The age-herald., 1900-05-10
SENATOR TILLMAN ON
 WHITE SUPREMACY


 had been subjected, and with their angry passions aroused by the threatened de- struction of our civilization. set to work in January, 1876 to redeem the state at any and all hazards. The democratic party was reorganized, and it's one battle cry was white supremacy" The work of re- organization was soon rapidly under way in all the upper portion of the state In many of the lower counties the whites were so downhearted and depressed at the hopelessness of the struggle that they made little or no movement; but. in the Piedmont. where the Hampton canvass had it's beginning, there was inaugurated one of the most remarkable campaigns in history.
 The whites were organized rapidly into military companies and armed, for the ne- gro militiamen, armed and we'll equipped, numbered upward of 5000 and were ire quently on the move to and fro from the places of regimental rendezvous. There were not lacking threats and actions by them to terrorize the white women and children and enrage the white men. The whites were in 0 minority of 5000 voters in the state, but this had no effect on the leaders. The democrats adopted the red shirt as uniform and followed Hampton as he went from county to county, march, ing in procession as his escort As many as 5000 red-shirted horsemen were seen in different counties riding across country from court house to court house. When Chamberlain began his canvass his first meeting at Edgefeld, where the negroes were two to one, was captured by l,5Oo
 c,tr rtc ,nda A. Confederate brigadier, and the boldest leader of the whites in the state A d- vision of time was demanded and the ne- groes were addressed by the democratic speakers, who to his teeth told Chamber lain, who was running for reelection or the villainies which he and his associates had perpetrated.
 This was the first fruits of the new pol icy and the effect over the state was eiec- trical Cowed and crestfallen at being thus branded in the presence of his black dupes' the governor left Edgefeld never to return, and after similar experience at Midway, in Barnwell county, week later, he qult the canvas and began to lay plans for the use of the United States troops as the only hope left. The Hamburg riot which oc- cured the 7th of July gave the excuse and a regiment of troops was sent into the state under General Ruger. The Ellenton riot followed in September and more troops were sent I was in both riots, but space 1orbids any details Hampton In his canvas urged persuasion and peaceful methods. Gary and Butler, on the contrary, advocated the shotgun policy" and faV- orite maxims of the former were: Eight the devil with fire" An ounce of fear is worth a ton of persuasion. The respect for the state constitution and the laws which had been thrust upon the people at the point of the bayonet by the carpet bag government was overthrown at once. Oaths became idle words, without force or meaning. The purpose was to carry the=elec- tion at any and all hazards, and in any and all ways necessary. As the election ap- preached, the sky at night was lit up by the light of blazing gin houses, the work of incendiarieS.
 Having such a large majority to overcome and knowing that in only about two-thirds of the state the whites were enthused there were no scruples on election day as to how the votes got into the boxes, and how many times man voted, or whether the negroes were allowed to vote-as they were not in many instances. The people were wrought up to such pitch of desperation that life was not worth having upon the conditions which existed. It was openly declared to be the purpose to have white mans govern ment or military government and In those counties where the troops were stationed the democratic majorites were greatest. At the election Hampton had most votes and was declared elected but Grant sustained Chamberlains claim, and the troops held the state house from the first week in De- cember until after Hayes was inaugurated, ir March following
 There dual government and al dual legislature, but Hampton's government alone received any money from the tax payers, and the settlement of Hayes title to the presidency by the electoral commits sion carried with it the agreement to with draw the troops. Then the carpet-bagi gov- ernment collapsed in night, and each thief who could get away hurriedly left the state. The work of rehabilitation and restoration was slow The states credit was for the time ruined, but with labor and patience or der soon came out of chaos, the debt was refunded, and all legal obligations met; hon. est judges took the place of bribe takers who had diSgraced the bench. There were so many indictments in the state courts against the county officers, legislators, and other republicans that by arrests and resig- nations nearly all the offices were soon in the hands of decent white men, There were hundreds of indictments against white men in the United States courts for riot, mur- der, intimidationS, etc., and finally an un- derStanding was reached that the whites would make an exchange of prisoners, to Speak, and all prosecutions on both sides were dropped,
 In the campaign of 1878 there was a more or less determined effort on the part of the negroes to regain their lost power, but the whites swept everything by the same meth- ods used in 1876, in a modified degree It did not require as drastric measures tb hold the state as it had to capture it. In 1880 the negroes made feeble, spasmodic attempt, and then, with the enactment of a registra- ton law and the "eight-box law which was a modified form of educational qualin- cation. all organized effort to overthrow the white or democratic party ceased; and from that time until 1895, when the new consti- tuition requiring an educational qualifica- tion for suffrage was adopted the negro vote ceased to be factor in South Caro- lima politics. Very many of them never took the trouble to go to the polls at all, and when they did go it made no difference