The daily gazette., 1883-08-09
A CoLORED MANS sTATEmEN rs.
why BIs People Should Vote for Demo-
Gratis In South Carolina.


A dispatch from Charleston, s. @, says
that Thomas Hamilton, of Beaufort, one of
the most prominent negro politicians in that
State, has written letter to the News and
Courier roundly denouncing the Republican
party, and insisting that the negro has
rights which must be respected. He says:
All that he negroes get for their iealty to
the Republican party is some minor appo MT
ments, such as boat hands, etc., which no
body else wants. The Only good position
which is held by a negro in South Carolina
to-day is that held by Mr.. Wilder, post
master at Columbia, and he is kept there BY
Senator Hampton, who is a Democrat. All
the other Republican officeholders 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 sako of ar
gument, that he did owe it something after
the war, which deny, he has given it 20
years OF the most active service of his life,
and during these 20 years the party has
brought such disgrace on the negro name
that 1t will take generations to wipe 1t out.
When the Republicans controlled this State
all that the teachers could get for their Ger
tificates was Az cents on the dollar. Now,
when the State is controlled by the Demo
Gratis, they are worth 1(0 cents ON the dol
lar. Education is one of the great needs of
the negro race, and the party which has
givel the most aid to education is the one
which the negro should support. 1t is folly
for the Republicans in Congress to give as
an excuse for not voting for the edu-
cational bill that the money would
be put into the hands of Dem
ocratic superiDi endents of education. We
must judge the future by the past. What
has Republicanism done in this State to.
ward educating the negro youthe Every
body knows that the Republicans deliber-
aiely stole the money intended for education
and applied it to fast horses, gold watches
and diamond pins, and I venture TO say that
II the money were turned over to the same
class of men again by the government for
educational purposes the negro would never
profit by "a cent of It. Governor Thompson,
when superintendent of education, did far
more toward educating the negro youth in
four years than the negro leaders did In ten,
and his Democratic successor is following
his example. The negro is twice as well of
under Democratic administration.
The negroes receive more than twice the
amount of education and the teachers re-
ceiye almost three times as much for their
certificates, while jurors and witnesses pet
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 loo Sc 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 recognition. 1t is nonsense for the
negro to cling to the Republican party.
Stalwarts and half breeds are all the same
Put either OF them in power and they will
give white men the choicest places, while
the negro, to whom they owe everything,
must content himself with the leavings.
Can the Democrats do worse9 1t is high
time for the negro to have done with the
folly Of being frightened at the word Demo
erat. Ho hOe but Two questions
to consider now First, what is best
for the negro; second, what is best for
the country. Nobo objects to North
ern white men coming South and identity
ing themselves with us, and if they happen to
deserve office let them get it. But do OBJ
ject, and never will lend my aid or inf1u.
ence in any way, to any class of men leaving
Washington with their appointments in
their pockets, and coming here to rule
among native CaroIinans. What are the
plain tactss There are about $50 white Re
pubicans in the State, and about 130 of
them hold government appointments. Those
who are not In office are in business and in
variably vote the Democratic State ticket.