Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-09-01
GUARANTEED AND SOLD BY DR. j. w. BELL,


such a conspicuous part in that eff
fort. When and where did mankind
behold the spectacle of noble. re-
fined and cultured people, bereft of
their property and rights, and put
under the heels of their slaves and
the grip upon their necks fastened by
the bayonets of Federal soldiers?
Before this misrule-prior to 1868
the officials of the State We're men
of the highest character. After that
these same offices were filled by such
men as to be each a distinct disgrace.
Then, referring to the judiciary, the
speaker said that those who had sat
upon the bench were men of charac-
ter and ability; yet look at those
who supplanted them under radical
rule. These places had been filled
by renegades, scalawags and negroes.
Referring to the Legislature, 1T had
been considered to be an honor to be
member of that body, and yet,
under the control of the radicals, the
halls of legislation had been filled by
men who ought not to have been any
where else than upon the chain-gang
or in the penitentiary. He was in
the hall one night and heard Tim
Hurley, rascal from Charleston,
making a speech. A negro member
wanted to know why Hurley had
changed his views and position over
night. Hurley replied by saying, as
he touched his pockets, that he car
ried his reasons there. as did every
other member of that body.
The speaker then said that he no
ticed a refined and cultured gentle
man, who had once been a distin-
guished member of that body, watch
ing the proceedings. Asking him
what he would have thought about
such a body in his day, he replied:
by God, sir, | would have thought
it hell"
After referring to the large amount
of money spent by the members of
the Legislature, during radical rule,
for liquor and riotous living, the
speaker said it might be asked why
the people had stood such condition
so long. The reason was because the
white men had but recently returned
to their homes to find them in ashes
or stripped Of everything, and with
out the means of even supporting
themselves. and with Federal troops
everywhere. The people were doing
the best they could under the circum-
stances. He then referred to in
stances where there had been a COM
bination with the radicals on the
State tickets, with the hope Of gain
ing something.
Governor Sheppard then referred
to what President Taft had said about
the negro--the educated negro--the
negro doctor. Senator Thlman asked
What about Crum?" which pro-
voked laughter. Governor Sheppard
said that Mr.. Taft's reference to the
negro-the negro doctor-made him
think of the old negro woman who
had been taken sick and called IN a
negro doctor. After the doctor had
visited by relatives and nefghbors,
and was asked, among other ques-
tions, whether the doctor had taken
her temperature She did not reply
at once, but finally said, "Well, dun
no, but after he left | missed my
watch
Reverting to the condition of af-
fairs in South Carolina and the eff
forts of the white people to better
conditions. politically and otherwise,
without Jloodshed, Governor Shep-
pard said that a committee of repre-
sentative men of the State had been
appointed to call upon President
Grant, and asked for his assistance
in ihe redemption of the State from
such rule, but that committee had
been insulted by Grant because Gen.
Mart Gary had on some former occa-
sion attacked him in speech. In
the face of that the people became
more determined than ever to over
throw the vicious government, and
he referred to the Red Shirt men.
Lifting a flag from the back of the
stand which belonged to the men
from Edgefield, he said that that was
what the Red Shirt men stood for.
The words read, "This country is ours
and we will rule il or die"
He said he was not there to dispute
which company was the original Red
Shirt company OF the State, because
he was like Admiral Schley when he
was asked about the victory at San
tiago--no matter which boat fired the
first shot, all had participated, and
there was glory enough for all.
Referring to meeting with Gov
crnor Chamberlain at Edgefield with
the object of dividing time, he said
that the Governor told him the mat
ter was left to others, but that he
would let him know at one o'clock.
He (the speaker) reported what the
Governor had said, to those at whose
instance he had gone. When told
what the Governor had said, he was
tolG to meet the Governor at the ap-
pointed time, and that If a division
of time was not granted, to tell the
Governor they would be there and
divide time. He met the Governor at
the appointed hour, and the Governor
said that, in order to preserve peace,
1t had been determined by those who