The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-09-24

!. very rapidly at the court hous,
very slowly at the school house. Lat
In the evening Cain, the mulatt
county chairman, finding that it woul
: be impossible to vote his men at tn
school house, determined to make
desperate move and try to capture tn
other box. AT the head of his blacl
phaianx, 1000 negroes, armed will
clubs and pistols, he marched toward
the public square. A swift courie
notlned Gary that they were coming.
\ He Immediately ordered that tn,
court house be packed, steps, portico
and al, and so promptly anG thorough
ly was his order carried out that fies
could not have crawled between the
men standing on the steps. The upper
windows in the Masonic Hall, in which
the rifles and other arms had been
placed, were manned with sharp
shooters and all the other men who
could be spared were ordered to mount
their horses and mass themselves on
one side of the square. When Cain
and his negroes reached the head of
the street leading into the square,
nlllng 1T completely, seeing the pre-
paratlons made to receive them, they
halted and q message was sent to
Ruger. Ruger left his quarters some
TWO hundred yards on a side street and
came towards the court house. Gary
advanced to meet him and after the
two had saluted, with military punc-
tll1ousness, Gen. Ruger said General,
l am informed by the Republican
County Chairman that he can't vote
all his men at the other precinct.
You must make your men give way
ana let these negroes get to the ballot
box. My orders are to sec that there
are no distractions to voting"
The one was dressed in the blue uni
form of the United States army and
had been sent to Edgefield by Grant
The other had on the grey coat of the
Confederate brigadier and military
boots. 1t was the crucial test of nerve.
South Cardinals destiny hung in the
balance and Gary saved her. The
Bald Eagle Strengthened up, his
eyes cleaning, and clear and shrill,
Tor his voice always rang like a silver
bell, he exclaimed, "By God, sir,
I'll not do it. l will keep the COM
pact | made with you this morning,
that the whites and negroes should
vote at separate boxes and if you think
your blue coats can make way for these
negroes to vote again try it,"
There had been the stiffness of
death while these two confronted
each other, but when that voice rang
out the whites caught up the yell Of
defiance and for minutes pandemonium
relgned. Ruger quietly turned on his
heels and went back to his quarters.
The negroes skunk away like dissolv-
ing mist and in less time than have
taken to tell it not one OF them was to
be seen.
AllusiOn has been made to Buffers
service at Hamburg. | was at Ham
burg and know that those services
were great. But the people were
ready to act without his leadership |
and you all remember the despicable J
and cowardly stab he aimed at me last |
summer with reference to that riot. |
For all his services to the State he has |
been amply rewarded and had he |
possessed scintilla Of genuine patrio- |
tism he would have died before he |
entered upon the role which he played |
since August, 1894.
We are asked to name q county |
after this traitor. Will you disgrace
yourselves by giving his name to this
county? But the clouds will roll. by,
we are told, and when reason shall |
regain her sway, the prejudice, as my
colleague terms it, against this man |
will pass away MIR. President there is !
no prejudice. 1t is a sense of righteous |
Indignation and wounded sentiment |
which called down the wrath of this
people on Buffers head. He has at
tempted to stab the State through |
Judge Goff by overthrowing our elec-
tion machinery and this is his unpar-
donahle sin.
have used my influence to bring
about peace in this convention. | had |
hoped that no factional lines would be
drawn, but they have been. Not one
solitary Conservative voted for the |
name Saluda and some few good Re-
formers yielded through influence to
disgrace their State. You have
drawn the line and not we. Those of
you who have blundered in this move
ment take warning. If you give US
the point of the sword you will receive
1t back. If you offer us the olive
branch we will receive it as South
Carolinians and do nothing to draw
the lines. In Gods name let's stamp
out any attempt to inject partisan
feeling here. Now, / apologize for
trespassing on your patience by this
long attention and move that Saluda
be substituted for the name Butler
wherever it appears in the ordinance.