The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-11-22
ALL ON ACCOUNT
OF THE T0LBERTS
The Race Troubles at Phoenix Due to
Hatred of Them,
NO DANGER OF NEGRO RULE.
The Registered Vote Of the state Is
Largely In Favor of the Whites,
the Negroes Being Practically
Disqualified From Voting.
NO DANGER OF NEGRO RULE.

| correspondent W lAN frAiAAAt AND 4 AFNt'fR
race troubles and he sends his paper the
following:
Greenwood county. in South Carolina, is
a comparatively new county, having been
erected from the county Of Edgeheld on
one side and Abbeville on the other.
Edgcheld county was the scene OF some
Of the most disastrous political riots dur
ing the period Of reconstruction Within
it's borders occurred tie famous Ned
Tenant riot, so called for the negro
leader, who was killed.
The colofed population IN that section is
very large, ~outnEmDering the whites, but
the race question there is merely q social
problem. not q political one.
The negroes of South Carolina. as a gem
eral thing. do not vote. There are IN the
State 49, 900 male negroes of the voting
age, and there are 10000 white voters.
Only 1900 negroes are registered and
1900 whites.
The negroes do not vote. because they
have been practically disfranchised. Each
voter must have $500 worth OF property
and be able 10 read and write.
In Greenwood county the qualified white
voters outnumber the qualified negro v0-
tiers about ten 10 one. The authority FOR
this statement IS Senator Tillman. The
Tolberts are a very influential white fam
lily in Greenwood county. The most con-
spicuous member of It Is Major John r..
Tolbert. He is really the republican lead
er in South Carolina.
Major TOlbert is a man Of middle age.
who graduated from the South Carolina
University, which at the time Of his grad
uatiOn was the educational institution of
the highest standing in the South. Major
Toibert served during the war as a mem
Der Of Buffers Confederate cavalry de
vision, and came out with a fine reputa-
ton for courage and the rank of a lieu
tenant. lie is to-day q slender. erect.
dressy man. with an iron gray beard and
fine presence. He has two brothers, one
Of whom, Thomas Tolbort. lives near
Phoenix.
THE TOLBERTs.
Major TOlbert has "a number OF sons,
among whom are Robert Rhctt Tolbert.
Thomas Tolbert. Jr, Joseph Tolbert and
James w. TOlbert. Major TOlbert be-
came a Republican leader i'm South Caro-
lima. He turned Republican during re-
construction days, I'm the hope of get
ting office. lie is AZ present collector Of
the port at Charleston. s. c.. having Sc
cured that post by virtue of his efforts
for Mckinley at 81. Louis I'm 1896. His
son., Robert Rhett TOlbert, IS chairman
Of the Republican State Committee.
Robert Rhctt TOlbert's name has been
invariably printed Robert "Rod" Tolbert.
Red IS a nickname. His other sons
are all active Republicans. The Toll
berts are all planters in that section Of
the State. They are all very well edu-
Gated and very we'll 10 do. too. and their
combined holdings I'm Ian exceed ten
thousand acres.
The wife Of James W. Tolbort was APP
pointed pOstmistrcss Of Mccormick. a
small country town. James w. Toibert
processes 10 be bis wife's assistant In the
office. Collins. a brothcr-in-law OF r. r..
ToIbert. claims 10 be postmaster at Nine
tv-Six. n station on the Southern rail-
way. near Greenwood. This Is denied by
tho Democrats. who say that Collins SIS
an applicant FOR the postofice NJ Able
willie Courthouse. and Mr.. James Tolbert
is an applicant for the postofice at
Greenwood.
! Although the Tolbcrts are ono of the
best families IN the State. there being
nothing against either their personal or
business habits. the great mass Of white
people have regarded them with onmi'y
because they arc Republicans. When
Robert Rhott Tolbcrt became % candidate
for Congress this fall the white Demo-
Gratis declared that ne should not have
any votes. and tho feeling On tho COM
munity was very bitter.
NEGRO VOTES REFUSED.
Inc negroes were UDIN4iA AAsAA ANfF
have been for many years. ! do not
think the Tolberts have anything 20 do
with this. The only reasonable oNplana-
ton ! have got IS that furnished boy Col
onel y. q. Gonzales, who says that since
the colored troops behaved so finely
at Santiago and Fl Caney the negroes
through the South believe that they are
a race OF warriors and can whip the
white men. and this impression has made
them very hard to get along with.
They were encouraged 10y the orators
both I'm North and South Carolina 20 go
10 the polls on election day. and were
reminded Of the great exploits Of their
race I'm Cuba. The colored orators We're
prOne TO allude TO MaceO as one OF the
greatest warriors OF modern times.
Election day came. and all the negroes
% Greenwood county who were qualified
10 vote through coming up 10 the re-
ouircment Of the South Carolina Consti-
tuition. were told bv the Tolberts 10 go
20 the polls and vote for Robert hhett
Tolbert for Congress. Phoenix, which
was one Of tho polling places, consists or
a crossroads country store. II was here
that the race war I'm South Carolina be-
The polling place was on the second
Hcor Every time a negro applied u" vote
FOR Robert Rhett Tolbert his vote was
refused. whether he owned $500 and could
read and write or not.
Thomas Tolbert. Jr.. was In charge or
the negroes az this polling place. lie
| asled permission to take the affdavits
Of the negroes that they were qualihed
voters and were not allowed 10 vote. IN
the room where the ballot boxes were this
was refused. so he went down stairs.
had blanks filed ont I'm regular form.
| signed and acknowledged by a notary
public. As each affidavit was made IT
was folded and put into a ballot box
which the Republicans had provided.
This went on for some time until J. 7.
Fethf~idee q prominent white mar In the
community. tried 10 stop the proceedings.
As n matter Of fact. Mr.. Etheridge q
no more right 10 interfere than II he
lived I'm another state. There was no
danger Of negro supremacy; there was
no danger OF the Democratic candidate
for Congress being unsoated. because the
| contest could not possibly amount 20 any
thing. and I'm addition 20 this. Phoenix
was not I'm Mr.. Ethcridge's voting place.
Mr.. Etheridge's interference resulted In
n Sight. and during this fight Mr.. Eethe-
ridge was shot and died almost instantly.
THE WHITES TO ARMS.
Then the whites flew 20 arms. \ Toll
bert and negro hun began. which lasted
for three days. Most OF the negroes took
TO the woods and were hard 10 find.
At the close Of the second days ri0ting
some negrOeg fred upon a party OF whites
80 &c Ifn.Nr Grove church