The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-09-09

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replied that they were Taft Repub-
licans. In what does Tart Repub-
licans. In what does a Taft Repub-
lican differ from an Aldrich Repub-
been advocating the organization of
a Taft Democratic party. 1t may
be that Deacon Hemphill is playing
'possum," but when remember that
The News and Courier, under Daw-
son, was the leading exponent Of the
proposed compromise with Chamber
lain in 1876 which was defeated in
the State Convention by the narrow
margin of seventeen majority, and
that that same paper did not sup
port the State Democratic ticket
in 1890 and has never given Mr..
Bryan anything but Joab stabs,
cannot help but be on the lookout
for treachery in that quarer. In
1876 nothing but the war cry Of
straight out white mans fight rails
ed by Butler, Gary and George Till
man in the State Convention saved
the day.
Beware of Taft.
I do not like to inject anything
personal here and I would not at
tack the motive of any man or news
paper if there were not good grounds
for it. When Mr.. Taft comes to
South Carolina to spread molasses
and give hungry office-seekers an
excuse for deserting the Democratic
party, he will doubtless tell us why
it is good that the solid South should
be broken up, and will depict the
glories of our entry into the national
field as factor in influencing the ac-
ton of the United States govern
ment. But if the solid South is q
bad thing, why is not the solid North,
where the power lies, worse thing?
We have only three Democratic SEN
ators from the North, and the Re-
publican machine has sixty-one to
our thirty-one senators, twenty-eight
of them Southerners. This condition
has brought about the exceedingly
dangerous and degrading one-man
power exemplified in the senate IN
the person of Aldrich, and in the
house in the person of Cannon.
These influences were so potent, last
spring, that twenty-three Democrats,
so-called, were found willing to CO.
operate with the Cannon organiza-
ton in the house to defeat the ef-
forts of the Independent Republicans
to Join with Champ Clark and his
Democrats to overthrow the Reed
rules.
Mr.. Taft is doubtless sincere In
believeing that it Is best for the
South to have a respectable white
Republican party, but the possibili-
ty of the revival of the negro as
factor in our politics cannot but
give uneasiness to any man in the
lower counties who remembers the
days of 1876. While we are listen
ing to the presidents sweet words
and congratulating ourselves on his
friendliness and apparent purpose
to be just, let US not forget to watch
him and remember our trails and
dangers thirty-three years ago.
Suppose he should secure the sup
mort of twenty-five thousand or even
ten thousand good respectable white
men for a nucleus of his new or
ganization. Do you not know thar
under the constitution of 1888 II IS
only necessary to be able to read
and write or pay taxes on $300
worth OF property to be able to vote,
and it is altogether probable taat at
this time there are tail y or forty
thousand negroes in this State VINO
are eligible to register? 1t IS well
known to anyone who has taken the
trouble to read that there are more
negro children attending the public
schools of South Carolina than
whites now and this has been so
anv time in these thirty-three years,
for the simple reason that there are
more of them. The last census gives
our white population as o4O,lSl'
while the negroes have 7S1,7SS, a
clear majority of blacks over whites
of 24l,077. The negro boys have
been going to school ever since 1879,
or Just fifteen years. The negroes
who registered then numbered 1,40O.
If they are not ready now, it will
not be long before they will be retdy
to register. If you imagine that
the negro question is settled as some
of the young editors of papers IN
this State tell us, then you had bet
ter ask your friend to go get out
writ of lunacy 1T once. Nothing
but besotted ignorance on the part
of these would-be leaders can excuse
their belittling the dangers OF the
race problem. With the exception
of the counties in the Piedmont eX-
tending eastward to Chesterfield and
including Horny, Anderson and Un-
ion all the other counties have negro
maiorities. The general proportion
is two to one, but Beauforts ten
TO one, and in the counties of Char
lesion, Georgetown and Berkeley 1t
is from three to seven to one. The
idea of compulsory education law