The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1913-06-20

men In South Carolina who think !
possess a disqualification of which /
can not divest myself and would not
if could. 1 mean what they call my
war record. That is the record of
$4,000 South Carolina soldiers and if
am to forfeit that and say that /
am ashamed to have been one of
them all the offices in the world
might perish before 1 would accept
them.
"These are grave topics gentlemen
and I implore you to look over the
whole field lest any kindness for me
lead you astray. / will now retire
that you may discuss them freely. If
you decide to nominate some other
as true and as sincere as l and I
know there are thousands OF them, 1
will devote myself to secure his cleo
ton. Come veal, come woe, 1 am
with you to the last"
He retired from the hall, then
other HofDinations were made but all
refused in favor of Hampton, who
was then aRaHim9usly nominated by
acclamatien,
The Democrats had been right. All
men flocked to Hampton's standard
in answer to his call Democratic
clubs were organized all over tn.
State and it was here that the tired
shirt" sprang into prominence. The
red shirt of Hampton's men had no
connection with the "bloody shirt"
of proverbial fame and Hampton
himself was the last man whom one
could say "waved the bloody shirt"
For Hampton's strength lay in his
quiet power. 1t would have been
easy enough in those turbulent times
to provoke a fight but his policy was
indefinitely more difficult-that of
averting a fight. The red shirt was
first worn by firemen when men were
forced to join either United States
militia companies or fire companies
and when the Southerners were for
hidden to have military organizations
some way had to be found to pro-
tect themselves, their homes and
their families. Clubs were formed,
outwardly social, with president and
vice president, etc. These were in
reality military companies, their Off.
GERS masquerading under new names
and as a uniform they adopted the
red shirt of the fire companies. New
er before or since has there been such
. campaign as Hampton's. He was
the idol of the people, men women
and children. In the cities flowers
and flags overhnng the streets
through which he was to pass and
sEDnng girls went, before him Scatter-
li-Tag flowers Tor his hokze 10 Wa
~ on. In one place an immense bs
at 'ket of the most beautiful flowe
sy to be found in the whole city w
m hung over the street and as he pas
SO ed it was overturned, showering hi
W with perfect blossoms. Every wi
lie dow was filled with loving faces a
d. the streets We're crowded with chez
a ing people gathered from all the su
en- rounding country. In the processi,
a marched tiny boys wondrously pro,
s. of their red shirts and men so q
ad that they could march only il
i'd steps, supported by sons or gran
r sons and every one of these few ste
ed fraught with infinite pain. "Hurr
I'd for Hampton!" was the cry on eve
e. lip. "Hurrah for Hampton!" fro
n serious business men and from il
of petuous boys. Blood ran hot wi
i'd the excitement of the day and
er equaled in fervor the childish Isl
We gan:
an "Jeff Davis rides milk white hpr.
y. Lincoln rides a mule;
he jeff Davis is a gentlemen
n And Lincoln was fool.
re Defiantly chanted at every paasil
Id negro or radical, "Hurrah for Ham
,g toni" was the battle cry of the viii
1T people in the fight to rid the Sta
as Of negro rule" says John S. BE
r. nolds in his Reconstruction
South Carolina" And Hampton HI
va before him task no ordinary M
st could have undertaken. The Dem
n Gratis were few, fewer in their oy
te State than the Republicans, and t
L. Republicans had the whole Unit
e. States army behind them. Had the
been fight and the whole count
=. was like volcano boiling and sect
- ing under the curse-the Democra
~ ~ would most inevitably have be-
= beaten and beaten badly, and it W
in not fighting and vet winning tn