The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-03-13
SUMTER, S. c., March, 1895.

CC4TER, -. We. MoICu, O"0
TIC the Editor of The Doity Item:
Please publish the accompanying letter,
which is a copy of the one nailed by me 10
Gov. Evans March It'll and the reply to the
same, received by me Sunday morning,
March 10th.
In the reply TO me the Governor seems
purpo.ely TO evade answering direct ques-
lions asked az TO whether any charges were
preferred against me and the name. OF those
preferring said charges. He very kindly and
eratuitously volunteers the Information that
itThs power to revoke is reserved to the
Governor" and adds that "This privilege
the Governor exercises whenever be deems 1t
for the welfare of the public" The reason
which he ungenerously withbolds from me IN
this letter, however, he publicly announced
in the columns of The State Saturday morn
ing. He then stated that three notaries had
been removed in Sumter upon a request
from respectable white citizens, stating that
thew had been soliciting business and making
themselves particularly obnoxious to respect-
able.white people, do not know who the
other two are. and examination Of the roll IN
the Clerks Office fails 10 reveal who they are,
as no record Of any removal except my "
can be found there.
For my own part, | decline TO permit even
the Governor of South Carolina 10 publish
me to the world as being offensive 10 the re-
spectacle white people Of my home, among
whom ] was born and reared, and TO whom
have never, 10 the smallest degree, pubic
or private, given ofense or cause for lack OF
confidence or respect. II there are respect
able white people" to whom | have made
myself OBNOXIOUS" let the Governor or his
iuformers name them and state specifically
the "obnoxiors'' acts which | have perform
ed Let them state what work OF "buslnees'
have "sollcited." assert emphstically
that I have never ssolici,ed" notd7taL "busl-
ness'' and the only ground for the charge
lies in the fact that | announced hat woulo
issue, and did issue, registration affidavitS 10
men of nv race, that they might quality
themselves 10 choose delegates to the Constitu,
uonal Convention, counted 10 for the aSowed
purpose of further expressing them. II 10
for this reason that the Governor OF
South Carolina holds me up 10 the world AS d
man unfit to perform the insignificant func-
lions of a Notary Public A shadow must be
thrown across my reputation ; my character
must he under suspicion to the enc tnat
nv people aud myself, shall be deprived
of ali voice in the framing of the fundamen-
tai law Of the land. Net content with OBJ
s,ructing the pathway TO registration with
every barrier human ingenuity can devise,
~notaries are warned that if they permit
negroes TO make registration affidavits before
them their commissions will be revoked. ne
Chief Magistrate of the Commonwealth
God save the marks become directly
the chief instrument for the preparation and
perpetuation OF fraud. There are more than
20 ~notarieS il Sumter, and YET, trcm We'd
nesday , p. m. TO Saturday ! M. there
were only three who would issue a single
affidavit for negroes, and they, after issuing
less than five each, declared they could DO so
no longer, as their Commissions would be re-
voke0 i they did
Truly Nr. Editor, thi>is - commentary
Dpon l9th Century civilization What a
s,,eciacle for the rest OF tac civilized World to
gaz- unon. \ people, silent snd Submissive
during many years OF oppression, hoping
each wear that thei: very submiSsioE, more
eloqGcnt and powerful than opposition.
would couquer tb= hearts OF their oppressorS,
and bring ,ilec: TO u sense OF Justice, are BOW
rudeiy or6ughtIace 70 face with the brutal
truth that the machinery OF The Government
viii be used TO its last extremity 20 strike