Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-04-26

the position. I care not what may be his
politics or his race. Make it your rule that
you will place no man in Office unless he is
competent. If you give me good men to
make the laws, pledge to you my honor that
those laws shall be framed 90 AZ to place eve
ry man and woman, of both races and par
ties upon an equal footing before the law.
[Applause.] i
we have just passed through an exciting
and bitter contest. If my voice should reach
every man in South Carolina; if l could i'm
press it upon you all as 1 feel it myself; I'VE
wish to consult the best interests of the State;
if we want to build her up and bring peace
and prosperity back to her sunny fields, 1
would say to one and all, forget, for while
at least, all about politics and devote your
selves to the material interests of the State.
Go to work! Resolutions will do nothing.
Public meetings will do nothing Every man
should put bis shouldert to the wheel. He must
90 to work resolutely, honestly, earnestly and
boldly in the discharge of his duty; to bring
back harmony and unsnimity between the
races at the South. I know, my friends, you
can do it. I tell you, my colored fellow-citi.
zens, that have not one particle of feeling Of
ill will against single individual of your
race, and it so happened that the first commits
sion that l issued as Governor of South Car.
olins, was issued to colored man and Re-
publican at that When I was in Washing
ton, colored Republican, an ex-oficeholder
of this State-Professor Greener Of the State
University to me and asked for re.
commendation. I told him could not un-
derstand what value my recommendation
would be to him; but upon his renewing hfs,
request I gave him letter, and I told the,
President that I had not intended to give any
recommendation of the late Administration
in South Carolina, but as Greener was col
ored man, had voted for Hayes and stumped
the State for Chamberlain, thought I could
afford to make an exception in his case.
What say to you here wish every man to
repeat. I only say to you, judge the Admin
istration by its acts. don't want you to be-
come Democrats or Conservatives. I ask you
to forget all about politics, and only want
the support of those men in South Carolina
who believe that am standing on the Con.
stitution, obeying the laws and keeping my
oath to see justice done to every man in South
Carolina. I have the right, as Governor of
the State, to ask that. have the right to 60
to the people who have elected me and ask
them to hold up my hands as long as I am
doing right When am doing wrong let them
turn their backs upon me. If white men and
black will do this, and try and forget all the
animcsities engendered during the past strug-
gle-if they will remember only that they
are Carolinians-that we all have to live here
together on this soil-that when We die our
bones will crumble away together in the bos.
ON of this old earth that gave us birth-if
you will devote yourselves, heart a6d-band,
to build up the State, / tell you that before
two years have passed away there will be no
parties in this State to divide the people on
State politics. There may be in National
politics, but there will be so strong party of
white and black men united together that,
practically, we will have no domestic divis-
IONS I have worked, and am working, for
nothing else, and pledge you my honor that
it was the hope to bring about that state Of
things, and only that hope, so help me God,
that induced me to become a candidate for
Governor. If it is given to me to bring
peace-if it is given to me to restore the pros
perity of this State-to see all our people
happy and prosperous, will feel that my
work has been done, and will then be COM
pensated for every sacrifice that l have made.
You and may not live to see this era, but
our children and our children's children will
rise up to bless the men that worked out their
redemption. Applause