The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1882-08-04
EXTRACT FROM COL. EvINS SPEECH IN
De FRNCs OF HESITATE.

Wo of South Cir,lina object to being
etern,lly lectured as to what W. should do
or undoue. We repuli li.te the guardian
ship of the Republican party
Why, sir, what right have membs-s of
that party TO lecture anybody in rsferaucc
to 8 od morals Have they not gerry.
wandered every State OF which they have
had control? Have they u,t supp resscd
tn Democratic vote wherever it was in their
power to do 50? Did they not steal the
Presidency of the United States Have
they not filled cvery dep .rtment Of the gov
ernmcnt with corruption ? Did they not
gorify ex Senator Dorsey. n)w fam,us on
account of his connection with the star
route steal. for bayiny u minority for Gar.
field aud Arthur in the state Of Indiana at
the Inst Presidential ele tiou D, they
not continually levy backm,l upon the
office holders Of the government iu order to
raise hundreds of thousands Of dollars by
which the voters of this country may be
corrupted? And are we to be cternally
lecturcd by these mcn as to what is 4 proper
standard of morality for US in political mat
ters We are tired of this thing For
gentlemen belonging to that purity to talk
about Il high standard OF morality in poitics
is something like the bawd talking about the
beauties OF virtue, or Gitteal iuveighiug
against political assassination.
Sir, have as great an abb )rrence of fraud
and corruption as any sentlemi miu M either
side of this House rcpud,ate it whcr-
ever [ fud it Bat if there ever WIS an
excuse anywhere for yerrym .udarius we in
South Carolina have better one than can
be offered by the people ofany other State.
Why, sir, We ure judged as if we had
perfectly normal epudition Of things dow n
there; as if everything were just as it is in
the New England States, or any OF the well
regulated St ties Of the North. Gentlemen
have no idea at all Of the terrible menace
With which our very civilization is threat.
ened all the while. They know nothing of
the condition of things down there, and
only betray their own Ignorance wheacve +
they talk about it. Why, sir, every honest
Republican who has come to South Carolina
and investigated the condition of things
for himself has told the truth about these
I al-----, sa---ss 5s-Ourrouutty confronted
there with the vote ,f more tn IN hundred
thousand persons, to whom you gave the
Suffrage grossly ignorant and totally unfit.
ted To exercise the right of IL voter, either
tor their own benefit or that of others.
d. not blame, and never have blamed
the colored man for this. have done, and
my people are doing, all they c IN to elevate
the colored .ace, by giving them means a nd
opportunities for educit,n [ rust there
Is better time coming for them aud for us.
We have not grumbed because we were
taxed for their benefit We have gwen
our means cheerfully aud literally to edu.
cate them. The very first thing that the
people of South Caroin, did when thew
came into power in 1876 was to amend the
Constitution So as to crcae larger fund
for the educltion Of these very people.
Now. MIR Speaker, do not care to Gu
ter into any dirty squabb!e about the good
morals of South Carolina or any other peo-
pie | think that We should rise above the
miserable party feeling and the vile personal
abuse which one side of the House is
accustomed to pour upon the other. All
that we claim is equality. All that We
assert is that we have just the same rights
in This government that you have, and SO
long rs we d. not violate the Constitution
and laws of our country you have no right
to crlticise US unjustly or pronounce harsh
Judgments upon our actions.
We have no caus to hope for Justice at
your hands aud cannot accept your officious
counsel as prompted by any higher motive
than desire to serve your party ends and
keep yourselves 10 power But gentlemen
say we do violate the law. WHY. Mr.
Speaker is not the law violated 10 eyery
State ofthe Union? If violations are more
frequent in our State than some others, can
gentlemen see no reason why it may so hap
pen Are not the circumstances in our
case vastly different from those which en-
viron the people in many other States?
do not care to allude to the past. I
do not set up any Republican star dard of
virtue as the standard by which am to be
guided. My friend from Tennessee (Mr.
Simonton) has already referred to the ger.
rymandering Of South Carolina by the Re.
pubicans whep they were in power and