Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-07-15
A Ray Of Hope in South Carolina.


Today, South Carolina is as completely
at the mercy of Dictator Tillman as is
Russia under the control of the Gar.
Whether the state has the power to break
away from this domination remains to be
seen. She cannot do it through the supreme
court, every judge of which is tool of
the dictator. This court has just refused
an application for injunction to prevent
the payment of salaries to the supervisors
of registration. That rabid Democratic
sheet the Charleston News says; THE
terrible significance of the decision to the
people of South Carolina is that 1t Is
virtual abandonment of the power OF the
court to control the unconstitutional &C
ton of the Legislature. Under this de-
cision neither the present state coDstitu-
ton nor any other that we may hereafter
adopt will be worth the paper on which 1t
is written"
This is indeed retribution upon the old
time white oligarchy. that formerly die
tated the states political fortunes, though
it must be acknowledged, with more show
of decency than has Tillman. That dis
tinction in manner was to be expected
from the different character of the lead
ers. The brutal assumption of the poor
white whose energy, audacity and good
luck with circumstances have placed him
in the Senate of the United States, I'M
doubtedly disgUsts those ex oligarchs, but
whether it demonstrates to them, as 1t
does to the people of the country living
outside the state that they. themselves,
are chiefly to blame for fostering condi-
lions which make the career of this man
Tillman possible, 1t is impossible yet to
determine Through attempting to dis
franchise the colorcd man and destroy his
freedom they opened the avenue by which
the new political leaders are endeavoring
to pass to a constitution, under which the
negro not only shall have no political
rights in fact, as has been the condition
heretofore, but that he may lay no claim
to them under the laws of the state.
Now nothing can save the white oligar
chy at this juncture except the colored vote.
The leaders of the colored people have made
an appeal for fair play, declaring that they
do not expect to gain any more influence
in politics than their intelligence and
standing entitle them to, but that they
will support those who give them fair play
under the constitution of the state.
The outlook now is very dark for the
race but it may be just be-
fore the dawn. The career Of Tillman is
Of the sort that eventually kills itself.
Its phenomenal success has deprived it OF
any prudence, which shrewdncss may,
have suggested The brains,
the wealth and the culture Of the state
are opposed to Tillman and his methods
and the antipatby is too deep for oblitera-
ton. There Is little hope that when the
downfall OF this tyranny comes, as 1t
must through the union of the colorcd
and tie aristocratic white voter, the lat |
Ter will have enough of conscience and
sense of obligation to see that the colored
nan is given in the future such fair play
IS he has never known in the past 1t is
also possible that he will have the COM
non sense to see that his political methods
n the past are fatal to the future welfare
If his state.