The Greenville times., 1897-07-24
REPORTING IN THE SOUTH.
A Newspaper Mans Experience In
Getting News,


Getting News,
A newspaper man who had worked
in the south was telling Star re-
porter of some Of his experiences,
81 notice." he said, chat the Ma
tional Farmers alliance has been i'll
session in this city. Now, that was a
big political organization five or six
years age, and its membership in
southern and western states was
large. Many statesman went under
as a result Of 'projecking' with the al
lance and refusing to heed its de-
mands. The venerable statesman
from Georgia, Representative Lconi-
das Livingston, came into congress as
a result of loving the alliance, SEN
ator Tillman, of South Carolina, rode
the alliance horse until it carried him
into power. I could name many
others, but it is not necessary to the
story, What I am telling about now
is the distrust which the order and its
members have always entertained for
newspaper men, especially at times
when they are holding meetings.
Nothing is ever given out except
through press committees, as the
Washington reporters have no doubt
ascertained. That used to be the
fashion with the county alliances
when they met, Eight years ago,
when the alliance was fourishing in
certain southern state, ! determined
TO secure the news of a county alliance
meetingfor rthepaperIwas then work.
ing on. The alliance met hall over
a livery stable Adjoining the hall waa
a hay and fodder loft, got into this
and prepared a hole to listen to the
proceedings. | didn't care anything
about the secret work, and merely
wanted the proceedings on political
subjects. had a great time for sew
eral hours, but got a full story Of
what was done, The alliance mem
bership in the county was amazed and
mad, They boycotted my paper in
every way possible for years as a re-
suit of that trick, but the paper still
exists, There are many men still in
congress, however, who still keep up
with the order, and in a secret way
nat il on the shoulder They are afraid
Of it,
'N1y experiences with this orderre-
call the fun had, when a veryyo,mg
man, reporting repubhcanward meet
ings in the south These meetings
were attended wholly by colored citi-
zens, and every man in the crowd had
his razor with him. As a rule, the
were held by the flicker Of
dim oil lamps. Two out Of three times |
the meetings would breakupin arrow, |
the lights would be put out and there |
would be slrflling, ,scrambling and the |
scudding Of dark figures. At one Of |
these meetings, after the scene de-
,cribed, the police arrived, and with
lanterns ascertained the situation.
Two or three men were lying on the
ioor, badly whacked with razor cuts,
while under every bench and behind
every box or chair were citizens who
lad sought those places Of safety un-
Ill the war was over. After the police
irirved there was a general demandto
inow who struck me on the head;'
md who done dat foul lick while /
yus tryin' to preserve peace" Repre-
eatative George Murray, the colOred
of tho house, represents a
district where such things occurred |
years ago. These disturb
noes often came about over the rul-
ngs of the chairmen, but the colored
itizen now understands parliament
ry tactics better, and the chairman
5 never in so dangerous a predica-
lent, This also reminds me that |
lave travelled through portions Of
Ir. Murray's district for hours with
ut seeing a white face tits known
5 the black district because Of the
nusual predominance Of colorcJ pco-
le, This is especially so in the rice
elds back from the coast. This Sec
.on is so full Of malaria that a white
IAN cannot live in it. White over
,ers go to the rice fields in the day ,
me, but at night 60 to higher places
Y rail or swift horses. The negroes /
re acclimated, and rarely get sick. 1
hey were faithful people during the
ar. They could have murdered the
w white people near to them, but
lstead Of doing their owners and
hite friends harm they worked for h
lem as Loyalty as before the war Il
any of them still live with their !
rmer owners, and are kindly a
ested. ."-Washington Star, G