New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-11-19
VOTING IN WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY.


leave and he left" L. l. W.
VOTING IN WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY.
MP sWAIISs POSITION AND INFLUENCE N THE
COUNTY WHICH THE DEMOCRATS ORDERED HIM
TO LEAvE-A Negroes FRANK ASSERTIONS
DEMOCRATIC VICTORY IN SPITE OF A MAJORITY
OF STRAIGHT REPUBLICAN VOTES.
IFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRIBUNE
KINGsTREE, Nov. Isl had two reasons for
spending my first whole day in Williamsburg
County in driving out into the country instead Of
IouneinC about the town II gave me an excuse for
being here as though visitors TO spy out the land
for possible settlers are not frequent III this
part of the State, it would not be at all remarkable
for one to come along and of course ne would want
to see how the plantations lie and what they are
capable of producing also desired an opportunity
to talk with the coored people. and stranger can
not do that in the town without exciting remark.
Securing horse and buggy and an intelligent COL
ored man to drive, l started after breakfast this
morning for Indiantown, settlement of large cot
ton planters about seventeen miles southeast of
Kingstree. The drivers name was Lewis, and he
was born and raised in this village. He knew the
country thoroughly could point ont the boundaries
of every mans tract tell me what different planta-
tions were worth an acre, and converse intelli-
gently on almost any ordinary topic.
A quarter Of mile from the Court House we passed
the place owned by Mr. SwailS, who has recently OBJ
tanned National notorety by having been warned 10
leave this county OF take the consequences. There
is not house in Kingstrec which by its external APP
pearance and surroundings gives evidence OF more
refinement and taste than that Of the late leader OF
the Republicans of this county. The dwelling is
two stories high. and with its fresh white paint,
green blinds and broad porch II has the appearance
of being the residence of wei-todo country lawyer
or physician Everything about it denotes thrift.
The broad walk leading from the street 70 tie front
door. and lined on either side with tall, we'll
trimmed box trees the stable and other out-houscs
observation-disclosures, the extensive grapeTy-ail show
the evidence of care and taste.
Lewis told me something of the history Of Mr.
Swails as we rode along. He served in the Union
Army and, learn from others, claims to have been
the first cOlOred man who received commission.
After the war he was sent here by some Northern
society," or by the Freedmen's Bureau. to open the
first colored school in the county. He taught two
or three years. served as School Commissioner for
the county, was elected IL be ihtendcnt of the
town ana to represent the county in the State
Senate. He organized the Republican party Of
Williamsburg and has ALWAYS been its chief man
aper Nobody else IN this vicinity has 1.-THE OF the
influence over the colOred people which Mr.. SwaIs
has, and when running for local Office he has gen.
orally had considerable support from white Demo-
crots In short ever since he came here he has had
more political power and influence than any other
man. white or black, in the county. He was the
Republican candidate for the State SenatOrship at
the late election.
"Well. Lewis, they beat him after all,' said
after he had given me- in detached portions and III
response TO much questioning, the substance of Mr..
Swails's record.
yes he said-I shall not attempt to represent
tbe negro pronunciation" and don't justly see
how il was done, either. / believe that if those
boxes were properly examined, it would be found
that ne was elected after all. Nobody could beat
Swails."
"Did the colored people all vote y asked.
"Yesr he replied every one of them"
"Tbcn they must have voted the Democratic
ticket. and the Democrats here say they did"
well, know better. have carried Republican
tickets at every election since reconstruction aud
know how the colored people voted | don't at
tempt to deny how voted. There were some men
on our ticket that were no more mt for office than
that horse "-striking the nag with his oak stick
"and scratched their names off. There were just
seven colo,cd people who voted the Democratic
ticket at Ki:gstree and that is not half many as
voted for Hampton two years ago"
.sDid not other colored men scratch their tickets
as you didF
'No SIR he replied. emphasizing the last word;
''they all voted straight"
"Then how do you account for the Democratic
suecessp
That's Just what can't do. Mind, don't say
that anything wrong, because don't know 1T,
but do know that all the colOred people voted the
Republican ticket; that there are a good many
more of them than there are of the white people,
and we ought to have carried the county by 500 or
600 votes, and they say that the Democrats carried
il by GOO majority"
Lewis was in Manning when Swails was bulldozed
and ordered to leave the county, and 50 knew very
few Of the particulars of the affair. He said,
though. that If he had been Swails he would not
have gone away. asked him if he did not think
that the white people would have attacked Swails
If he had not gone away and he replied that he did
not believe that they would. Their object, he
thought was to get him out of the way until after
election but il he had refused to 60 he did not
believe that they would have hurt him.
As we rode along Lewis pointed out TO me the