The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-02-04
& y a! -T,i =
] Who NEade the Bargain

"a sensational story sent out from
Columbia tells OF a bargain entered
Into between certain Democrats and
Thomas E, M iller, who has been
president ofRthe Colored State Col
lsgae:iiF la: L IN this city for some fifteen
years. The story opens up by saying
that the appointment Of Miller as
president Of the college forms an
interesting bit Of political history.
The story then goes ON to say that
the establishment of the college was
the result OF a hard fight made by
Miller and four or five other negroes
ia 1895 against the disfranchisement;
of the colored voters in the State.
: It is then claimed that the Demo-
Gratis jnSsthe constitutional conven"
tion as compromise with Miller
and other negroes, agreed to estab:
,lisn the school and Miller and his
associates agreed not to contest the
amendment in the United States
courts. The college was created the
next year and Miller was chosen as
Its president. We have heard this
bargain hiuted at before, but have
never seen 1t clearly charged until
now. If any such bargain as Is re-
lated in the story was made it GER
tainly does not reflect much credit
on the Democrats who made it or
Miller who agreed to 1T. ..s
=. We do not believe that any such
bargain was made, but If it was
made, we would like to know the
names of the Democrats who made
it, and what were the specific terms
Of the bargain. This matter should
be sifted and all the facts connected
with it brought out before the actors
in the foolish political drama passes
from the stage of human action.
Was Miller such power politically
that he had to be bribed with the
presidency OF a college to allow the
waite people of the State to make a
constitution TO suit the conditions Of
the times?
If Miller had this power, he cer-
tainly sold out cheap. In the same
story it is related that Miller has
told a gentleman in Columbia that
If he, were made to retire as presi-
dent he would move back to his farm
ir Beaufort county and be candi-
date for congress against the Hon.
Geo. S. Legare of Charleston. BY
doing this Miller thinks, it is be-
liaved, that he can cause the Demo-
Gratis a great deal of embarrassment
as ne would contest the election Of
HIS opponent before congress. If
Miller made any such threat as this
he has not the sense we have been
crediting him with.
Suppose Miller did run for con-
gress from his Beaufort farm, why
should it embarrass the Democrats?
Other Republicans have run for con-
gress from Beaufort and been beat
en-, and he would meet the same fate.
But If what Is said about Miller be-
ing bribed by the Democrats to let
the Acknowledgement Of the negro
go through if he was made presi-
dent of the college is true, 1t seems
to us that he must have a good deal
OF gall to ask the negroes to send
him to congress now after losing his
job. III
# 1t be true that bargain was
made and he now threatens to
,"cause the Democrats a great deal
Of embarrassment" after they have
kept him In a good fat Office for
some ffteer. years, it proves that he
has no gratitude and that he was
rot turned out a day too soon. But
we do not believe any bargain was
made with Miller by the Democrat
as claimed or that Miller made the
threat attributed to him. He may
have said he would run for congress,
which he has right to do If he
wants to, but we see no reason why
the Democrats should stand on their
heads about it.