Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-08-16
q. NEGRO ON NEGRO RIGHTS.
PLAIN TALK FROM TOM HAMILTON FOR
THE MEN OFHIS RACE
BEAUFORT, S. c., July %, 1885,

THE MEN OFHIs RACE.
BEAUFORT, S. c., July %, 1883.
To the Editor Of the Ners and Courier:
/ desire to correct an error in your report Of
the recent Negro Convention by which |
was made to say that / objected to negro
men driving white mems carriages. Posi-
bly something of the sort may have been
said by somebody else in the Convention;
but | certainly made no such remark.
What did say was that the word 'Repub-
lican Party" should be stricken out because
the negro was used by the National Re-
publican party only to keep such men as
the negroes. All that the negroes get for
their fealty to the Republican party is
some minor appointments, such as boat
hands, &C., which nobody else wants The
only good position 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 Demo-
crat. All other Republican office holders
in the State, with the exception of the un-
derlings already referred to are white men.
1 hold that the negro owes Radicalism
nothing. Admitting for the sake of argu-
ment that he did owe it something after the
ty years of the most active service of his
life, and during these twenty years the
party has brought such disgrace on the ne
gro name that, it will take generations to
wipe it out. When the Republicans con-
trOlled this State all that the teachers could
get for their certificates was forty cents on
the dollar: now when the State is controll-
ed by Democrats they are worth one 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
i- ho wi G
folly for the Republicansin Congress to give
as an excuse for not voting for the Educa-
tional bill that the money should be put in
hands Of Democratic superintendent of ed
ucation. We must judge the future by the
past. What has Republicanism done in
this State towards educating the negro
youth? Everybody knows that the Re
publicans stole the money intended for ed
ucation and applied it to fast horses, gold
watches and diamond pins, and venture to
say that if the money were turned over to
the same class Of men again by the Govern
ment for educational purposes the negro
would never profit by cent of it. Govern
or Thompson, when superintendent of edu-
cation, did far more towards educating the
negro youth in four years than the negro
leaders did in ten, and his Democratic sue
cessor is following his example.
Now why should be called a traitor, if /
aided at all in putting the State in the hands
of the Democrats? Is not the negro bene-
flied by it? Is not the school teacher ben
Gifted by it? Are not the juries, witness
by it? Is not the policeman who guards
your life and property while you sleep
benefited by it? Then Wiz: EE:2uld man
be abused and villifeG ii Ii - : ii my
way in bringing about SUCH Sos
I moved, in the Negro Convention, to
strike out the word "Republian party" be-
because the negro is twice as well off under
Democratic administration. The negroes
receive more than twice the amount of ed
ucation and the teachers receive almost
three times as much for their certificates,
much for their tickets. Why then should a
negro be ashamed or afraid to join the DEM
ocratic party? or why should he be asham-
ed or afraid to cut loose from the Republi-
can party and stand as party themselves,
holding the balance of power so as to throw
it on the side that will give them the lar
gest measure Of substantial benefit and re-
cognitOn? 1t is nonsense for the negro to
cling to the Republican party. Stal warts
and Half-breed are all the same. Put eth
er of them in power and they will give
negro to whom they owe every thing, must
content himself with leavings. Can the
Democrats do worse? It is high time for
the negro to have done with the folly of be-
ing 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 reten-
ton in office to the influence of Senator
Hampton, look at Lieut.. Fordham, OF the
Charleston police, riding the streets with
~ ol, 0f ri
Here is colored man who was elected by
Democrats and who is kept in position by
Democrats simply for his merit. Is this not
an evidence that if the negroes 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 SUBJ
stantial justice? Nobody objects to Northern
men coming South and identifying them
selves with us, and if they happen to de-
serve office let them get it. But do object,
and never will lend my aid or intiuence in
any way to any class of men leaving Wash
ington with their appointments in their
pockets and coming here to rule among
native Carolinians. What are the plain
facts? There are about one hundred and
fifty white Republicans in the State, and
about 13O of them hold Government appoint
ments. Those who are not in office are in
business and invariably vote the Democratic
State ticket. Ex-Governor Scott, the first
Republican Governor the State ever had,
SUPPORTED Governor Hampton and his tick
ct, on the ground that the Republican par
ty was so corrupt that the people could no
longer stahd it.
It is easy to show that the negro is not
following the Republican party intelligent
ly. There is no man, living or dead, to
whom the negro was so much indebted as
Horace Greeley yet when he became a can
didate for President we all know how the
negroes foolishly deserted him to vote for
General 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 leading Republicans, desert
ing their best friend and supporting Cop
perhead. But now the lapse of fourteen
years ought to have opened their eyes to
their true interests.
If I and my colleagues were wrong In go
ing into the Wallace House in 1876 and cast
ing our votes for Governor Hampton instead
of for Governor Chamberlain, believing it
was best for the people of the State, both
white and colored, if that was wrong, what
are we to say of the letter of Governor Cham
berlain himself announcing that the civiliZa-
tion of the Roundhead and of the Cavalier
was in danger and calling upon all good
citizens to stand together in defence OF the
dignity and character of the State against
corruption and barbarism? Governor Cham
berlain was a Republican and an officer in
the Federal army. Why should he have
called Southern chivalry to his aid If it was
not needed? When a man like Governor
Chamberlain, with all his ability and edu-
cation, could not reform the Republican
n,,I in Snnfh