The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-05-24
TILLMAN ON WHITE SUPREMACY
Hc Eclls How South Carolina Thrcw
or tho Negro and the Garnet
BaXYcr.

Senator Benjamin II. Tillman, @
Sonth Carolina, writes as follows II
Leslie's Weekly: Tho ovcrwhclmip,
majority OF the white people in Souti
Carolina, grown desperate at the mis-
rule and robbery to which they ha,
been subjected, and with their angr,
passions aroused by the threatened de
struction OF our civilization, set T.
work In January, 1876, to redeem tn,
State at any and all hazards. The
Democratic party was reOrganiXed, ant
its one battle cry was "white supre
macy" Tho work OF reorganization
WAS soon rapidly undor way in all the
upper portion OF the State. In many
OF the lower counties the whites were
SO down hearted and depressed at the
hopelcssncss Of tho struggle that they
| made little Or no mOvemont: but in the
Piedmont, whore the Hampton canvass
had It's beginning, there was inuugur.
| ateu one OF tho most remarkable cam
paigns in history.
| Tho whites wore organized RAPIDLY
| into military companies and armed,
Tor the negro militiamcn, armed and
we'll equipped, numbered upward OF
o,Ooo anu wore frequently on the move
TO and from tho places OF rcgimcntul
| rendezvous. There were not lacking
threats and actions by them to terror
iHo the white women and children and
cnrage the whito men. The whites
| were in u minority OF sc, 900 voters in
the State, but this had no ercct on the
leaders. The Democrats adopted the
| red shirt as Il uniform and followed
Hampton rs he went from county to
county, marching in procession as his
| escort. AZ many as ) 600 rod shirtud
| hor5emen were econ in different cOun.
! ties riding across country from court
house to court house. When Chamber.
lain began his canvass his first meet.
ing at Edgclield, whore the negroes
were two TO one, was captured by 800
Democrats in red shirts under Mart
Gary, Confederate brigadier, and the
bOldcst leader OF the whites in the
State. A division Of time was demand.
cd and the negroes wore addressed by
the Democratic speakers, who to his
teeth told Chamberlain, who was run.
ming Tor reelection, OF the villainics
which he and and his associates had
pcrpetrated.
This was the first fruits OF the new
policy, and the cilcct over the State
WAS electrical. Cowed and crcsttallcn
at bcing thus branded in the presence
OF his black uupes, the Governor left
Eigelield bevCr to return. And after a
well County, "a week .atcr he quit the
canvass amp began to lay plans 70, tie
use OF the United States troops ~ the
only nOpo left. The Hamburg rio,
| which occurred the Tth o. July gave
| the excuse, and u regiment OF trOODs
WAS sent iato the State under Cen. Ru.
ger. The Eilonton riot followed in
September, and moro troops wore scut.
| was in both riots, but space forbiLs
any details. Hampton in his canvass
urged persuasion and peaceful method,
Cary ana Butler, on Tho contrary, I'D.
vocatcd the " shotgun puliCy," and fn.
vorte maxlms OF the former were
"Fight the devil with fire" I" An
ounce Of fear is worth u ton OF pcrsuas.
| ion" The respect OF the State consti.
tuition and the laws which had boon
thrust upon the people at tho point OF
tho bnyonct by the carpet-bug govern
ment was OVcrthrOwn at Once. OuLhs
became idle words, without force or
meaning. The purpose WAS TO carry
the election At any and all hazards,
and In any and all ways necessary. As
the election approached the sky at
night was lit up by the light Of blazing
gin houses, the work Of incendiarics.
Having such large ma aiority to
overcome and knowing that in only
about two thirds Of tho State the scru.
pies on election day rs to how the
| whites were Cnthuscd, there were no
votes got into the boxes and how many
times man voted, or whether the ne
groes wore allowed to vOtc-as they
were not in many instances. The pco-
pie were wrought up to such a pitch
Of desperation that life WAS not worth
having upon the conditions which ey.
listed. 1t Was openly declared to be
the purpose to have a white mans goy.
ernment or military government, and
in those counties where the troops ere
stationed the Democratic ma jorities
were greatest. At the election Hamp-
| ton hau most votes and was declared
| elected, but Grant sustained Chamber.
| lain's claim, and the troops held the
State house from the first week in De.
ccmbcr until after Hayes waa inaupu.
rated in March following.
There WAS dual gOvcrnmcn. and a
dual Legislature, but liamptOn's gov.
ernmcnt alone received any money
| from the taxpayers, and the settlement
| OF Hnycs',titlc to the Presidency by the
electoral commission carried with Il
the agreement TO Withdraw the troops.
Then the carpct-bag government col.
| lapscd in night, and each thief who
could get away hurricdly left the
State. The work OF rehabilitation and
restoration was slow. The Statc's
credit was for the time ruined, but
with labor and puticLce order soon
came out OF chaos, the debt was refund.
ed, and oil legal obligations mot hon
est judges took the place of bribe TAX i.
ers who had disgraced the bench .
There were 80 many indictments in
the State courts against the county
oilicers, legislators and other tepubli
cans that by arrest and designations
nearly oil the Offices were soon in the
hands OF decent white men. There
were hundreds OF indictments in The
United States Courts for riot, murder,
and intimidation, &c, and finally an
understanding was reached that the
whites would make an exchange OF
prisoners, 80 to speak, and all proScCu-
tiOns on both 81 les were dropped.
IN tho campaign OF 1873 there was q
more or less determined effort on The
part OF the negroes TO retain their lost