Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-03-17
The Aurkpille Guqnirer,
YORK.VILLE. s. c.:
THURSDAY MOI MING, MARCH II, 1881
THE 0UEss .ON OF THE HOUR.

as to the best way of getting rid Of that bar
to the highest National political prosperity
known as the "Solid South" the american, a
Philadelphia weekly journal, recently ad'
dressed circular letter to leading men in
each State, asking them CD whether the car
pet bag influence had been helpful or hurtful
(2) how far this influence had been opposed
or fostered by State legislation and public
opinion 90 had the carpet baggers a fair
chance to be honest; (4) is the carpet bag in
Auence on the wane or waxing; 90 are North
ern Democrats hel or hindrance to South
ern political prosperity; (6) what is the con-
dition of the negro party and its future; (7)
has the time come or is it near when the white
people will seek affliation with new parties
90 what have been the errors in the treatment
of the South by the Northern press (9 what
would the South like to have, what does she
need and what does she expect to get from
Northern politicians, the Republican party
and the President
Unanswerable letters, some of them quite
lengthy, were written in reply to the circular
and promptly published by the American
Senators Butler and Hampton each replied
the former giving full expression to his views
but the latter coatenting himself by saying
while l am in sympathy with the object
you have in view-that of bringing about a
better understanding between the North and
the South-I cannot find time to answer your
questions properly. They cover too wide a
field. But hope that the discussion they
will wake will be productive of good to the
whole country"
In reply to the seventh question, Senator
Butler said:
"There is no new party with which the white
people of the South can affiliate. No man
in the South can ally himself with the Repub
lican party as it is known and organized in
my State, and maintain his selfrespect, or the
respect of his neighbors Those who organ.
lied the Republican party in South Carolina
made it so odious, committed so many crimes,
and did so many wrongs in the name of Re.
publicanism, that no respectable man could
join it.
my opinion is that many people in any
part of the country are held to party by a
very slight tenure. 1t is so in the South, and
# the Republican party could be made respecta.
bic in South Carolina, I think it not unlikely
that good ,ohite men ,uould join 1t. So long as
the present Republican leaders in South Caro-
lima continue their party organization on the
race line. and make it negro party, thereby
keeping alive the impending menace Of negro
domination, and all the evils growing out of
it, just so long will the white people remain
solidly Democratic. When this race issue is
abandoned by the Republican leaders, and
this menace removed, the white people Of the
South will divide on questions of public poll
cy, as they do elsewhere; but not before"
Congressman Aiken laconically replied on
a postal card that he had not time to answer
the questions "on his own account" but says
that his views are concisely embodied in the
inaugural address of Hon. Johnston Hagood,
the present Governor of the State. Mr.. All
ken considers that every question concering
Democratic rule in South Carolina is answer
ed by the present value of South Carolina
bonds.
Congressman Richardson answered the
ninth question as follows:
"The South hardly knows what to expect
from the President-elect. AS is we'll known,
Gen. Garfield YVES not the choice of the South.
ern white people for President; but think it
can be safely said they are disposed to give
his administration reasonable and fair sup.
port. No obstacle will be thrown in his way,
and every measure he may inaugurate look
ing to the general good of the whole country,
will receive, am sure, their hearty support
They do not expect any harsh or extreme
course to be pursued by him. The South
needs great deal, and would like to have
what she needs. She needs, first and fore
most, greater educational facilities for all
classes Of her people, especially the poor whites
and the colored people. She would like to
have from the General Government the ne.
cessary pecuniary hel p to enable her to prop
erly educate them. She is unable to do this
in her poverty as she would like to have it
done. She has done all she can for this
great cause, and beyond this really and truly
needs help. She needs, and would like to
have, her rivers and harbors improved, with
like the liberality with which the
rivers and harbors in other sections of the
country have been improved. For years, es-
Decially with South Carolina, she has been
eft out in the cold, without any assistance in
his direction, while liberal appropriations
we're being made for the rivers and harbors
If other sections of our country. She feels
hat the time has come when she should re-
,eive the liberal support of the General Gov
in improving our unsurpassed natu-
.al water advantages. But as much as she
needs all this, the South, in my judgment,
needs still more TO have peace and quiet in
I'll her borders. She has before her the most
difficult of all political problems to solve.
That problem is shis: Can two distinct races,
,ne of them in t e minority, but composed
If the intelligence, culture and wealth of the
and the other, the majority, COM
posed of the recent slaves of that minority,
md an ignorant and illiterate mass of newly
freedmen, live in peace and
]uiet in the same country, respecting the
lights of each other, and together work for
he common good of the whole? Such
problem has never before been solved in the
history of the civilized world. In solving it,
he South needs, more than anything else,
,eace and quiet, and all the forbearance, as