The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-04-20
ONE MANS IDEA.
Capt. Petty Gives His Reaso1 for the
n merous Murders.
THAT TAKE PACE IN OUR STATE
He Thinks it S arted During Recon-
s;ruction Times and Has
Grown Worse Since
That Time.
That Time.


That Time.
The fact that 222 homicides were
committed in South Carolina during
the year 1903, has been published.
Capt. Charles Petty, of Spartanburg,
! S. c., was asked the other dag what
in his opinion were the causes leading
to such record He replied:
Our own citizens were less shocked
by the bloody record than those of
other States, for We had by degrees
got accustomed to homicide. 1t did
not appear to be phenomenal record,
even to our law-abiding, conservative
citizens. They understood how it
was brought about. 1t would be well
for people outside of the State to
learn that this record is only the log
ical result of many years infraction
! of law.
''The organization of tie Union
league, principally among negroes,
four or five years after Appomattox,
was the first step. 1t required little
time for these organizations to learn
the power Of the mob. and they under
stood that courts would not hurt them
for any outrages committed.
The second step was the organiza-
tion of the kukluX klanS, the object
of which was to check and repress the
lawlesSness and violence of the lea
guers. After striking terror to the
negroes and some of the white natives
who were united with them. they ex-
tended their power and struck down
some innocent men and began to turn
against each other.
Just then, when good citizers
were shocked and uneasy day and
night, the United States government
brought it's strong arm to bear on the
situation and the klans scattered like
thin mist before driving wind.
Then came a few years of the
darkest political history that any
State ever made. Ignorant negroes
from rice fields and plantations, call
ing themselves legislature, inaugar-
ated a system of robbery and financial
fraud that has no parallel.
THE white people endured all that.
but not without protest. They open
ly held conventions and begged the
carpetbag government to hold up.
But it was too late.
THE State government. like the
Kuklux. had become unmanageable.
They would not listen to reason or
argument. Their only idea was that
so long as there was dollar to steal
it was their privilege to grab it. This
high handed rapine and robbery under
the name of the law was third step
in this downward course.
Then came the famous campaign
of 1876, when Wade Hampton was
elected governor. After the election
an open boast was made as to the use
| of tissue ballots. 1t was considered
big joke for minors to vote.
All this seemed we'll enough until
few years later when the same
methods used against the carpet-bag
government were used in our primary
elections. 1t was evident that men
who had been familiar with election
frauds from their youth would ezer-
else the same methods in closely con-
! tested elections that concerned only
the white people. 1t came to pass
that election laws had to be made rig
id showing that our pc pie could net
trust each other.
With the Inauguration Of the
Hampton government came better
understanding between the two races,
for Hampton was the governor OF all
the people. Then followed Hugh S.
Thompson, now living in New York,
and Gen. Johnson Hagood, good and
able men, who earnestly desired and
labored for the welfare of the whole
State
During their administration law
lessness was not encouraged. Lynch
ing was not advised in public or pri-
vate. They sought to enforce the law
impartially and to preserve good or
der.
For ten years or longer it looked
as if the State would retrace the
downward steps she had made from
! 1868 so 1876, and that the white peo
pie would get back to the good old
fashion of conducting elections fairly
and having high regard for human
life. 1t was hopeful period.
But for various reasons there was
unrest among the people of the State.
They had lost confidence in them
selves and everything. 1t was then
that a sharp, shrewd man, understand
ing well their condition, took adran-
tage of the situation and assumed
leadership.
THE famous campaign of 1890 be-
gan when the former administrations
from 1876 to 1890 were abused for in
compentcy, dishonesty and every pos
sible political crime The people, be-
ing greatly dissatisfied with their IT,
nancial condition, began to look on
Benjaman r. Tillman as the Moses
!! VINO was 10 ledu UlleIH OuC VI Clie " VII
derness.
Never was man so much praised
and idolized in this State as he was.
The people followed him with a wild
and unreasonable zeal. They repudl-
ated Hampton, Thompson and hun
dreds of other true and good men be-
cause they were thus instructed.
The teaching OF the campaign OF
1890 and subsequent ones was that all
who were opp> sed to the Iillman
movement were enemies, moccasins,
dogs. for all these epithets were used
! by their leader. 1t was publicly
taught that Il negro had no political
rights that white man was bound to
respect. Lynching was the proper
punishment for Il certain crime and
,rIop Sopn for q o,jcSonoo3U0r or for