The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1893-12-21
SOME SPICY DEBATE.
THE REDlSrRlCTING BILL DISCUSSED
IN THE HOUSE.

The metropolitan Police BDl KepoI &c
, UnfavorabIY Upon-A Lively and ! at err
In the House,
COLUMBIA, ). G., Dec. l4.-In the
House yesterday Mr.. Weston moved tt
strike out the enacting words Of tho
bill to redistrict the State, which
brought on sharp debate.
Mr.. Magill, in speaking against the
motion, said the majority reported fay
orably because they had carefully con
sidered the bill and felt that it demands
the serions attention of the House an
should be passed, because 1t would in.
sure to South Carolina Congressman
from each district as Democrat. 1t
will be shown on this floor. ha sail, =,
that this will result. There is nothing
to hinder the people Of Cha rleston
with their resources and political in
genuity, from carrying this district for
the Democracy. When such a result
followed it is Incumbent upon the Gen
eral Assembly to pass such a bill.
| NIL w SSlOll Stlu lIC ODJSCG ana pur-
port of this bill may be briefly stat cd
in a few words-to place the city of
Charleston in the "Black District"
lie ha confidence in the opinion that
members had not descended to such a
position as to pTSs any bill for the pur-
pose Of revenge lie blushC with
shame that Mr.. Magill should suggest
that the district could be carrie by the
political IT sources and ingenuity Of
CharlC jton. There was a time when
such tactics counted, but 1t did not
now. notwithstanding all ingenuity
and resources q. w. Murray now occu-
pies seat in the national Congress
from the Seventh District. Mr.. ives
ton said that he had heard various mo-
tlVes for the introduction Of the bill
among which was the opposition Of
| Charleston to the DisI nnsary law.
Other citit s had opposed The law with
equal Vehemence as Charleston. He
trusted that no member w@S actuatci
by the sentiment that Charleston
should be degraded because she refused
to vote for man for a certain pc 'ition
lie was willing that his portion Of
| ltlchland should remain in the "Black
| District rather than see CharleStsn so
dlSgraced. 1t was unnecessary and
uncalled for. So far as ingenuity and
money is concerned you might rs we'll
make up your mind that a black Re
publican would represent that district.
MIR. Watson said while ne WAS COM
pellt to disagree with his friend from
Charleston, he waut, to ask them
whether they had respected the plat
form enunclated 10y the Democrats in
1890. Has Richland or Charleston done
so? II my friend can answer that
then | do not want Charleston in the
"B(ack District" claim that the rep
| resentatIve of that district should 60
represent South Carolina. There Is no
disposition to injure Charleston, but
shall the tail wdg the dog? Is 1t whnn
Charleston dcnOuncts Us is pnpullst3,
ct =, my bosom SWellS with resentment. |
We have Il national Democratic plat
form which has not b' n kept and W. |
have not been +, ,peCt 2d. If Charles |
ton wants to help us let her Stlni up |
and support us in our demands as Il
Democratic party md for one will |
Old her God-Spt 2d in everything that
looks to her future advancement.
Mr.. Tatum in his remarks RAID: We
believe 1T is TO the Drst interest OF De-
mocracy and the State that the rrdi.;-
trlctlng bill should pass. lie said that
IN the last election there was differ
ence OF 1900 votes between the pTim-
ary and general elections in Ch,lrlr&.
ton. Charleston having then 3d.
votes in reserve would be better able
to overcome a Republican majority |
than the other counties, which cast |
their full vote. Under the circumStnn.
ceS he held that the First District had |
"A larger negro majority to overcome |
than the Seventh. Charleston had Il !
majority of three to one in the primary.
but in the el( ttiOn OCangebur, cast |
two votes to her one.
Mr.. Rivers, colored, Of Beaufort, 3s |
a representative Of a depressed race,
would say that they were weak but !
their lot was cast here by God and thr !
negroes and whites must live together. |
How are you going TO manage those I
negro votes? How are you going =
elect seven Democratic COngrt iSInun ,
and account for the negro vote? r..
member there is another race to b"
considered in the division. We TSk |
that while you are making comfort for |
yourself you consider our race. We |
agree to everything that is done on this
lloOr, but we have not had our rights. !
There is time when f1rbparducc
ceases TO be a virtue. We do not DE-.
maTd anything or ask anything Of you,
bat are willing to do anything for the
interest of the State. Consider that
we are not cattle, that we have souls
and have to answer to God iuSt like
and that we belong to the district that
was set aside for Us. We are perfectly
satisfied to stay where we are. Why
not let us stay there? We don't ask to
change nor does the Charleston drlrga.
tlon, This speech was attCntlvcly lis.
!ned to, co ning from negro, but the
charleston people felt that il had lost
them twenty votes.
Mr.. Blease defended the Board OF
State CanvasserS against what he con
Sldered the insinuatiOn3 brought by
Mr. Weston that the negro had b, N
counted in against e. aneral Noise. lie
said 1T was az little a3 Mr. Weston
could do to inSinuite anything against
the Board when the county which he
professor to love 50 much had not
made return of a single vote against
the negro Congressman. He hurried
the inSinuatiOn and dishonesty back to
the teeth of the member and he served {
notice hat the Board would do its du.