Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-05-24
"WHlTE SUPREMACY
Senator Tilman's Amazingly Frank Story OF the
Suppression OF the Negro Vote.
From I.eslie's Weekly.1

From Leslie's Weekly
The overwhelming majority of the
white people of South Carolina
grown desperate at the misrule and
robbery to which they had been sub,
jected, and with their angry pas
sions 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 rcorgan-
lied, and it's one battle cry was
"whitc supremacy" The work Of
rcorganizing was soon rapidly un-
der 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 hope
lcssncss of the struggle that they
made little or no movement but in
the Piedmont, where the Hampton
canvass had its beginning, there was
inauguratcd one of the most re-
markablc campaigns in history,
The whites were organized rapidly
into military companies and armed,
for the negro militiamen, armed and
well equipped, numbered upward of
5000 and were frequently on the
move to and fro from the place of
rcgimental rendezvous. There were
not lacking threats and actions by
them to tcrrorizc the white women
and children and enragc the white
men. The whites were in a minor
ity Of 10000 voters in the State :;
but this had no effect on the leaders.
The Democrats adopted the red
shirt az uniform and followed
Hampton as he went from county to
county, marching in procession as
his escort. AS many as 5000 red
shirted horscmen were seen in diff
ferent counties riding across country
from court house to court house.
When Chamberlain began h., can
vass his first meeting at EdgcGeld,
where the negroes were two to one,
was captured by 800 Democrats in
red shirts, under Mart Gary, Con-
federate brigadicr, and the boldcst
leader Of the whites in the State. a
division Of time was demanded and
the negroes were addressed by the
Democratic speakers, who to his
teeth told Chamberlain, who was
running for reelection, Of the vii
laines which he and his associates
had perpctratcd.
This was the first fruits of the
new policy, and the effect over the
State was electrical. Cowcd and
crcstfallen at being thus branded in
the presence Of his black dupcs, the
Governor left Edgefcld never to r..
turn, and after similar experience
at Midway, in l}arnwcll county, a
week later, he quit the canvass and
began to lay plans for the use of the
United States troops az the only
hope left. The Hamburg riot, which
occurred the 7th day of July, gave
the excuse, and a regiment of troops
was sent into the State under Gen
eral Ruger. The Ellcnton riot fol-
lowed in September, and more
troops were sent. | was in both
riots; but space forbids any details.
Hampton in his canvass urged per-
suasion and peaceful methods. Gary
and Butler, on the contrary, advo-
Gated the "shot gum" and the favor
itc maxims Of the former were
"Fight the devil with fire" Gan
ounce Of fear is worth a ton Of per
suasion." The respect for the State
Constitution and the laws which had
been thrust upon the people at the
point of the bayonct by the car
pet-bag government were Ovcrthrown
at once. Oaths became idle words,
without force or meaning The pur-
pose was to carry the election 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 lightof blazing gin houses,
the work Of inccndiarics.
Having such large majority to
overcome and knowing that in only
about two thirds Of the State the
whites were enthuscd, there were no
scruplcs on election day as to how
tho votes got into the boxes and how
many times man voted, or whcth""
the negroes were allowed to vote