Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-12-23
THE NEGRO As A RULER.

Col. A. K. Mcclure, the able and impartial
editor Of the Philadelphia Times, paper Of
strong Republican tendencies, is making g.
tour of the Southern States, and writing for
his paper the result of his observations along
his route. He takes favorable view Of the
condition of affairs in the South, and con.
cludes that the Southern States are in pros.
porous condition. In his letter from Colnm.
bia he gives the following on the problem of
negro self rule:
The problem of negro selfrule has not been;
solved, as the true solution must be the work
of years of opportunity for growth in fitness
for selfrule, but it has been fairly tried in
two portions of the Union since the war, mud
in both instances it has resulted in debauched
leaders and demoralized followers, leaving
the general condition of the race worse be-
cause of the experiment. To assume that the
black man, who has been slave III the South
and a menial in the North, and whose educa-
,ion was either positively interdicted or neg.
lected should prove himself proficient in
selfrule, without aia or even sympathy frum
the mass of the whites, is to judge him by
standard that would overthrow every princi.
pie of popular government; but country
that is struggling to solve the problem of Uni.
versal suffrage, with great States subject 10
the numerical majority of ignorant and thrift
less masses, must carefully study every re-
curing phase of the effort In Washington
CITY. Where the negro was first enfranchised.
the nation exhibited to the world the most
corrupt, proAigate and demoralized govern.
ment to be found in the Union, aud the same
political power that gave the ballot to the
black men of the capital was compelled to
revoke the elective franchise and save the
credit and good name of Washington ny
making the negro voiceless in his own gov.
ernment. 1t was sad necessity-and sad
confession of the failure of suffrage when ex.
ercised by race prejudice without intelligence
but the same Republican statesmen who gave
the right of self rule to the black man in the
capital of the nation, had to rescue the capi-
tai from destruction! and shame by sweeping
disfranchisement.
After graphically and truthfully describing
the negro carpet.bag rule in South Carolina
from the days of reconstruction to the acces'
sion of the Democratic party-facts already
too familiar to our people-he concludes with
the following reflections as to the result of
comforting the ballot upon the negro race.
None know better than the masses of col:
ored voters of South Carolina that their at.
tempt at self rule has been a terrible failure,
and they are now diserustful of all colored
leaders, while they have nothing but curses
for the desperate white adventures who I'M
ppverished both races while assuming to ele.
vate and benefit the negro. 1t was this feel.
ing that made the election of Hampton posi-:
BILE in 1876, and the sceptre once wrested
from such race, will not soon be regalned.
They feel little hope o! aiding themselves by
a negro restoration. They saw the State
robbed of lands for negro homes and the
property stolen by those who claimed to he
the friend of the negro. They saw taxes
wrung from property TO educate the negro,
and a large portion stolen outright and the
schools made merely mockery Of education:
Now they see nearly seventy.hve thousand
colored children in free schools, and nearly
twelve hundred colored teachers instructing
them under the bene6cence of the State.
They see, also, an amendment of the Consti-
tuition adopted making fixed and irrevocable
appropriations for free and equal education,
and the Governor Of the State declaring
for still greater increase in the Facilities for
ipstructing both whites and blacks. They
see business and confidence revive; they see
more labor and better pay; they are steadily
increasing their friendly relations with the
whites by leases of lands, and many of them
are becoming small proprietors since they
ceased to neglect industry to follow the com.
mands of selfish leaders, and a large proper
tion of the more thrifty class have openly
taken their political stand with the whites,
while thousands of others. especially in minor.
ity counties refuse to take any part in poll
tics. They have majority Of from twenty
to thirty thousand in the State on strict
color line division, but there will never be
another solid negro vote cast in this State.
Superior intelligence and will must rule here
as in all other places in the world, and both
whites and blacks understand it. There will
be unustifable methods here to repress such
negro counties as Beaufort and Charleston,
and they will need the correcting hand Of
Justice but until all tho laws Of human ma.
ture and of interest shall be reversed, the