Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-10-23
Colored Conference.

few leaders among the negroes, q
convention assembled in Columbia
on Wednesday, 18th instant, to dis
ouss the political situation, aid take
under advisement the negroes re-
lation to the. same ID There were
eighty persons from twenty counties,
|Richland furnishing nearly half.
After considerable discussion tho
following resolution was adopted:
aResolved, That we recommend
the negroes for the betterment of
their condition to vote the Haskell
ticket"
This was adopted as a substitute
for a resolution declaring it not to
be wise or practical to endorse the
Haskell movement, but, to leave the
matter with the State Executive
Committee of the Republican party.
On motion, Mr.. Ellery NJ. Brayton
was invited to address the conven-
ton. In speaking Of the present
political crisis, he said
No one could tell what the out
|come would be, but he felt sure that
out of the breach in the Democratic
party there would result good for
the whole people, good to both, races.
He didn't believe there was a Re-
publican in the State that had not re-
joiced over the way in which the
Tillman movement had swept the
State, and that they had also rejoiood
in the fact that tho minority had
risen in opposition to. the Increment
1t opened the eyes of the white peo-
pie, had aroused a spirit Of indepen-
dentism, and the result in the future
would be a better condition of things
in this old hide-bodnG State of South
Carolina. He expressed the belief
that the change which would result
from the present political crisis
would bring about a degree of tole-
ration and conservatism which would
give the negroes rights and Justice
now denied them, and that the
pledges made by Hampton and his
party in 1876 would yet be fulfilled.
In speaking to a%resolution on cdu-
cation, Rev. w. D. Chappelle, Of
Columbia, Presiding Elder of the
A., M. e. Church, said:
Education was needed to show tho
negro how to handle his ballot and
protect him from the politicians who
were going about buying colored
people and putting them up on auc-
ton blocks for sale. Applause
The negroes of 1890 were not the
negroes of 1876. [Applause.] He
stood here free, untrammelled, I'M
mortgaged to any man or party.
The educated citizen was not for
sale. He knew what to do with his
ballot. Christian education the ne
gro must have before he could be a
true citizen of South Carolina. Men
had come among tho negroes of
South Carolina, when they were un.
tutored and ignorant, had filled their
minds with p%rejudices, and separated
them from those among whom they
were to live and from whom they had
to got their bread and meat. TAP
plause. He was glad to say chat
the day had come when intelligent
young negroes of the State could
come together, consult as to the best
interests of their race, rise above
prejudice, forget the old talk about
the lash and the overseer and look to
the future. They were here to say
to the men willing to do them jus
tice, "God speed YOU" and to give
them their hands. Enthusiastic APP.
plause.] 'The destiny Of the negro
was in this State and in tho hands OF
it's best people, and what would lift
up the white man would lift up the
negro. [Applause.] What would
pull down tho white man must pull
down the negro. [Applauso.] He
opposed that class which had done
more than any other to corrupt the
negro, which had made negroes al.
most aliens to tho State. The only
lever to lift the race was education
first, education last and education all
the time.