The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-05-30
CARPET-BAG RULE.

TtIIman's Story OF the Fight for
White Supremacy.-The Suppress.
sion Of the ColOred Vote, First by
Force and Fraud and Later by
Constitutional Methods, and the
Conditions that Necessiiated Such
Action. -
(From Lesle's Weekly.)
The overwhelming majority Of the white
the misrule and robbery to which they had
been subjected, and with their angry passions
aroused by the threatened destruction OF our
civilization. set tC work in January, 1875. to
redeem the State at any and all hazards. The
Democratic party was reorganizet and It's
one battle cry was white supremacy" The
under way 10 all the upper portion Of the
lState. In many of the lower counties the
whites were 80 downhearted and depressed at
OF the S; that hsy
mont. where the Hampton canvass had Its
beginning, there was inaugurated one Of the
most remarkable campaigns In history.
The whites were organized rapidly into
military Companies and armed, for the negro
militiamen, armed well equipped, numbered
upward Of 5000 and were frequently on the
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 q minority Of $4,000
the leaders The Democrats adopted the red
shirt as uniform and followed Hampton AZ
he went from county to county. marching 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
field, where the negroes were two to one. was
captured by 15O0 Democrats In red shirts
under Mart Gary, Confederate brigadier,
and the boldest leader Of the whites In the
lCtafA- A diVi6i0n nf time demanded
the negroes we're addressed by the Democratic
speakers, who, to his teeth, told Chamber
villinies which hei and his associates had
perpetrated.
This was the first fruits OF the new policy
and the effect over the State was electrical.
in the presence of his black dupes, the Gov
ernor left Edgedeld never to return and after
q similar experience at Midway, in Barnwell
County, week later, lat Abbeville,] be quit
the canvass. returned 10 Columbial and began
to lay plans for the use OF the United States
troops es the only hope left.
| The Hamburg riot, which occurred the Ih:
| troops was sent into the State under Gen.
Ruger. The Elenton riot followed In Sep
tember and more troop, pops, were sent Ill was In
Hampton in his canvass urged persuasion
and peaceful methods.
| Gary and Butler, on the contrary, advocat
ed the shotgun policy" and favorite maxims
of the former were: Fight the devil with
persuasion"
the laws which had been thrust upon the peo-
pie at the point of the boyonet by the carpet
bag government was overthroWn at once.
Oaths became idle words, without force or
meaning. The purpose was TO carry the
election at any and all hazards and In any
land all ways necessary. AS the election
approached the sky at night was lit up by the
light OF blazing gin houses. the work OF In
Having such 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 voles got into the boxes and how
many times mant voted, or whether the
negroes were allowed to vote-as they we're
wrought up to such pitch of desperation
| that life was not worth having upon
the conditions which existed. 1t was openly
declared TO be the purpose to have white
and in those counties where the troops were
stationed the Democratic maJortties were
greatest. At the election Hampton had most
sustained Cham mberlain's claim and the troops
| held the State House from the first week In
December until after Hayes was inaugurated, !
There was dual government and dual
Legislature, put Hampton's government
soa the ins ssss BY the
carried with it the agreement TO Withdraw
the troops. Then the carpslbag government
collapsed in a night an% each thief, who
The work Of rehabilitation and restoration
1 was slow. The State'S credit was for the
ltime ruined, but WiH labor and patience
order soGa a ZANE aI1 ,oeaof chaos. the dept was
had disgraced tbe Bench. There were 70.
many indictme9fs Is in the State Courts againstN
Legss1odIs and ana
nearly all thefonices were soon in the hands
of decent white men. There were hundreds
OF indictments against white men 10 the
Uplted St&Les Courts for riot, murder, IN
tim1dat1ohe etc, and finally an understand
Ing was reached that the whites would make
an e&cnahge Of prisoners: so TO SPEAK. ana
all prosecGtiors on both sides were dropped.
In the campaign of 1873 there was more
or determined effort on the part OF ihe
es TO regain their lost power, Dat tae
s swept everyth oy Inc same 70 ti5 Un,
lire as drastric measures to hold the STATE
mad to capture 1t. In 1880 the negroes
lde feeble, spasmodic attempt, and then;
6a"eieht.box law" which was modified
orm OF educational qualification, all organiZ-
ed effort TO overthrow the white or Democratic
party ceased and rom tnat tlne onirIno Ipi i9' sn
educational qualification for suffrage, was
j adopted, the negro vote ceased TO De lactof
in South Carolina politics. very Dauy W
Them never took the trouble to 60 TO the polls
lat all, and when they did go II mace no
Inference In 1876 the whites bad voted along
With the negroes for a constitutional tWo.mlli
SCHOOL tax. In 1895 the Conventon.
com posed OF one hundred and ffty;four
whites and six negroes, in ncreased this 10 tnree
mills South Carolina now leads the Soutn
i'm education and manufactures. lts creolt 10
such that its 4 IL per cent bonds are at lzo.
Its negro population Is as happy ana con@tsnI. @
ed and as prosperous as that IN any otner
State In the Union. su.. -,
The suppression of the colored vote, hrst oy
force and fraud, and later by constluLlonal
meth DDS, has been the subject OF much aayeIse
criticism by those who knew notoins aDTue
the horrors of carpet.bag rule but tnose e' WHO
participated In the struggle to Wrest tne StAte
| rom fine hand OF robbers who had used the
Ignorant and debased negro vote 10 waste our
an balance and destroy our oiVillzatlon nave
no apoIoeies to make, and Will leave 10 tne
imnartial historian of the future the question
as to whether the end justified the means.
The people of South Carolina do not doubt
what the verdict will be, neither do they care.
"'A' Benjamin r. Tillman.
One who Is Missed.
When a faithful Christian passes
away, in how many places he Is miss