The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-10-28
Taft on the Red Shirts.

~ At VA tllc nSU CulIJS.
Taft's report to the News and Couyi-
ov Of the meeting in Winnsboro on
Saturday causes much amusement
hero. Ho was either pretty badly
scared, or else wished 10 make politi-
cal capital out ola noisy parade, yet
az haFr!css n meeting as has ever
abss:' ass' '1a?e2 e IL Il: II Tic State. x ihief sees
an officer in every bush, and Taft may
have been thrilled with terror by every
hurrah tor Hancock. That with all
tho hurrnhing and noise no violence
was contemplated, is best proved by
tho fact that mono was committed.
Nothing could have preserved he
peace but The determination by the
Democrats themselves that it should
be preserved. The people Of Fairfield
know full well how to show their
determination without offering need
loss violence. The facts Of Tic matter
arc about these. IL was intended to
give TAFT retinuc Of red-shirts, who
should ride along on either side. But
the crowd was SO great that this could
not be carried into effect, and the
masses flocking together from three
streets into ono place made IL jam. 1t
wns not known who had come, and
tho men riding in tho rear pushed for
word to see who it wns. Right here
some OF tho mon yelled, "Lct us get Mt
him." and some ono, not haring on Il
retl-shirt, did make grab at Taft's
throat, but his hand was immediately
wrenchcd away, and Taft's collar un-
buttoned. This was the amount of it,
and Taft wore lis collar and crnvat all
the time he was here. This part of
his story is untruc.-During tho
speech, ono Of the horscmcn pitched q
riding switch over ut Taft on the
stand. This was the alleged "stick"
that struck him, but, as he himself
says, did not hurt him. This was no
outrage. There was no disgraceful
Growing" at tho stand, and Major
Woodward did not have to show tho
disgust that Taft claims he did. In
fact, Taft got much quictcr hearing
on Saturday than he ever used to get
before Mackoy's negroes III Charles
ton. The crowd even laughed hearth
]y Mt some jokes he told at the expense
OF the Democrats. This does not look
like the infI.riated crowd he would
havc people bolievo were there.
Walking home, as he says, " ith
Colonel Rion, he was followed by
some rcd-shirts, but about dozen
colorcd men and boys were between
him and the men OH horseback, whose
only aim WAS to make tho thing ridicu-
lous by cscorting a Radical. Some
times they crowded little close, as
horses walk faster than men, but they
made no effort to run over TAFT. Some
gentlemen went to tho hotel and sat
with Taft, and llud very jolly time
DO 1t here remarked, for two reasons
first, 1t was said TINT some half &
dozen Of the crowd outside had al egg
apiece (fresh ones, as Taft himseI
says), that they proposed to make a,
omelet OF III his hat, and 1t wns though
potter that this culinary operation
should DO postponed till after the cleo
tion; and in the next place it wa.
thought just MS we'll that Taft should
be talking to Democrats as talking tt
the Radical leaders of the county
Hence this kind attention to him.
AS to Colonel Rion's exceeding
great profanity Taft is especially GOOD
Imagine Colonel Rion winding II,
every argument with an oath! Taf
must have gone clean daft about ,hi
time.
1t Is all nonsense about pulling hin
OIL his horse. TO give the horse 81,
tap or 80 occasionally to make it "stcl
along gaily" is about as harmless
piece Of fun rs could be devised, mn,
Is conclusive proof that tho crowd wa
not going to do personal violence.
No Democrat was removed by fore
rom the room after attempting to xii
Taft. One rcd-shirt came III tho roo,
and warbled in pianissimo, to IN
tnnc Of "Baby Mine," the followin,