Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-06-14

FACTS ABOUT THE FAMOUS BODY OF
WHICH HE WAS A MEMBER.
DELIVERED BEFORE DAUGHTERS OF
at Anderson, S. C.-Incidcnts Of the Blood
less Revolution in South Carolina.
Daily Mail, June 9th. |

on are quite tamlllar with the
causes and effects of the Revolution
of I776, when the Colonies dccl ed
to the Mother Country that they
would not submit to ''raXation with
out representation" and that "lhcy
would spend millions for defence,
but not one cent for tribute" Eng
land was most pow crful, the Colo
nics small and poor, but impellcd by
the spirit Of independence and love
OF freedom, they east fear and cXpe-
dicncy to the winds and shook the
thrones OF every kingdom in Europe
by their deeds of daring, their priva-
tions and ultimate success. That
has been chroniclcd in song and
story and every boy and girl is ia
miliar with the stirring incidents
transpiring from the battle of Lex
ington to Kings Mountain and
Yorktown.
One hundred years after that, in
1876, a hloodlcss revolution occurred
in South Carolina, which was ust
as important in its results to our own
people and State, which has not been
written about and is fading fast from
memory, as those who took part in
It's enactment arc passing away.
At your request have iottcd
down my rccollcctions OF the Incl
dents occurring in that campaign,
hoping they might instruct and in
tercst you, for the State was then
submitting to "tayation without rep
rcscntation" and "contrbuting mil
lions for revenue"
The Republicans obtained posses
sion OF the State government in 1868
by the election OF Il. Is. Scott as
Governor, and the other Offices were
filled with carpet bagycrs, scaawagS,
and negroes. Scott was succeeded
by Il. j. Moses, .Jr., and condition
Of corruption and incompetence
prevailed which was never cqualcd
in any government. Chamber
lain followed in 1874 and while
he was personally honest, he was
surrounded by such set OF thieves,
that pcculation pcrmcatcd c cry de-
partmcnt Of the State government.
The bonded debt OF the State had
increased from about six million dol
lars to over twenty seven million in
these seven years, notwithstanding
the fact that taxes were increased
year by year until they became nm
bcarablc. The House OF Rcprcscn.
ta,ivcs, composed Of l2G members in
1915, had about twenty four Demo
Gratis, about ten white Republicans
and the balance ncgroc', the Speaker
being black, corrupt and insolcmt
nogro named Elliott. The white
people Of the State were becoming
very restless under the domination
OF the negro and carpct-baggcr, but
the crowning infancy which aroused
the manhood of the State from the
mountains to the sea, was the cleo
ti"n Of W. j. Whippcr, IN ignorant,
dishonest and disSipatcd negro, and
+. j. Moses, .Jr., former Governor
and the worst degenerate in South
Carolina, to the bench in 1873. The
judiciary is the bulwar' Of freedom
OF every government and vhcn that,
too, was invaded by the ignorant,
corrupt and liccntious, our people
irlt that there was no longer any
hope and all would be ruined
(ou can scarcely consider what a
Stnpcndous undertaking it was in
1876 TO throw off this yoke of ty-
ranny and dcSpotism. The negroes
had more than two votes to the white
peoples one. All the Offices from
Governor TO Constable were i'm their
hands, including the whole election
machinery Of the State. Every officer
in the Federal Government was not