The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-12-26
IN THE BLACK DISTRICT.
THE HOUSE REvERsEs IT'S DE-
CISION.

/ @~~S .AooohS AsESN llS oEl
CISION.
Cbrleston To Work Ont It's Own Sal
! yatiOn-The Opponents of the kedi ia
trlcttng Bill make q Hard Fight, bu
u Large Majority Favor the New
| Arrangements.
| The House of Representatives recon
sidered its action on the bill to redis
| trict the State, which places Charles
ton in the Black District, and an ex.
citing debate took place thereon
Each side was allowed an hour and a
half and the discussion necessarily
embraced great deal of politics.
Mr. Bacot said that he had hoped
the judgment OF, The House deliberate
| ly made last week had settled the uues-
tion. 1t would result in Charleston
having Republican Congressman and
that fact was recognized by Republican
journals in the North. Touse methods
to elect a Democrat from the proposed
purity of the ballot. He appealed to
members not to legislate thus against
the old city whose interests were SO
closely and intimately connected with
the State.
Mr.. kirkland was unwilling to raise
the black play over the old city as an
emblem of factional revenge. It was an
act of retaliation, revenge and punish
ment because OF different construc-
tion OF Democratic principles. The
whole interest of the State would be
affected If Charleston was improperly
represented.
Mr.. Sturkie of Orangeburg said that
the measure was for the interest of his
people and they demanded it's passage.
No matter what district Charleston
was in she would elect the man of her
choice. His people stood squarely on
the State Democratic platform of 1892,
but they were not represented in the
halls of Congress, and he appealed to
Reformers to give them relief. The
interest of Charleston harbor was not
more important than the interests of
those who thought the demands of
the Democratic platform would bring
them some relief. Would his people
be ever kept in oblivion or will the
Reformers in the Legislature give
them relief?
MIR. Thomas said the question was
whether men elected to represent the
whole State could stand up and work
for section. He did not think mem-
bers would deliberately undo what
what. they had voted for after calm
consideration and discussion. Charles
ton had exercised the right of freenen
and there was no reason why she
should suffer. In the opinion of min
GRITTY of about 10000 Major Brawley
came nearer being true Democrat
than the representative from the
Third District. Must the rights of the
minority not be respected =? Charles
ton does not refer to her past mis-
fortunes, but asks that stop be made
before a measure is passed SO detri-
mental to her interests and that of the
State.
Mr.. Watson repelled the insinuations
made that this bill was devised for the
punishment of Charleston. The agri-
cultural interests of the State were
grander and greater than the COM
other port. These people had spoken
in their State platform. He referred
to the fact that these interests had not
received proper consideration of the
national government. This bill is for
the interest OF the people, the agricul-
turists, who are the basis of all the
States wealth.
Mr.. Haskell said that farmers did
not own one-third of the property of the
State, but Mr.. Watson replied that all
wealth produced was directly attribut-
able to the labor of the farmer. He re-
terred to the fact that Major Brawley,
"iio WOO oppOoSI w Unc OUdUS
was getting most of the patronage
which was not fair to the people of the
State who cast the electoral vote for
Cleveland. The objection made to the
platform came in bad grace from gen
tlcmen who had always held the plat
form supreme, but were now trying to
break it down. He said that a gentle
man had right to change his opinion
and vote on any subject, and he re-
sented ipsinuations made in this re-
spect
Mr.. Skinner was willing to place
Charleston in n district with white
majority. Tack her on to Barnwell or
hdgefield and q Congressman of tho
right sort would be elected. The
large negro vote in the proposed dis
trict under the influence of designing
white men might become very
dangerous element. He thought the
measure would stir up more strife and
might possibly lose part of the elector-
al vote of the State, which was very
undesirable in view of the fact that
many of them hoped to put Tillman in
the Presidential chair.
Mr.. Sullivan made an address in
which he depicted tho history of the
Reform movement in Charleston,
which was somewhat humorous.
Ciio' 'Soooii "uo hop oppoScu W VIC
state, but only opposed those laws
which were unconstitutional. Sho had
no rings, but the biggest ring he knew
of was in Columbia, and no called it
the Palmetto Political Incubation
Society" He said never again would
he go through what he had done to
overcome negro majority, and closed
by telling the Legislators to do what
they wanted with Charleston. She
had survived many disasters and would
survive this one perhaps.
Mr.. Tatum said that the people of
his district had not been treated fairly
in the primary of 1892. Mr.. Dibblo
had represented tho District of
| Charleston for ten years simply be-
cause Charleston wanted him. If he
had misrepresented Charleston, as
Brawley misrepresented Orangeburg
| and Lexington, Charleston would soon
have gotten rid of him. He proceeded
| to show that certain boxes in Charles
| ton had been broken open and ballots
| destroyed when contest had been
| legally instituted ; that the News and
| Courier correspondent at Orangeburg
could not get the Charleston vote until
| Charleston knew Orangeburg's, and
that was done for purpose that a
detective had Investigated and found
that in Ward alone sixty-one illegal
votes had been cast and that the city
was colonlzed with some two Oh
three hundred stone masons O day
/ n,, Ir,f :,