The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-08-08
DEMOCRAqYC MUNICIpAL. TICKET
THE RADICAL COUNTY eoNvsNrIoN


more like a set of mourners in a hangman's
procession, than set of statesmen (?) as
sembled 70 devise measures for the success
of political party looking to the govern
ment of a Stats. The countenance OF the
members was dull, heavy and hfeless, and
they were mere handful compared with
the conventions Of fornes years. Forty
two delegates were called for, and out of
this number only twenty-three or four an
swered 10 roll call, and there was not
white face to be found within the pale of
their convention. It was ell one color, and
not very much Of; that TIE convention
was not.oniy small, but the attendance of
the colosA people from the County was
unusually small, while by some coincidence
= there were three or four white men fer every
colored man present.
The meeting was called TO order by the
County Chairman of the Republican party,
the notorious w. r. Parker, of the Fork
township, and after fooling away upwards
of one hour, the twenty-three men were
=ascertaincd, to be present, and the ccnven-
ton proceeded to the election of four dele
gates to the Republican State Convention.
A committee was appointed to nominate
these delegates. and while the committee
WIS out Parker addressed the convention in
q low, vulgar and disgusting harangue, of
which any man who makes pretensions to
ministerial functions, as he does, should
have been heartily ashamed. The speech
was politically mild and comparatively
inofensive one for Parker, the principal
. burden Of which was to prove that the Re-
publican party had purified itself, and that
the, colored people ought to have Offices.
The committee to nominate delegates to the
State Convention returned, and the chair
man of the committee, (whose name we do
not remeaber,) little round-headed num-
skull from the Fork, stated that he begged
lesve to report, and then turned to another
member of the committee to read off the
names of the delegates, which list no doubt
had been furnished beforehand to the COM
mittee. The delegates elected on the nomi-
nation of the committee were John r.
Cochran, W., r. Parker, Samuel Johnson
and Jonas Brown. Henry Kennedy then
stated to the chairman that he wanted in
formation as to what the Democratic party
was doing, as he did not want to go in the
dark any longer. The chairman ruled him
out Of order, as it did not make any differ
ence what the Democrats are doing A
committee was then appointed to nominate
alternates to the convention.
McDuffie Singleton moved that Mr. E. B.
Murray beinvited to address the convention,
and the motion was adopted. Mr.. Murray
then went into the convention, and spoke
ut length upon the relations between the
white and colored man, showing that both
are better of. under Democratic government
than under Republican. He told the COL
ored people that they not only enjoy low
taxes, but that their personal rights are
protected, and referred to the riots in 1876,
when Chamberlain was Governor, and did
nothing to preserve the peace of the State.
Nothing of this kind had happened since
Hampton was Governor. He told them
that the. Republican party only wanted
their votes to keep them in office but that
the masses of the colored people get no
benefit from this, for as general thing the
Republican party had only elected corrupt
or ignorant men to Office, and that the DEM
ocratic party had purified the government.
Given good laws and justice to all men.
That it has taken rights away from no col
ored man. That they were not interested
in the color of the officers of the State.
They need good laws, and law made by q
white man is as good for them as one made
by a colored man. He said that this State
is not only Democratic, but that it will
stay so and if they ever want office
they can only get it by joining the Dem
ocratic party, and proving themselves
worthy and capable of filling it. That in
Colleton the Democrats have nominated a
colored man for the Legislature, and will do
so in other counties where enough of them
join the Democratic party, and suitable men
can be found. After answering number
of questions, he closed by urging them as
race to support the Democratic ticket, and
to go to work in our schools to get an edu-
cation, and by industry and economy to
accumulate property, which can only be
done by quitting the Republican party.
This is only brief outline of the speech,
which was well received by the colored peo-
Pile, and frequently applauded.
After this, Samuel Johnson, one of the
delegates to the State Convention, moved
that the convention instruct its delegates to
vote for Hampton and his ticket. The
chairman ruled this motion out of order.
An amusing scene followed. McDuffie
Singleton spoke against the ruling of the
chairman and in favor of the resolution.
Parker ruled him out of order, saying that
he knew what was his business, to which
Henry Kennedy replied that if he knew his
business they would like for him to attend
to it, and put the question. He, too, was
ruled out of order, and Green D. Williams,
their ex-County Chairman, followed in q
very sensible speech, endorsing Governor
Hampton and his administration, and ad-
vising the colorcd people either to vote that
ticket or not to vote at all.
Alternates to the State Convention were
then elected, one of whom was Henry
Kennedy. We have forgotten the others.
A resolution inviting Col. James L. Orr
to address the convention was adopted, and
he came forward and responded in an excel
lent speech, saying that this action of the
convention in inviting speakers from the
Democratic party showed disposition to
get information, and was in striking con-
trast to the course pursued few years ago.
when their meetings were secret, and when
they did not want to hear any other than
their own side. He thought it sign of
great improvement. He spoke of the way
..uln