Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-06-02
How q Steer Voted.

ever voted. And it is an actual fact, |
TOO. IIforo is how it occurred as told
by the editor Of the Piedmont Head
light .." |
At the close of the war, when the
South was under military despotism,
and Federal troops guarded our bal
lot box, a white Republican registra-
tion officer from another county camo
over to Elberton to enroll voters.
The negroes turned out in force to
register, and for several days the
work went bravoly on. At that time
there lived in Elborton and the sur
rounding country o band of young
Democrats who looked upon this new
political innovation with anything
but condonence. Among the crowd
were Tuz Tates Buddy Martin, Eu-
gene and Henry Heard, Babe and
Asbury Tate, Tom Swift, Mac Ar
mold and others, who banded TO-
gether to see what they could do to-
ward saving the country from negro
domination. They were all utterly
fearless boys and would fight at the
drop OF a hat.
One day, during tho registration
proceedings, tho boys congregated in
town and held a conference. Soon
Tuz Tate was seon to approach the
Federal registration officer, leading
an old spotted steer by halter, and,
stopping at the window, deliberately
took pistol from each boot leg and
laid them on the sill with tho re-
mark
"Here is a gentleman who desires
to register, and l want you to enroll
his name darn quick, or there will be
trouble, and heap of it,"
The frightened officer looked up,
and seeing no object before him but
the steer and two pistols, with a
string of determined looking boys in
the rear, replied
"Please lot the party step to the
front and answer the legal questions"
"Thc gentleman has already step
ped to the 'front.'" answered Tuz.
"Elere he is," pointing to the steer,
"and his name IS Buck Tate. You
have been for two days registering
corn-field niggers as voters, and old
Buck here has as much right to vote
AZ any of them, and we are d ter
mined that he shall vote, too. Now,
are you going to register Buck Tate
or not ? Answer, and thai blamed
quick"
The officer looked first at Tuz and
then at those pistols, and stammercd
out something about the law and the
qualifications of voters.
But Tuz was not to be circumvent-
ed. Taking up one those pistols,
and deliberately cooking the same,
he drew out his watch, with the
statement
81 didn't como here to haggle with
you, and | will just give you ono
minute, by this here time piece, to
register Buck Tate, and if you don't
do so Pll send q ball through your
miserable scallawag carcass. I mean
business, for Pm Bucks friend, and
intend to sec that he gets his rights"
The officer had been warned of
those Elberton boys, and so regis
tered Buck Tate, and his name was
duly printed among the list of legal
voters from Elbert county.
The following fall another officer
came to attend the election, when
Tuz Tate again led old Buck to the
ballot-box and insisted upon his vot-
ing, as he was registered, emphasize
ing his demand with that pistol argu-
ment. Buck not only voted at that
election, but continued to vote at
every election so long as the Repub-
lican party dominated Georgia, and
he always polled straight Demo
cratic ticket.
This is on actual fact, and shows
the kind of stuff those Gilbert county
boys are made of.
THz Tate is now living in Au-
gusta, while most of the other boys
who figured in that cscapade are now
leading mombers of tho church and
try to forget their wild and patriotic
young days.
Whom. South Carolina was making
an effort to throw off the yoke of
Radical rule it was the Ebert county
boys who so va!iantly came to the
rescue of our people, and not only
kept in subjoction the negroes and
their white allies, but helped to
swell the Democratic majority by
voting early and often.
--------------~-q . -
A Sure Thing for You.