The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-10-17

Rule in South Carolina.
To the Editor of The State:
The recent Red Shirt reunion il
Columbia brings back to me memories
of the past Though then a mere lac
of Is years 1 rode in the Red Shir
ranks and belonged to the Prosperity
Rifle company, which, IS strong, was
ordered out and went to Columbia by
special train to report for duty in the
trying and exciting times of '76 anG
in the days of reconstruction. We
were there when all the militia of the
State was brought to Columb bia, wher
Gen. Mart Gary made that famous
speech at night on a dry goods box
in from: of the Grand Central hotel
and advocated cleaning out of the
Republicans from our State capitol;
when every patriotic citizen was
wrought up to fighting heat; when
Gen. Wade Hampton counselled peace
and quiet, and advised that we do no
rash act; when it was decided to Or
ganize a Democratic legislature and
the wallace house." as it was then
called, was formed and the record Of
which all are familiar with.
know no more fitting time to re-
cord one more historic fact.
When the opposing political fac
tons were at fighting pitch and each
was c1amoring for government con-
troll, when the Democrats decided to
take charge of the government and to
organize a general assembly and Gov.
Hampton being declared chief execu-
tive of South Carolina, the general as
sembly was organized and after every
effort had been brought to bear to get
q working majority but We were still
lacking one member to glye US that
majority; then it was that the crown
ing act came. This is what actuates
me to make this true statement, which
has never been recorded.
It was due to the manly, courageous
and patriotic effort of DR.. A. F. Lang
ford Of Prosperity that he and I Went
quietly to hunt up tie negro Republ-
San; Sampson Bridges; representa-
tive fr6m NeWbeFrv geunty. Dr.: Lang
ford had besn his physician And be.
Bridges, had worked under my su-
pervisieh frequently On my fathers
farm near Prosperity. I remember
well that after a diligent search we
found Bridges, coming across him
while in company with some otner Re-
publican members Of the legislature
on the street. DR.. Langford attracted
his attention and led him back
through an alley-way, and when away
from the then crowded street and in
private and in my presence, not by
force or arms, nor threats nor intimi-
dation, but by his uperior force Of
argument and logical reasoning DR..
Langford induced Sampson Bridges to
turn over to the Democracy; and we
marched him into the Democratic as
sembly, and he was sworn in as rep
resentative of that body. This was
the climax and final turning point for
the triumph of Democracy in South
Carolina.
The Democracy of Newberry county
nor Of South Carolina never gave DR..
Langford just praise, credit or reward
for what he did in those trying times.
He was a man Of superior mind and
ability and an able physician. Having
been student Of his, as was required
at that time, he served me as a pre-
ceptor when I read medicine, and
though he SOHO years ago passed
over the river" I want his children,
who are Mrs. J. F. Lyon, of Columbia,
DR.. J. R. Langford, of Swansea, Dud-
ley and Pickens Langford, of Prosper
ity, and his relatives and friends to
know the important part he played in
the days of Reconstruction. Let us
give credit now to whom credit is due.
The negro, Sampson Bridges, was
above the average of his race in in
telligence, and was no mean char
acter DR.. Langford was Bridges ply
sician as long as he lived and had al
ways wonderful influence over the
negro.
Bridges afterward worked frequent
" on nv fathers farm under my SUI