The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-08-16
A NEGRO on NEGRO RIGHTS,
Histn Talk From Tom Hamilton for the
Men OF his Race.
10 Me Editor cf Tie Nems and Cyurie,

OF the recent Negro Convention by which
was made to say that | objected
negro men driving white mems carriages.
POSSIBLY something of the sort NAV have
been said by somebody else in the Con.
Ventlon but certainly made no such
remark. What | did say was that the
word Republican Party" should be
stricken out because the negro was used
oy the National Republican party only
10 Keep such men as Mackey, Taft and
J0hnstu as overseeIs Of the negroes.
All that the negroes get for their fealtv
10 the Republican party is some minor
appointments, such as boat. hands. &c,
which nobody else wants. The only
good position which is held by negro
IN South Carolina to-day is that held by
Mr: Wilder, postmaster at Columbia, and
he Is kept there by Senator HAMPTON
who is Democrat All the other Re.
publican ofiiceholders in the State. with
the exception of the underlings already
referred to, are white men.
hold that the negro owes Radicalism
nothing Admitting, for The sake of
argument, that he did owe it something
after the war, (Which l deny,) he has
given it twenty years Of the most active
service of his life, and during these
twenty years the party has brought such
disgrace on the negro name that it will
lake generations to wipe it out. When
the Republicans controlled this State all
that the teachers could get for their GER
tihcates fas forty cents on the dollar
now when the State is controlled BY
Democrats they are worth ore hundred
cents on the dollar. Education is the
one great need of the negro race, and
the party which has given the most aid
to education is the one which the negro
should support. 1t is folly for the Re
publicans in Congress to give as an ex-
cuse Tor not voting for tho Educational
OH that the money would be put into
the hands of Democratic superinten.
dents of education. We must Judge the
future by the past. What has Republi
canlsm done in this State towards educat-
lug the negro youth? Everybody knows
that the Republicans deliberately stole
the money intended for education and
applied it to fast horses, gold watches
aud diamond pins, and venture to say
that II the money were turned over to
the same class Of men again by the Gov
ernment for educational purposes the
negro would never profit by cent of it..
Governor Thompson when superinten.
dent of education did far more towards
educating the negro youth in four years
than the negro leaders did in ten, and
his Democratic successor is following his
example.
Now, why should I be called traitor,
II l aided at all in putting the State into
the hands of the Democrats? Is not
the negro benefited by it? Is not the
school teacher benefited by it? Are not
the Juries, witnesses and all the officers
OF the courts benefited by it? Is not
the policeman who guards your life and
property while you sleep benefited by it !?
Then why should a man be abused and
villifed if he aided in any way in bring.
ing about such results?
| moved, in the Negro Convention, to
strike out the word Republican party"
because the negro is twice as well of
under Democratic administration. The
negroes receive more than twice the
amout of education and the teachers
receive almost three times as much for
their certificates. while jurors and wit
nesses get twice as much for their tickets.
Why then should negro be ashamed or
afraid to join the Democratic party? or
why should they be ashamed or afraid to
cut loose from the Republican party and
stand as party by themselves, holding
the balance of power so as to throw it on
the side that will give them the largest
measure Of substantial benefit and recoc-
milton? 1t is nonsense for the negro to
cling to the Republican party. Stalwarts
and Halt: breeds are all the same. Put
either of them in power and they will
hlfa mo thu 81, l.: l.
the negro, to whom they owe everything,
must Sonteht himself with the leavings.
Can the Democrats do worse? Itis high
time for the negro to have done with the
folly of being frightened at the word
Democrat" He has but two questions
to consider now. First, what is best for
the negro; second, what is best for the
country. Not to speak Of Postmaster
Wilder, who owes his retention in office
to the influence Of Senator Hampton,
look at Lieut.. Fordham, Of the Charles
ton police, riding the streets with his
shoulder straps Us one Of the city officers.
Here is colored man who was elected
by Democrats and who is kept in posi-
ton by Democrats simply for his merit.
Is not this an evidence that if the ue-
groes will ally themselves with the native
white people and do away with these
contemplate white men who have come
down here as mere birds of passage, that
they will get substantial justice? No
body objects to Northern white men COM
ing South and identifying themselves
with us, and if they happen to deserve
Office let them get it. But do object,
and never will lend my aid or influence
in any way TO any class of men leaving
Washington with their appointments in
their pockets and coming here to rule
among native Carolinians. What are
the pain facts? There are about one
hundred aud fifty white Republicans in
the State, and about one hundred and
thirty of them hold Government appoint
menls. Those who are not in office are
in business and invariably vote the Dem.
ucratic State ticket. Ex-Governor Scott,
the first Republican Governor the State
ever had, supported Governor Hampton
and his ticket, on the ground that the
Republican party WAS 80 corrupt that the
people could no longer stand it.
1t is easy to show that the negro is not
following the Republican party intelli-
gently. There is no man, living or dead,
to whom the negro was so much indebt-
ed as to Horace Greeley; yet when be
became candidate for President we all
know how the negroes foolishy deserted
him TO vote for Gen. Grant-a man who
never voted Republican ticket in his
life until he was on the ticket himself.
They did this at the bidding of the lead.
ing Republicans, deserving their best
friend and supporting Copperhead. d.
But now the lapse of fourteen years
ought to have opened their eyes to their