New-York tribune., 1900-12-02
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
CONDITIONS IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
A CORRESPONDENT coRREcTED-rHE Me-
GRO QUESTION STILL PARAMOUNT.

O~N~ <S-SAAO@H STILL EA1hahOGNA.
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: AS interested reader OF your valuable
paper respectfully ask for space 20 correct some
glaring misstatements which appeared in a special
published In your issue OF the 18th inst. under
date Columbia, 5. c. November IS.
AS Republican feeling very keenly the injury
and injustice inflicted upon the people OF this
State by existing political conditions am glad to
approve the statement: Tt is freely predicted that
before the next Presidential campaign there viii be
unless radical change Is made In the policies Of
the Democratic party. another organization IN
this State. whatever it's name may be. that Will
throw its strength to the Republicans II they repre-
sent the same policies to-day
The statement that the vote in the State in the
last election was less than 10000 IS disproved BY the
official returns, which show that the entire vote
cast Tor Presidential electors 50S14 The state
ment that for the first time In many years Repub-
hcans were nominated in every Congress district
Is totally Incorrect. for II has been the rule to
which can recall exception since 1858. tor the
Republicans TO have full Congress ticket N the
field at each biennial election
To the statement that if the Republicans had
been on the alert they could have carried the State
for Mckinley, with their reduced voting
power 1t is only necessary TO say that the record
Is all against the assumption In 1896 Mckinley
polled 92Sl votes. when most extraordinary effort
was made to secure the full voting strength OF the
party In 1885. with Congress candidate in each
district, the entire Republican vote was less than
O.VuV Anu dl JHe IaSt eectlOn tne vote EOr the
Mckinley electors only a579. From what
source they might have secured a sufficient number
Of votes to have overcome the 1900 poled for the
Bryan electors your correspondent fails to indicate.
Again. take the following statement with refer
ence to educat tlonal conditions in the State: Prac
tcally all the negro children in the State between
the ages Of seven and seventeen are attending
school, 1t is a rare thing to find one twelve years
of age who cannot read. The same cannot be said
or the white children 1t will take a compulsory
education law to force them into school In the
% South Carolina Regiment. that went to Cuba in
tne War there were in two bat
at large who previously had not belonged to the
not sign the payroll. letter lust received from
the State Superintendent of Education says: The
o s rS tribune aSsGP
comm common observation disprovss It, My last annual
in the public schools: Whites 1855: negroes,
from six to aGs 90 so Se oMns fenss etse
from Colonel Willie Jones, who commanded the %
Of the 10th at hand and noted I think that the
Sssia1t % tt sd ot r}i qne men N my
neous. 1 do not believe there were twenty-five
their names. 1t win be almost impossible for me to
get the exact information but that is my belief.
hope that you will correct the statement you have
Such misleading statements are a gross Injustice
your readers and should not be allowed 20 go un-
nation Of formidable rival to the Democratic
party which In the the nature E O. things would be-
National questions. That the commercial and in
dusJrial policies Of the Republican party are cal
culated 70 give material prosperity to section
is generally recognized and admitted That the
government Of our State by the Democratic party
unopposed has resulted in conditions which all good
citizens depore is voiced by the Democratic press
throughout the State and appeals loud and long
are being made for the organization OF an aggres-
sive. promising opposition party the only
recttve for existing wrongs. and the manifest ten
dency to greater wrongs yet to come; l firmly be-
lieve that at least one-half Of the white OF
the State would ally themselves with the Repub-
lican party were they assured that the Northern
element OF the party would not again try 70 regu-
late the question OF outrage In the States in such
a way TO magnify the power Of the negro IN
elections Right wrong. this is the paramount
and abiding political issue in the Southern States
and must be reckoned with in all discussions Of the
case. v p. CLAYTON.
Charleston, s. c., Nov. g. 1900