Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-03-04
EQUAL Rights in South Carolina.

As showing the condition of political af-
fairs in South Carolina the Boston 7raoeHer
publishes an interesting letter from Miss
Martha Schofeld, n well-known Quaker
teacher, living ut Aiken. This plainly shows
the measure of "rights" allotted to the un-
fortunate colored race
AIKEN, S. c., Feb. 8, 1851 Esteemed
Friend: Just now we are going through a
baptism of fire, and the only comfort Of
my heart through these days and nights of
indignation, is that if eternal vigilance is the
price of liberty. freedom can only be bought
by suffering. Alas here are poor, ignorant
uncducated men with the GJd-given love of
liberty, seized in our streets, taken from
their work and thrown into IA jail where
there is no sash in the window, no way of
warming it, and the mercury at 25'. Thir-
teen were arrested last week, one a former
pupil of ours, and the trial justice (?) allow
ed only 10 minutes to get bonds. Ills father
came here for MIR. Rodenbach (principal Of
the Scholield school, and after much quib-
bling his bond was accepted, although next
day an attempt was made to reject II, rs well
us the bonds of several northern men who
had ample property to cover them.
| The cause OF all this is to prevent tgsti-
mony being given to the United States com
missioner who is here with marshals to try
white men who voted more than once at the
| November election a colOred supervisor
was witness against them, hut the day at
ter he testified he was arrested by the State
officials tor perjury. The commissioner Ga
Southerner) knew il was 10 lnllmldate others,
and promptly arrested the sheriff AMI trial
| justice and bound them over for the United
States Court in Charleston. Then the whole
sale business commenced on the plea of in
vestigG:ing riot on election day The testi-
mony given by miserable unprincipled white
man against our scholar WAS that he clap
ped his hands and said he had right to
vote" The truth is that at the time the
witness swore he saw him, the 10y was
locked up in his own room back OF little
| store he keeps but without bonds he would
have gone to jail
But of what good are coults or judges or
jurics Justice is II frozen statue, ~ right
moves "A drop of blood in her veins, no
agonics touch her heart into feeling. have
lived nearly score Of years in tins State,
and have yet Ia the first white man pun
ished for stabbin5 OF killiusa negro, unless
tried in the United States conIlS, and then
seldom, only the ku kluN.
What mockery has been the II Years OF
freedom with 40. 900 men outraged "r muir
! dcred for accepting the political freedom the
United States forced upon them. never
knowing who next will be nailed To the cross,
until the poor patient souls ciy out IN de
spair, My God My Gni. why hast thou
iorsakrn me =.
Very truly thy friend.
! MARTuA SCHnFIEI.D.
Mr.. G.. b. Rice "a former Nermonter)
writes Il letter from the same place TO the
Worcester Spy, III which he says:
This county has Republican majority of
from 800 to 1000, yet the returns OF the last
election show IA Democratic majority ot
3,iS6. On election morning, after having
been riding about the streets until II late
hour the preceding night, firing pistols, and
yelling, the ''red shirt" assembled at an early
hour, and having hauled u cannon into the
street, commenced the days work with fir
ing oil the cannon, guns and pistols, the pur-
pose being To make such noise as Ia fright
en- ms many of the negroes as possible, and
thus prevent their going Ia the polls. Alter
IA while the firing ceased, and the cannon was
left on the street opposite and pointing
toward the polling place local military
company assembled under arms. and made
Il building Just in the rear OF the cannon their
arsenal nearly every Democrat hal II wea-
pom of some description. There were n great
many colored men in town as they
had hopes OF being able 10 vote
more peaceably here than at the
country voting places. Many were
frightened away by these demonstrations
and made no attempt 10 vote. OF those
who did attempt To vote many were detained
several minutes answering questions to con
sumo time, ST. that the least possible number
could have an opportunity 10 vote before the
poll closed If they came toward the poll in
large numbers, as they did ut times during
the day, they were driven back by armed
men Several were stabbed during the day
as they were endcavoring to get up To vote,
and when the polls closed at night there
were one hundred or more waiting for II
chance to vote. When they were informed
that the box was closed they went quietly
home
About three weeks ago several white men
were arrested and brought before u United
States commissioner charged with violations
of the United States election laws nj the last
election in this town and vicinity.
The first case heard by the Commissioners
WAS for obstructlng deputy marshal at this
place. The commissioner, thinking the les
timony against the prisoners insufficient, dis-
charged them The cnlorcd man who had
testified for the government in this case was
Immediately arrested by the sheriff ui thu
county for perjury, and brought before a
trial justice who placed him under $500