Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-01-25
THE TEN THOUSAND DOLLAR DEAD
NEGRO POSTMASTER.


ton of Senator McLaurin for an
of $4,000 for the
wife and family of the negro Post
Baker, of Lake City, S. O.,
who was killed last year by un-
known parties.
The correspondent says: "The
measure provides for an appro-
priation of $4,000 for the wife
and family of the dead postmaster.
The Senator is interesting hlmself
in the matter personally "as be re-
cards the measure as q just one"
And the Senator McLaurin men
toned above is our Senator Nc
Laurin from South Carolina, our
"curly headed Johnnie"-a man
to the manor born, and brought up
under the strlctest doctrine OF
"White Supremacy and Home
Rule"-the very foundation rock
of our rights as white men and as
freemeu-and has walked and
talked and lived and had his being
ON that line from his earliest youth
to a seat in the United States
Senate from South Car olina. And
now. the marvel is, how could
Senator McLaurin, ever an active
follower of Hampton and Butler
and Gary, and always upholoing
and maintaining the glorious doc
trine established by them an
others in seventy-slx, that this is
a white mans country and must
be governed by white men," should
so far forget himself as to offer
the bill above alluded to, and to
interest himself personally in thf
matter "as be regards the measure
as lust one." We will not, how
ever, condemn Senator McLsurln.
But hope he can and will satisfac-
torily explain his position in the
premises.
But the appropriation asked for
in this case is not right, nor, with
all due Difference to the views of
Senator McLaurin, is it "a just
one." For the now dead negro
postmaster, knowing full we'll the
Unborn sentiment-the established
sentiment-of the white people of
South Carolina in regard to white
supremacy and home rule, by
white people, and, white people
alone, was fool hardy in seeking
an office when he knew his filling
the same would be obnoxious to
the people, and violative of the
proclaimed principles Of the peo-
pie of the State. In presumptu-
ously taking office to '"lord it over
the white people of the South" ne
knew he was .treading Oh danger
GUS ground-was assuming a haz-
ardous risk-a risk not required OF
him by way Of patriotism to his
State or governnnent-and in thus
acting, regardless of the conse-
quences, and having fallen by the
hand of violence, the family OF
the deceased negro postmaster are
debarred from any right to seek
pecuniary aid from government OF
State. Because "this is o white
mans government and must oe
governed by white men,"
You know, Mr.. Editor, that il
all of these broad United States
North, South, East and West-lr
every hamlet, village, town and
city, the people thereof claim aud
have the right of local self-govern.
ment. Whenever an officer IS &c
be elected or appointed, the people
of the respective localities express
their preference by ballot or petl'
ton. 1t matters. not whether it If
a town, county, State or fedora
Office, the voice and will of the
people is a right to be respected
Up in the Northern and Eastern
and Western States the people
never petition for the appointment
of q negro postmaster, and Mes
neyer haze them. There the peoples
rights as to federal and all othe'
appointments are implicitly com
piled with. But here, down South
when, "we, the people" petition
for the appointment of a worth!
honorable gentleman to be mad
postmaster, the petition is ire
ouentIy cast aside, and some biI
buck negro fellow is foisted upo1
us. And we don't like it. An
we loath and hate and abomlnat