The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-05-11

Some "reminiscences of Dark Days in
South Carolina.

Sometimes single name or a
small incident will open floodgates
OF recollection for those who have
seen and felt things and bring to
very vivid life old times and long ar
rays Of dead men. We read in the
South Carolina newspapers that T.
E. Miller has been removed summa-
rily by the new governor from his
long held position as president of the
eolored university at Orangeburg.
This is Canary" Miller, quite an
old man now and long ago reconciled
to white rule and become good and
useful citizen. He was different "a
years ago when he sat in the South
Carolina legislature as a representa-
tive from Beaufort-a short, square
built man, seven-eights white, wear
ing a heavy light gray sack suit,
with his habit of running his hands
into the pockets of the coat and fair
~ clear indication Of loaded revol-
yer in each pocket. Other nasty hab-
it's had Canary" He sat as men,
Der of the last attempt at Republl-
can legislature in Southern State
In the last year in the reconstruction
era. He sat with "The Ring-Tailed
Roarer of the Combahee," a black
negro whose Gullah dialect from the
coast of Africa whose immediate an
eestry was so strong that white
man from the up-country barely
could understand him when he ad-
dressed the house; also with the
Duke of Marlboro" an unctuous yell
low scoundrel representing the very
garden spot of the State who used
to rise up and thunder from a broad
chest and a wide throat when the
house in chorus rendered: Hold the
Fort for Hayes and Wheeler" How
it did reverberate, rendered to the air
OF. "Hold the Fort for 1 am coming,
when the South Carolina legislature
refreshed itself with song.
Canary" was not of the group COL
lectively known as "The Forty
Thieves but he was about as full OF
fight and venom as a rattlesnake.
One hundred and twenty-five was the
legal membership of the house of rep
representatives, in the year OF the
mighty uprising of the white people
under leadership of Wade Hampton
the outbursting and explosion of a
1ghting and desperate civilization
against a $4,000 negro majority, the
law and Ulysses S. Grant in the
presidents seat. The Democrats had
elected 64-on the face of the re-
turns. BY means they kept two or
three negro Republican representa-
tives at their homes; but when their
names were called they answered
Dummies, ringers" had been put in
10 answer for them and no Democrat
dared avow knowledge that the reall-
ties we're not there. Who could iden-
tify one low-land corn field negro
from another. Then the Democrats
again by MEANS, won over two or
three. Tom Hamilton was among
them. He must have been descend
ant of Zulu chieftain, because later
when his brethren clamored against
him, he rose, tall and straight, his
skin smooth and sleek as silk, and
remarked that sometimes he went
out in his field and killed rice bird
with a revolver for his sport; where
upon his brethren whimpered into
silence because they knew it was so.
Men, white or black, who could drive
q pistol bullet through a rice bird at
1S steps were valuable at that mo-
nent and to be respected. But when
the Democrats gained over recruits
the Republicans radicals" every
body called them then-simply went
through the formality of declaring
seats from some Democratic coun-
ties vacant and filed them with any
body who might be handy wearing
any names that might fit, and so re-
tanned their legal majority, to be GER
titled to Washington.
So it befell that on December day
the 65 Democrats and their colored
allies, sitting in Carolina hall at Co.
lumbia, decided to go and occupy the
hall of the house of representatives
at the State house. They went troop
ing close behind Lawrence Orr, OF
Anderson county, six feet and four
inches high and ESQ pounds in bulk.
who threw his weight against closed
doors and doorkeeper and burst one
and overthrow the other.