The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-09-08


a campaign, which they hope. !s 10 give them
new lease of power over the lives, Liberties
and pockets of white men. On that Jay theli
triumph was to bud againwto boo" gor-
eeousiy in November next. Their magnates
came. and all were eready, Chamberlain
Mackey, Smalls, Hayne, .Iillson. The local
magnates bowed low before the great visit1rs a2,
Thearrival was as ID fash OF rghtning, The
gods had come down from Olympus. Beian'
ger drove Chamberlain. Bouey drove Mack
ey. Jesse Jones drove Smalls. Harris drove
and benig Ted negroes poured In from every
point Of the compass. Before the sun was
four hours in the heavens, not less than one
thousand were rpon our streets.
But hark? What means that yell? II ls
the arrival OF one hundred mounted white
men from the banks Of Saluda. They come
with no evil intent but simply TO watch their
liberties. Eight years bitter experience has
taught them that they must 30 watch, or Of
eternally ruined Add now they come FROM
every Township Ia our broad County. we
have thirty Democratic Clubs, aud the ue-
mand ofour executive Com was that
each Club should be represented on this day
by 25 members, mounted. And noble was Inc
response. Many clubs came entire, and none
were lasgard. Seven hundred men are soon
among us, cool and peaceful. but determined.
All our business places, OF whatever cnarac'
ter are closed. as IL also The case at ZINE
House and at Johnston, and our entire popu-
lation gives itself up TO conscientious Dem
ocratic work. Our County must be redeemed
and no man any longer thinks OF himseli
alone. 80
Meanwhile the Radical host Is steadily
swelling, aud by noon two thousand souls
and Thousand horses swarm the streets and
euvirons of f igefeld. The meeting ls TO be
held In the Academy grove, and the prepa-
rations are upon an imposing Scale. The
negroes have band from Aiken, and their
procession Is huge and snowy. They lorm
half mile out OF towp, on the zine house
road, and march ostentiously through our
streets. And not only they march. but they
remarch and countermarch. The Cain page
ant OF 1874 with Chamoerain's sacred persoD
to make up for the absence OF arms, Is to be
repeated. But as we have already said, the
white men of the soil are determin ed that no
such dangerous insult shall ever again be
perpetrated.
AS the R4dlcal cavalcade is. about to leave
the streets and turn into the road that leads,
by the Baptist Church. to the Academy grove,
they are met by seven hundred mounted
white men, headed by Generals Gary and
Butler rho calmly order them t. halt and
let the white men pass first. They halt.
And the Clubs file In front, reach the grove
first, dismount, and quietly occupy Two stdes
OF the speakers platform. having first afh ed
certain of their banners TO the same. The
Radical procession and the Radical host fol-
low. and take their places on the remaining
two sides. Gen, raj Gary, as Chair man OF the
County Club. Is marshal of the Democratic
forces. He orders certain OF his young men
in front to try the platform and see wuethar
1t will hold representatives Of both parties
The test is made, and the platform, like most
negro work, falls TO the earth like structure
OF straws. But stout Democratic arms soon
set it up. and simultaneously Governor
Chamberlain, j Judge Mackey, Gen. Butler and
Gen. Gary mount II. Jillson. Cain and Bouey
stand upon the extreme edge, but they soon
vacate their narrow foothold. Smdlls and
Hayne remain modestly among the band.
Chamberlain looks as II he had been cut
down from the galiows. Judge Mackey, the
Democratic lion disguised as Radical sheep
one OF the lamented fox in the pantemime of
Humpty Dumpty. The situation Is ludlcrous
in the extreme. enough TO make dead man
in his coffin laugh, and the whites with one
accord shrek with irrepressible but good
natured p1irth.
General Butler cow rises and In admirable
style, exhorts the whites TO order and de-
corum. General Gary states that as Chair
man OF the County Executive Committee, he
had sent Committee to Governor Chamber
lain, Judge Mickey, etc.. proposing that the
meeting should be joint one. aud that tue
time should be equally divided among Rtdi
cal and Democratic speakers. Toe Com
mittee after waiting long and patiently had
been informed that the X tdlcal nasoates de-
cined to sh are the time with the Democrats
General Gary then asserts tn ttthe Democratic
will share the time OF the meeting or there
soall be no meeting Governor ChamberlaiD
aud Judge NJ ,ckey state that some misunder-
standing must exist, that they are not the
committees OF arrangement, but tnat they
are perfectly willing the meeting should be
some defnite arrangement, and Goveruo
Chamberlain proposes that The speeches shall
be- in turn Republican and Democratic, and
that each speaker shall be limited TO hal
hour. This is accepted as the settled plan.
And now Governor Chamberlain begins.
His face still bears the gallows expression.
and he speaks more TO the whites than &c
the blacks. He fills up his half hour with
English words, but Says nothing, not an
Individual thing that you could lay your
finger upon. The negroes are horribly morti-
fed and yabased. Tney siuk into voiceless
gloom. The whites press Gov. Guam oerlain
for an explanation OF his appointment OF
McDavitt, aud his persistent continuing him
in office. He seeks TO evade the issue, but ls
pressed TO the wall, and replies that II any
reliable citizen or citZ9ns of E1gefeld had
represen TED TO him McDevitts uuworthiness,
course the crowd jeer 50 absurd h come of as
this. And now Chamber ain Ia done and
General Butler begins.
General Butler has been the subject OF base
Misrepresentation and calumny throughout
The length and breadth of the land, and
especially at the hands OF Governor Cha amber
lain himself. He has evidently pant for
the opportunity low before him, and he pours
out his righteous Indignation. his refutation
his scorn, his contempt, his invective IN
magnificent eloquence. And throughout,
lain and hurling the lie in his teeth. he
maintains thorough dignity, tn orough gen,
tility. II Is vain for US TO reproduce this
great outourst OF pride, passion. inveclive and
Vindication. To attempt TO put II upor
paper, would be as vain as to attempt tc
reproduce lash OF tightening from heaven
He excoriated the Radical party, Its spirit IT,
record its work. He arraigned Chamberlain
Smal!s, the Union Herald, the News and
Courier, in grandest style, and pronounce
Cham berlain and Smals 10 their faces base
prem edi tated, malignant liars.
And now Judge Mackey rises; and from
this moment TO the end, mrth and badinagt
rule the hour.
Repeatedly since the beginning OF tht
speeches the platform has fallen each tim,
laying the Radicals TO the ground aud leaving
the Democrats aloft upon some sure loft or
beam. And at each fall, Judge Mackey utters
some salient witticism that causes the huge
and swaying crowd TO Shrek with laughter
and applause. Even the trees are full o
people, and the railing, the badiDage and the
shouts OF laughter come not only from every
side, but also from above.
And now General Gary arises amid deafen
ing cheers.
General Gary In replying TO Governor
Chamberlain and Judge Mackey, said he wa
glad 10 welcome such distinguished speaker
TO Edgefeld, and was gratitied at the oppor
tunity of being able to.particpate in 6 join
discussion of grave questions touching tn
welfare of the common wealth before Dem
ocratic and Radical audience. He felt tha
he now had In his presence "foeman worth,
of his steel" He had facetiously said tina
Judge Mackey was a Democrat in disguise
when the Judge began 10 speak, and b.
would leave II TO he audience If the latte
had not thrown OFT the mask and was ias
returning TO his first political love. He wa
particularly pleased 10 see the negroes herr
to them, for he had just as soon think o
singing psalms to dead horse; not one In
hundred OF them could define the differenc,