Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1913-01-23
OLD LETTER OF MEMBER
OF WALLACE HOUSE"

Although thirty-six years have
passed since the famous wallace
House" met in Columbia, South
Carolinians yet read with inter-
est of the patriotic part the
members of the House played in
ridding the State of the negro
and scalawag government which
had been in the ascendency since
1868. One of the active leaders
of the House" was the late
Capt. B. H. Massey, of Fort
Mill, who was one of the York
county representatives that year
in the General Assembly. During
the sessions of the wallace
House" Capt. Massey frequently
wrote to his neighbors and
friends in Fort Mill telling them
of the progress the Democrats
were making in trying to get
control of the State government.
One of these letters Capt. Massey
wrote to the firm of Drakeford,
Massey & Co., of which his son,
Mr.. Henry Massey. was a men,
ber. This letter has just been
discovered among the private
correspondence of Mr.. Henry
Massey and he has been kind
enough to lend it to The Times
for publication:
Columbia, Dec. 2, 1876,
9 a. m.
Drakeford, Massey & Co.:
We were in session all night
and likely to remain so for sew
eral days. The Republican side
was very stiff yesterday evening,
but tempered down considerably
last night, and seems to be very
quiet this morning. Discussion
has ceased on both sides at pres
ent. We think we have ex-
hausted that point. We are now
trying other, and l hope more
effective, means. The military
failed to appear to put us OH,
yesterday, and now the impress
sion is that they will not eject
US from the Hall. If they do not
we are masters of the situation.
The Republicans did not canvass
the votes yesterday for Governor
according to their appointment
postponed until 2 O'Clock today
and l don't think they will reach
that point today. The difficulty
with US is that we have no
recognition from the Senate,
they having recognized the other
side of the house. If we are
under the necessity of retiring
from this Hall, we will have to
create a Senate before we can
operate. We have IL Democratic
senators seated and three that
have not yet been seated. That
number does not constitute a
quorum, consequently we would
not have lawful assembly, but
if the worst has to come to the
worst, we will have to take that
course and organize bogus
Senate. That we are trying to
avoid if possible, and that will
be our last resort, for we are now
In the bounds of law and our
object is to remain so. One
thing | can say is that if we
fail it will not be our fault, for
this House is determined to stand
up for our rights as long as there
is a glimmer of hope. 1t is a
sad sight to see ga intelligent
gentlemen on one side and 55
negroes and five mean, low white
men on the other side assembled
in the House of Representatives
of this State "a sovereign State
of the United States arrayed
against each other and some
times to all appearances ready
to kill each other. Then again.
we are laughing and talking to-
gether on friendly terms as we
are at this writing, as General
Wallace, our speaker, and Mack
er, their speaker, are now sit
, ting together near me and laugh
ing and talking together.
l o'clock, p. m.-The Republi
can side has just passed a resolu-
ton postponing the counting of
the vote for Governor until Mon
day at 2 o'clock, p. m. Hamilton.
a negro from Beaufort, now
speaking in favor of Hampton.
claims that Chamberlain has not
received a majority of votes and
that he is not elected. Hamilton
is Rad. Myers is also with us
on the same principles. Demo-
Gratis frightening up, Republi-