Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-07-26
The Aurkrille Guql1iter,
YORKVILLE. 8. G. l.:
THURSDAY MORNING, JULY 26, 1883
COLORED MEN IN COUNCIL.

On the fourth page OF this issue Will De
found, in full, the proceedings Of the Color
ed State Convention, held in Columbia, last
week. York county was not represented.
But whether this was owing to a lack OF Or
ganization of thecolored mans party in this
county, or to the reason that the colored peo-
pie of York have no grievances, we are un-
able to say. We are inclined to the opinion,
however, that even though there is lack
of political organization among the colored
people of York, yet were their organization
as perfect as it were in the flush days Of
Radicalism, they could have no such cause
of complaint as is formulated in the resolu-
tions adopted by the Convention last week.
AS to the colored mans rights and privi.
leges in York, we know that he has more
| freedom of the franchise than has the white
working class of the North. He goes to the
| polls in York and deposits his ballot with
out let or hindrance, and there are none to
make him afraid.
His rights in the courts are protected by
every safeguard known to the law. There
has not been negro tried in York county
for any offence since the ascendancy of the
Democratic party, in which he did not have
every protection Of the law that would have
been accorded white offender under sim
| liar circumstances, while their representa-
| ton on the juries is proportionate to that o1
the white race, considering their qualifica'
tions. Every jury drawn in York county
is represented by the colored race. On the
present grand jury there are four colored
men, of the eighteen; and of the petit Jurors
drawn for the last term of the Circuit Court
there were eight colored men, and similar
number was drawn to serve on the petit
iuries at the March term.
They have also the same advantages Of
the free public schools of York that are
enjoyed by the whites the principal differ
ence beingby far the larger number of color
| ed men pay only per capita tax of one dol
lar for the support of the schools, while the
white taxpayers pay tax on their proper
ty, in addition to the per capita tax for the
same purpose. The schools in this county
are open to the colored children, as freely as
| to the white, and the same attention is be-
slowed upon them to ensure efficiency as is
given by the county school commissioner to
the white schools. So that the arraignment,
as it applies to York county, will not hold.
How truly it applies to other sections of the
State, we are not prepared to say. But
what we say of the situation in York is true,
as is Enthusiastically evinced by the amicable
relations existing between the races in this
county. The colored people of York are
contented, in the full enjoyment of their
political rights and privileges, in which it
| is not the purpose or desire of the white
people to modest tn IL.
We doubt the good results to accrue to the
colored people by this convention. The
hand of the politician is to be seen in its de.
liberations but the TRADE of bitterness
and falsehood promulgated in the address
will fall upon the country without effecting
the results intended, but may operate in
checking the progress which has been so rap
idly making towards entire good will be,
tween the two races. The ostensible object
of the Convention was to select representa-
tives to the proposed general convention to
be held in Louisville, Ky, next September
What this convention will do, remains to be
seen. Representative colored men of the
North have discouraged such an assemblage,
Two important corrections should be made
of the proceedings Of the Columbia ConVen.
ton as published in this paper, though the
report is correct, the Inaccuracies having been
caused by the members of the Convention,
The committee sent by the Convention to
wait upon the Governor misstated what
took place in their interview with him.
Since the report appeared in print, the Gov
ernor has explained that after hearing the
resolutions and the address Of the chairman
of the Convention, hesaid inreply that while
it was true that there had been abuses under
the system of hiring convicts, the inforna-
ton in his possession, based upon official re-
ports, did not warrant the very strong Ian
guage of the resolution. The abuses refer
red to were not so much due to cruelty on
the part of the contractors AS to the evils in
separable from the system itself. 1t is diff
cult, if not impossible, to ensure the safe
keeping and preserve the health of convicts
in camp by the means available in the Peni-
tiary.
The Superintendent of Education also
makes an explanation of the interview with
the committee that waited upon him, in
that he proposed to visit the cotored conven-
ton at Louisville, next September. He
stated to the committee that he expected to
attend the educational convention to be held
at that place, to discuss the measures for Sc
curing national aid for education. The mat
ter that he expects to bring to the attention
of the legislature, in his annual report, is
not the resolutions which the committee laid
before him, as appears from the report, but
the constitutional provision as to compulso-
ry education and the limitation of the
school age.
THE AUGUST ENCAMPMENT.-The en-.
campment of the Palmetto Regiment near
| Columbia in August has been abandoned, as
the majority of the companies have failed
to signify their willingness to enter into it.
| Various causes have arisen to render the
encampment unfeasible this year, at the
time proposed, chief among which are the
industrial and agricultural pursuits of those
who compose the regiment, beside other
drafts upon the time and means OF the Off.
GERS and members which have already en-
tered into their expenses TOR the current
year. The proposition met with hearty ap-
proval, but was considered impracticable at
present. Next year, however, an earlier
start will be made and successful conclu-