The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1890-10-30
Negro Rule.


vh ci seems to he FORGOTTEN We
have been peaceful and prosperous
lnriug the last fourteen wears, with
pnlv the trunblcs and dIstur 'ancei
common in other States during
that period mauy men have reachti
voting age who know nothing ot tie
h tterness Of the time before 1916,
md some of those who kn ~ have
come to think of the time a' only Il
dreadful dream or story of the long
past which canrot be realizo't again
or repea ed.
From 1868 to 1876 this State vas
ruled 10y colore'l voters ani po'lt''
cians Of Rad cal party-rarpet h19'
GERS and. adventurnrs who came Ike
birds Of prey gathering upon Il Cur,
rass, infamous scalawaSs who cut
loose from all the ties OF nature and
humanity and helped in the plumber
and degradation OF their own State
their own rare and their o~n people.
The condition of an:irs began bad
and continually became worse. ne
lakes levied then were endured only
because prices were high and tines
we're generally prosperous: lne
same taxes levied NV wond mean
immediate, absolute amd general ruin.
That was 1t comparatively small mat
ter. however. While taxes hecam'
heavier the bonded and floating debts
of the State and Counties grew last
until nobody conl say how much
they were. rnhl;c money was s'olen
revklussiy and openly. CorrnpG'on
was the rule, honesty the rare cX-
ception. Bribery of the Legislature
became q habit Every thief and
pimp and Iackey in the State, Of high
or low degree, received liberal
share Of the taxpayers money on de:
mand. The state House was uaod
as a combined hrothcl and 'ar-room.
The treasury was looted and emptied
every year and the State S credit WAS
to the breaking point to fat.
ten and clnthe and be ieck and en-
rich big and little robbers, native
corn fed hands and imported conf
dencc men, and the gamblers and
har!ots who were their associates ana
pets. NO country in any time OF the
worlds history was ever cursed ny
more tlngrant or nastier or more hor'
rbie debanchery aud villainy thar
marked tie peri,d Of negro rule in
South Carolina. The facts are re-
corded. They can be found sworn
to anil in print among the official
documents Of the courts and tn" de-
They lave never been
and cannot be denied or II itisatc''.
We have stated them as they were.
Nor was this tie worst. From one
end of the State 10 the other this nor"
ror of debauchrry and unscrnputous
villainy Was in every manspaLh ana
at every mans door. The ronrts OF
the State were rotten from lowest to
highest. There was no justice eX.
c,pt where the longest purse or tie
strongest political pull was on the
side OF fjastice. The school S! atem j.
inadcqnate now, but it was then n
useless and fast wasting skeleton
saturated, as everything else con.
nected with public affairs WIS, With
corruption. No white nan conld law
fully hear arms. The only militia
was black nal tic. commanded by
black politicians Of the lowest grade
and ready to be used for their pnr-
poses. The white mans property
was stolen and wasted; his life was
dependent on the good nature and
liberation Of his negro neighbors,
for courts and iuries were under
i,adicai control aud always against
the white main when q question OF
race was involved. The white mans
home and family, his wife and chill
dren, were all at the mercy OF the
black man and his masters and
hackers who controlled and used
every agent of the law and all its
machinery
The situation did not improve. 1t
grew worse and worse every year.
Every petition or proposition for
or division was disre-
yarJcA by the ruling race: White
men ,icbased themselves and begged,
They made the guilt and infamy Of
the State governments plain beyond
denial. They asked no Offices, little
part in the State government, no
r1lectnal power. Al they asked for
was tie right to live and work and
to be safe in the possession OF what
they could make and in the keeping
of their own homes They nomna-
ted and voted negro tickets and split
tickets. Some reform. some show "f
dccencs, some chanoe to h"pe, sonle
little Influence in behalf Of the pro-
pcrty ard Intelligence of the State
Was all they asked OF their black
masters.
Ev,ry such appeal and effort was
met wish threats from every stump,
OF the torch ct midnight. of mNrdeF
and outrage and new expressions
aud ind entities.
This is no fancy sketch or dream.
r. is the truth. Thousands of us
lived in it and rrmclnhcr it al and
can testify to It. These thing. have
b On. They may be again. Il the
i,inrn,ncut /. SnrrNS srni thrY