Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-09-07

the action to his words, he laid off his coat
and vest and then waded in.
He claimed that if he was a free citizen of
South Carolina he had the right to ask for any
office within the gift of the people, and if the
people were free citizens, they had the right to
vote for whom they pleased If we are free
citizens, we have the right to meet and dis
cuss public affairs, the public acts of our pub
lie men, and we also have the right to investi-
gate the private character of our public SER
wants if we see proper. Assuming that he
had the rights indicated, he appeared as can
didate for Congress, and he should discuss
questions openly and fearlessly. lie had been
in battle, on the field of honor, and his courage
had been tested on many other occasions, but
owing to the popularity of his being an indie
place of his life for the last six weeks. He
was compelled to differ from his old political
associates. There are now five hundred prom
inent public men in this State of the same no.
tion as himself, but, unfortunately, they have
not the courage to come out and declare their
independence of the party clique in control.
He could induce none of them to take the field,
and had he known in advance that he alone
was to come out from the Democratic party as
it is now constituted in this State and make a
canvass on the Independent movement, he
painful, disagreeable task, and perhaps no one
else in the State but himself could stand it.
He was ifty-nne years of age, and had
lived in South Carolina fifty-seven years. His
property is all in Chesterfield county, and he
is the largest Taxpayer in that county. He
had always acted with the Democratic party
had voted the Democratic ticket, except that
he voted for Greeley for President and Green
for Governor. This latter vote was in the
interest of reform, and hundreds of other
Democrats supported the same candidate
But in 1879 he announced publicly that he
would not again vote at the dictatiOn OF any
man or set of men. For this step he was
abused in 1880 by the Senator from his county.
He believed that he was the first man in South
Carolina to declare himself an Independent.
He argued that he was entitled to be a candi-
date without being regarded as a renegade or
traitor.
He then spoke of the promises made to the
colored people in 1876 These promises we're
solemn and binding; he felt bound to them
for life. While the colored people might NOM
mate ticket and ego back'' on him in this
canvass, yet he felt bound by the pledges Of
| 1876 to be their friend. He charged the Dem
Ocratic party, possibly excepting Hampton,
with failing to keep their pledges to the
colored people, In the canvass of 1876, anx-
ious to rid the State of the Chamberlain horde,
he devoted all the proceeds of his farm to the
success of the Reform ticket. But every
promise made in that canvass had been vio-
lated. Hampton made the promise that the
black people should not be deprived of any
right He did not say that Hampton broke,
this promise, but it was done by the ringE
Columbia. ~
| am here to-day to secure white votes, 3hd
intend to secure white votes, and ] intend
to secure them before leave York coutty !;
but if l can get black votes, that is no reason
why white men should not vote for me. What
rights have the colored people nowp We have
deprived them, as also a large number of white
veterans, of the ballot, by the adoption of the
eight-boX system. To cast his ballots intel
ligently, the voter must he able to read he
cannot even be instructed by his child who
may be able to read, accompanying him to the
ballot-boXes to tell him where to deposit his
ballot nor must the ballots have any mark
or device upon them, by which he can identi-
fly them. The enactment Of this law was
part of the purpose of the ring to deprive the
colored man of his right to vote, and in doing
this, a large number of white men are also
excluded. DO you approve this
He next spoke of what he characterized the
wild extravaganza at Columbia. He said if
FIVE hundred of the best informed men in York
county were placed in a line, and each asked
what is going on in Columbia, not ten could
answer. The State is involved in debt of
eight Millions and no preparations are being
made to pay this vast sum. AS to taxation,
he said he could pay his taxes, with cotton al
l5 and 20 cents per pound, more easily in Rad
ical days than he can now.
He then produced some merriment by charg-
ing that the Legislature of 1878 adjourned,
forgetting to pass the tax bill, the very thing
| &bn,, NJ 70 l,> bad +p l,a 1nI
expense of $4,000 to the State.
The anti-weapon bill was next denounced,
as placing weaker person at the mercy of a
stronger one; and for the further reason that
it was depriving man of his rights. A man
has the right to carry his own property when
and where he pleases. And then it is enforced
against only one class. Applause on the col
Ored side. A certain class 60 armed to the
teeth and are not nlolested but let cOlOred
man or Il poor white man be found violating
the law, and he is marched to the penitentia-
ry. want the black man put on the same
footing with me. He is entitled to the same
political rights as Che white man.
The South Carolina College was next eXcori-
ated. He condemned the cXtravagant appro-
priation for this institution, and as specimen
of it's management in the agricultural depart
ment, said they had sent to California for
professor who cannot speak our language, and
to Virginia for a man who did not know
| linch-pin from a coupling pole, to come here
and teach our boys how to raise cotton. The
| whole thing is for no other purpose than pro-
| viding easy positions for the silk-StOcking
gentry.
1t was promised that all useless offices should
be abolished. One such ollice-the superinten-
dent of phoSphates- been abolished, but
how many have been established am told
eleven hundred and fifty, but think it even
more. Extra commissions, junketing around
ut the springs, at salary of five dollars per
day, to map out work for the Legislature, was
cited us one instance of the ottice-creating pro-
penSity.
lie next charged that an invisible ring at
Columbia rules the Governor of the State
Governor ,HagoOd did not approve the stock
law nor the ant-duelling bill, but was forced
though in the manner of coaxing, to approve
them. Members of the Legislature also were
driven against their will into the support of
measures they did not approve.
He then recurred again to the election and
registration laws, repeating substantially what
he had previously said in regard to them, and
at the conclusion of his remarks on this branch
of the subject, stepped back to his valise,
which he slowly unlocked, much to the won-
derment of every body, which suspense was
only relieved by the production Of flask con-
tanning some kind of liquid. Deliberately
pouring out a tumbler half FULL he nonchalant-
ly drank it down, and resuming his position
smacking his lips the while, and addressing
his white hearers, said: have no doubt | lost
twenty votes by that act but l can't help it,
l believe in the largest liberties to the citizen,
and say, let a man drink what he pleases.
In fn va