The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1896-01-29
The Battle ef the Giants.
Original Suggestions from Editor
Wilson.

Original Suggestions 1rom Huitol
Wilson.
Abberille Press and Banner.
We need absolutely honest cleo
tions in South Carolina, that is to
say: We need law, which will be so
perfect as to allow the rightful own
ers of the offices and their allies to
use the negroes at the ballot to oust
the usurpers who now hold office be-
cause of the truancy Of the people
to the respectable and genuinerepre-
sentatives of the country.
In the war the officers rode their
horses to fame and glory while the
soldiers trudge their weary way to
the discharge of arduous duties, and
to the filling of patriotic graves.
In civil life the rightful owners OF
the Offices should be allowed to Sc.
cure their own by walking in over
the shoulders of the negro, even to
the discontinue of the Three for a.
Quarter Statesmen" who now assume
to fill and disgrace the public offices.
The whole skill, tact and energy OF
the General Assembly should be di-
rected to the passage of such laws as
will bring about honest elections.
This old plan of preventing the re
spectacle old officeholding class from
| utilizing the negro in the effort to
oust the usurpers, commonly called
Reformers, is not longer to be toler-
ated. The existing hide bound and
wickedly enforced law may keep the
old crowd out SO long that most OF
US may starve to death, or be for
gotten because of our retirement.
The need, therefore, for honest elec-
tions is imperative. Without honest
elections, and without the votes of
the negro how are the little squad OF
virtuous respectable kickers ever to
get back into Office?
We must have honest elections.
This way of counting all the votes OF
all the Tillmanites and not allowing
the old set to vote and count the ne
gro will never do.
Give US honest elections, or we
starve to death and 20 to unknown
graves. We want the honors. We
need the money.
THE STATES COMMENT.
There would of course be "close
finish" in such a contest, but after
much consideration of the subject
we are inclined to believe that in q
race to decide which was the most
contemplate newspaper in South
Carolina the Abbeville Press and
Banner would win by length.
For four or five of the last SIX
years it has assumed to speak as a
sConservative" paper, for no other
reason that we can conceive than
that it desired the more securely to
betray the cause it pretended to
champion. What it has called itself
latterly we have not observed, but
we detect no disposition on the palt
of the decent Reform" papers to
claim it as one of thems elves, al
though in its discreditable fashion 1t
has "rooted'' for the most discredlt-
able acts of the most discreditable
'Reformers.
It is a shameful paper. 1t seldom
makes an honest or an open attack,
but in a manner peculiar to itself--a
sneaking, slanderous manner-it ap-
peals to the lowest impulses and the
meanest prejudices Of the worst OF
it's readers.
We have withheld these strong
words for years, but we cannot do SO
longer after reading this ignoble edl-
torial which it has put forth to main
tain fraud and perjury in South Car
olina elections:
. There was time when we re,