Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-08-06
Who First Advocated the Ballot
for Negroes?


IN Aprn IT. 1877. Gen. Wade Hamp-
,on addressed the eolored citizens OF
South Carolina an general. and those
OF Charleston in particular in the
following words. ana the words were
published in the New York Herald on
April 20. which says:
AT noon on April Il. General Hamp-
ton held a public reception at me
city hall. upon the invitation OF the
mayor. aud was visited by hunoreos
OF coIored Republicans. among Whoni
were nearly all the leading ones Oh
the country.
During the reception the governor
An response TO a call from them. ad-
dressed them as follows;
MY friends Of Charleston: II
gives me great pleasure 10 meet you
and particularly 20 meet so many OF
the coIorei citizens OF Charleston on
this occasion / want you particu-
larlv. not only here. but throughout
the state. 20 understand precisely the
condition OF affairs and the policy L
represented in the late election
All that have 10 say TO you, and 1
say Il when victory has crowned our
Efforts, Is that stand now pre-
eisely where stood twelve years
ago
certainly the first in the south-wno
advocated the granting OF the right 70
vote 10 the colored man. (Applause).
That is on record
Z" Only a few days ago I saw in the
New York Tribune a statement mado
by its editor. Whitelaw Reed. that in
1855 told him that the northern Re-
publicans would want to take away
the right OF voting from the colored
"a
would.
During the late canvass. I made
a prediction that the colored people
would very soon find that the only
protection they had for their elective
franchise would be from the white
men Of the south
When 1 was in Washington city
recently. five or six or more promi-
nent Republicans. men high in posi-
tion. actually consulted me as to now
the vote OF the colOred man could be
restricted.
Ny answer was:
I'VE don't want the vote of the colored
man taken away or restricted. for. aside
from the friendship we bear this race.
their right 10 vote gives US 30 more votes
in congress. and when peace comes we
are satisfied that the best men in both
races and parties win vote together for
the commonwealth"
= In apology for his declaration, which
reads rather brassy in the light of subse-
qUent events. I would like to ask what
Charleston newspapers would have said
or written OF Senator Ben Tillman If he
had made such q published declaration
In his Carolina campaign.
II Is plainly evident that Governor
Hampton was talking to the gallery. IL
not 10 those prominent Republicans in
high position" who consulted him as to
how the vote OF the colored man could be
restricted T"
The election Of 1876 in South Carolina
was the most perfect farce ever enacted
In any civilized country. The nationa.
vote was counted to R B. Hayes. Re
publican. and the state vote TO Wade
Hampton. the Democrat In Louisiana
the vote was counted for Hayes. and
the state vote TO Nichols. the Democrat.
In the senatorial election in Louisiana
that winter Qs7s-70. Judge spofford
Democrat was elected by the Nichols
government. but Kellogg. who was elect
ed by the Packard Republican govern
ment. was given the seat in the senate.
and was sworn In on the same day with
" c. Butler. who was elected by the
Hampton government as United States
senator.
Stanley Matthews was close to Presi-
dent Hayes in these matters Cthe same
nan afterwards placed on the supreme
bench by Garfield. in accordance with a
coalition entered into between certain Re-
publicansl-
. There was a combination made between
the friends Of Hampton and Nichols. and
the friends Of Hayes. to make those gen
tlemen governors IL they would use their
influence to give Hayes the vote for pres
ident and Hampton was obligated TO tell
the negroes OF South Carolina what has
here been stated