The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-04-02

AT no time III er history dld South
Carolina prove her claim TO greatness
as in this era-when no cloud seemed
to have silver lining, w@en all things
looked dark = when hope seemed
crushed-when the former saves Of
these people were made Il cir rulers,
, permitted and encouraged to enact
eXtrava9ant laWs-to tax their former
masters and tie property owners to the
uttermCst limit-to bring Into the
Golfers Of tie State much fine gold
not to be used for the good of the
State, not for the real benefit Of er
| citizens, white Or black, but to fatten
and enrich the scalaWags, carpetbag-
gers and vampires, who used to poor
negroes as instruments to enable them
to carry out t.eir We'll planned sys-
tenn of robbery; and behind these crea-
lures, who hoyered like yultnres o, cr
Il is State, was the ederal army, and
stationed at ever; county seat was a
company OF soldiers waiting but for
the sound Of the bugle's blast to come
forth and protect the vuItHres from
the indignant wrath Of Justly en-
ragged people.
Ten it was that South Carolinians
showed that no danger could drive
them from L. cir principles; that no
! indignity, however humiliating, could
force them to abandon the course Of
honorable citizenship wnic1 they pur-
sued, and with a Straightforward, up
rig:t manliness showed their contempt
for the ignorant negro Weaklings who
held Offices and their righteous scorn
| for the white Radicals, whose hearts
were blacker than the negroes skins;
and showed to item and to the world
that Trey would never bend the preg-
nant hinges Of the knee, that thrift
might follow fawning."
l was boy in those days and wit
messed scenes that made an indelible
impression on my mind-scenes that
would not forget if l could-not
tat the memories are pleasant, but
because under my own personal OBJ
servation l witnessed the 3eroism Of
! our people, who under such adverse
circumstances stood staunchly by their
convictions and bid defiance to their
tormentors.
Some time ago I read Thomas Nell
son Pages book "Red Rock" and
1 could shut my eyes and imagine the
seen were laid in Newberry county.
My friends, if you have not read
that book, and you want to lave some
faint CLEAN at least Of what your peo-
pie suffered, read it and gather from
his graphic description some idea of
now your people bore the insults and
injuries, not of a triumphant foe, but
the outcasts and scalaWags who fol-
lowed in the train of the army and
pillaged and robbed a downtrodden
people, knowing t1at they had but to
cry "Rebel" and 'Ku-Klux'' and the
power OF the whole United States army
would be at their backs.
l of course witnessed only a few
Of these narrowing scenes, but these
lew might be of interest to you, who
are younger than l am, and :Eave only
an indistinct impression of those
stormy times.
In t.ose days if a negro servant
was crossed or had some imaginary
grudge against his employer, his fa-
vorite method of getting revenge was
to go to the United States commits
sioner and swear out warrant, charg-
ing him with being Ku Klux, and i'm
mediately the person charged, no mat
ter Wi at his age or position, was ar
rested by some member of the con-
stabulary force and lodged in Jail TO
await his trial in the United States
court, presided over by partisan
Judge and to be tried by a jury of
ignorant negroes and corrupt white
renegades.
lThe constable who did the most Of
the arresting around ,Newberry was
named Maloney. If God ever stamped
any mans face with his true charac-
ter, He stamped MaIoney's, for if any
human face ever exhibited meanness,
rascality and gleeful viciousness, Ma
lcney's did.
At that time McFall & Pool had a
dry goods store in the building on the
corner now occupied by Mr.. Hayes.
l was sent there one day to make
some purchases and Capt. McFan was
waiting on me when Maloney entered
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