to the negro as legislator, and they
will take him down from that position.