Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-05-11

Account of Color Alone II of Established
Good Character and Intelligence. and b
Owners of Property.
Columbia, S. c., May 9.-ThrougI
the editor of IL weekly newspaper pub
lished mt Greenwood. X. X. Tolher;
the Republican nominee for Congress
the last election for the Third distri,:,
in South Carolina. and at present con
testing Congressman Latimcr'S sea-
has sent to his former neighbors Il,
Phoenix a statement. Tolbert was g
pelled from that region during the elec
ton troubles in November. lie wishes
TO return and makes promises for tlle
future. He is willing to change h.s
politics if it Is shown that he is in
error. He says:
IF Il year ago could have fore
seen what was going TO occur | would
not have accepted the nomination for
Congress-. | have been Il Repcblicah
and | have never been afraid q,
ashamed TO declare my principles, bit
l have never knowingly given nny
man any advice that would tend TO
make him other than Il good citizen of
cause him 10 set at defiance any estat'
lished law. Why should | desire TO
bring about Il state of lawlessness?
My home il in Abbevillc County and 4
large part of my interests lie in Green
wood. All that care for in life. every
thing and everybody that | hold near
and dear. is centred in these two
counties, and any evil that would b..
fall them would come upon me, too
II certainly have some interest IL
tryng to preserve law and order and
| had always thought until last Nj
vember that my neighbors gave mr
credit for trying 10 do so. 1t has been
very humiliating to ne for my neigh
bors and many whom ! regarded rs
personal friends 10 charge me otlicr-
wise. 1t has been charged that haze
too strong n prcdilection for the negro
In politics. | want To set myself righ!
as TO that am not and never have
been in favor of negroes holding office
| am not now and never have been in
faxor of any man white or black, et'
ercising the right of suffrage unless
he is qualified to do SO. But | do nor
believe I'm DISTINGUISHING on account OF
their color men who, because OF prop
erty or education or established char'
acter rs good citizens should be al
lowed to vote. ] am not believer III,
social quality. | am II believer 'L
white supremacy In the broadest and
strongest sense of the term, and If
see that it is in danger | will go as FAR
az any man To DEFEND il.
Il cannot see that here is the remot
est danger of negro domination. and
simply cannot believe the white peo-
pie, in the strength OF their superior
ity, should commit crime against Il
weaker and defenseleSs race.
t.,I fn. an
gress hy my party In the Third dis
trict | wanted to make as good SHOW
inc as possible want TO refute the
statement that Republicans were ;.
curing nominations for Office in thu
State solely for the purpose of getting
money out of the national ampaign
fund. did not make any money ont
of .he campaign In the contesr If !;
am not seated. will not get anything
bur the actual expenses in making tn"
contest. and the expense account WIT
be carefully itemiZed.
Toibert rcpudiated the Interview
wit him published in the New Yo'l;
Independent, which caused :,'Ich feel
ing against him. In that he is made to
allIte to the people IN Greenwood rs
white trash"
"'r short" says Tolbert III have
bean mislepresented and i-isundaf
stood on so many points that hardly
know what To say or where 10 com
mcnse TO set myself right | want 70
get right before the peopl" OF my
ho uc. though, for | am sure If ca 1
do r. at the people will hav- Il very
different opinion OF me.
-. do not take it," he said. that III p,
peoe,e of Greenwood County want ma
TO .,umiliate myself and GO Nd not do
so even If they wished it. | have
been Republican from principle aaG
am one vet | do not see how ANYONE
can consider that Il crime, .nit | ala
oprl to conviction. and ii any man ca !
show me that my position Is wrong.
viii speedily abandon il. ! have never
held night meetings with negroes anl
preat he'd incendiary doctrines to them
and never expect to do so. | hav"
never thought that | was Il menace 10
the peace and safety of the commun-
ity, but If any man can show in what
way | have been such | will try to
change my conduct. am not an out
law and don't want to be considered
as such.
st want to go back to my home with
nv wife and children and live there in
peace to the end of my days. I want
to have the friendship and good will
of all my neighbors and am sure that
when they understand me clearly !
will have that to the fullest extent. I
want to be able to go about the com
munity and attend TO my business af-
fairs freely and without molestation,
and without the consciousness that |
am looked upon with distrust and sus-
picion. | simply want a white mans
chance In Il white mans county. l do
not ask for anything more than this.
and I will not be satisfied with any
thing less
TOlbert is wan and thin. The near
est he has been to his home since the
troubles was when at Grcenvillc at
tending the trial of the conspiraotrs
on charges brought by Jim rolbcrt.
uyo Ash Ori n,