Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-01-08
5tlistellaueuns @eadiua.
A TALK WITH HAMPTON.
L1GHTTHRoWN UPON DIVERS DARK SUBJECTS


Correspondence of the Charleston News and Courier
WASHINGTON, December 21.-The evident
and widespread interest which has been mani.
tested in regard to the matter of an alleged
bargain for the withdrawal of the Tilden
electors from the Democratic ticket in South
Carolina during the campaign of 1876, in
duced me to apply to Senator Hampton,
few days ago, for statement Of the actual
facts in the case as known to him. In the
course of several conversations since had with
him upon this subject, other facts were
brought out, incidentally, which | requested
to be allowed to make known also, as throw.
ing new light upon subject in which the
people of the State will always feel the deep.
est interest.
The following narrative is the result of my
application, and must be understood as pre-
senting only the substance of his replies to my
numerous inquiries.
THE CAMPAIGN OF 1880.
Senator Hampton said that in the absence
of all his papers, and after so long lapse of
time great many details must have escaped
his memory, and he could, therefore, only give
the general facts as far as he could recollect
them. regret exceedingly, he continued,
| that these questions concerning the Tilden
matter have been reopened. can see no
good that can arise from the discussion at q
| time when the Democratic party in South
Carolina requires to be united in orderto be
successful. My position with reference to its
duty and interest has been that all the gentle
men who had been nominated, either for Gov
ernor or for any other Office, for the next
canvass, should have their names fairly
brought before the public and presented to
the convention. The duty Of selecting the
standard bearers would devolve upon that
Convention, and its action should be binding.
have not expressed, in public, any preference
for any man in the State to Gil any particular
office, aud have only indicated, in general
terms, my views, that we should hold to the
policy which was so successful in 1876. 1t is
no longer an experimental one it is the only
one that has ever carried the State-the only
one that could have carried it, and is the only
one that can carry it in the future.
| TWO WAYS TO CARRY THE STATE.
We have majority of fifteen thousand col
ored voters, and it must be palpable to every
sensible man that there are but two ways to
carry the election. The first is to secure
enough of these colored votes-as we did in
1S76-to give success to the Democratic par.
ty. The second is to suppress that majority
by fraud. Between these alternatives think
there can be no question, not only as to the
duty, but the wisdom of choosing the first. 1t
is the only one that has been successful it is
the only one that is right, or that can be made
right.
Nv belief in the canvass of 1876 was that
by appealing to the colored people, and show.
ing them that their interests were Identical
with those of the white people, we could Sc
cure the allegiance Of a large number Of them,
and the result justified that belief Many
colored men in every county exerted their
hest efforts to promote the Democratic cause,
and hundreds voted the Democratic ticket at
the election. My hope was that when should
be Governor, the administration of the laws
would be so impartial and the improvement,
in the affairs of the State be so marked, that
the colored men would recognize the fact that
their interests were ours, and a large number
of them be thus won to give the Democratic
party their cordial and steady support. That
this hope, too, was justified, is proved by the
fact that the Republicans placed no State
ticket in the field in 1878, and gave me the
assurance-which was the strongest induce
,nent to me to become candidate again
that if I would allow my name to be used
there should be no opposition to me, and ii
was further proved by the fact that nearly
$4,000 negroes voted for me in the election Of
that year. There are only about $4,000 white
voters in the State, and as there was but one
ticket, and it received over 10000 votes, il
is manifest that nearly $4,000 colored men
voted with US Of their own good will. | be-
lieved that by pursuingin '7S the same policy
rs in '76, we would be successful, and we were
so.
FRAUD AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.
AS to the other alternative. In the first
place, it would be clearly wrong; and in the
next place, would ultimately react on our own
people to such an extent that everything like
purity of elections would become farce and
mockery; and, in the third place, it would in
evitably subject all who perpetrated any fraud
to prosecution and punishment by the United
States Government. For these reasons, while
not expressing preference for any particular
man as candidate, l have thought it of the
last consequence that we should nominate q
ticket fully representing the conservatveid ideas
that gave us success in the canvass of 1876.
These being my general views as to its policy,
and recognizing the absolute necessity for our
party to remain united and harmonious,
have earnestly deprecated, and do deprecate
all agitation that could tend to disintegrate
the party, and all issues which would seem to
be mere personal ones.
THE ATTACKS ON HAMPTON.
Acting upon these considerations, have
studiously refrained from replying to any Of
the attacks that have been made upon myself,
and should have remained silent so long as
they were confined to South Carolina, or were
given currency only in that State. But when
the charge was made directly by Gen. Gary,
in the New York Herald, that had proposed
to him to "sell out Tilden;" that "the shame
full proposition" had been made by me with a
view to securing my own election, and that l
had been unfaithful to the Democratic party
or Mr.. Tilden, thought it incumbent upon
me- in Justice to Mr.. Tilden, the Democratic
party and myself personally, to pronounce it
untrue, as I have DONE The same charges
had been made by "a Tilden Democrat" in
an Augusta paper In January, 1877, and were
promptly refuted by COL A. c. Haskell, chair;
man of the State Democratic Committee, and
Gen. MCGOWAN, who related what really had
occurred and exonerated me from any possible
imputation Of in6delity to the National Dem.
ocratic party.
Col. Haskell was correct in his statement,