Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1878-07-18
from Dem ocratir negroes eso=calieass

1 from Democrat negroes 80 :caiiee'
7insthe language of theparnot, we'll haye
E"ah-ll of atime." III =
..sa Negroes, asa class, from their great,
ignorance, have no politics or principles.
Perhaps fifty of those in Edgefield can
read and understand what they reaat:
Ten of these control the rest politicallv'
that is such as have not lost faith in Re,
publicanlsm, and vote with their en-
plovers from self-interest. nr from eho'ce:
These are not very numerous, though
increasing every year. Once estanlis''
the principle that those who votei me
ticket in 1876 shall participate IN the
counsels and nominations Of the par :
ty, that roting The Democratic tac6et once
entities them to alt the prioilc9es % a
rhite Democrat, and the Radical party
would swallow the Democratic party, as
it were, and join it to conquer. !.
At least enough negroes would 40 so
to hold the balance of power and nulhIy
the real choice of the white men IN
nominating candidates. The people Oh
Elgefield had rs lief have Cain, Simklns
and McDevitt to representation as ro' ten
otfice-seekers who CAN get the nomina-
ton only by and through negroes.
A great deal has been said about In
gratitude, "broken- pledges, new and
abhorrent principles, boiling the
PLATFORM" &c, &c. No pledges were
ever made in Edgefield, by Hampton or
anybody else, to allow negroes to par
ticipate in the c6unsels and nominations
of the party. He might have made such
pledges in, some of those Banner
Counties nearer the coast, but hero ne
only pledged himself to be the Governor
of white and black alike. and that all
should have equal justice before the law.
And defy any man to say that Edgefield
has not redeemed those pledges. Those
".new and abhorrent" principles o.
white men alone nominating white men
for office, were the very quintessence OF
our platform in 1876 On it we gained
the grandcst political victory ever known,
while in those counties which adopted
the programme of our great and good
Governor, this party was defeated. we
did IL It then make any promises to the
ear and break then, to the heart" anu
do not propose to do so now. Our sister
Counties, who choose, can admit the ne
groes to political and social equality II
they wish and one will inevitably lead
to the other 1t is none Of our business
and we don't care. We only claim ihe
right to regulate our own affairs in ctr
own way, and are prepared to maintain
that right against all corners.
We stand now upon the same platform
we occupied then. We have only changed
our system of nominating from the Con-
vention to primary election. And will
some Of those other counties not make
pledges to the ear and break them to the
heart' by those very Conventions?
II EdgeGeld had relied alone upon
"pledges" in 1876, Chamberlain would
to dav be Governor of South Carolina.
Those boasted pledges, OF which wc hear
so much, did not gain dozen votes here
The negroes voted our ticket, some
through fear. but mostly because they
dreaded to lose their homes and work,
which our people threatened in the even
of Chamberlain's election. Our North
ern Republican brethren thus . bull
dozc' their factory operatives; and what
is good for thom is good for Us. in spite
of the act of Congress. We boldly pro-
claim ourselves intimidators to that eS-
tent in 1876. and Gov. Hampton may
nay, "has made the most Of H." For i.
we thank him, bit it seems he doesen'l
thank us. One thing however ] think
we can safely promise him. His i'm
maculate Returning Board will not have
to dirty their honorable hands with
Edgefeld.
4 few more words and my painful task
will he accomplished. South Carolina
has ever been prone to hero-worship. II
was common saying once that when
evcr-M Calhoun took SNUFF, SUutlf-cSAr~
olina sncezed." Because Edgeheld does
not snecze when Hampton takes snuff,
the epithets fraud" ''intimidation,''
"Ku Klux" are hurled at her devoted
head. Honor" is indeed worthy Of al
but consistency is jewc' V
And Elgetield's honor is us dear to her
AZ Hampton's is to him. We never
thought to see Generals Hampton and
Hagood among the assailants OF her
e,od name, even by insinuations. II
they have any new evidence touching
upon tho legality of the election here in
1876, upon which to base their insinua-
tons, "honor" and consistency both de-
mand they should resign their Offices ere
the ranks of our traducers.
Edeefeld can well exclam with Cesar
yet tu Brute ;" But the wound, though
notwithstanding whonce 1t does, is not
mortal.
ONE OF TIE PEOPLE.