The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-09-05
EXPERIENCE OF A
NEGRO SENATOR
aN THE DAYS OF GOOD STEAL
ING IN COLUMBIA.
When He Got Note From the ku
klux Klan He Ended His Leg
islative Career.
The Charlotte Observer says:

The Charlotte Observer says:
How Wade Hampton redeemed
the Stste and carpetbagging days
IN South Carolina formed the topic
nof a rare interview with Greene
Coleman of Charlotte yesterday
when the aged negro, once State
senator. wearing a high beaver hat
aand Prince Albert coat. was in the
seventh zenith OF negro heaven in
the halls of the old South Carolina
state house at Columbia.
"Them was days when de nigge!
was in his glory 70 sure" remarked
Coleman, as he related with q rel
ash recollections Of 1875 20 when
CHE carpetbaggers and the negroes
.l4,eld the State of South Carolina at
their mercy; when the corridors OF
'She state house at Columbia reeked
with drunken statesmen, when
thousands Of dollars worth of Ii
-auors and cordials and choice cigars
were kept constantly on tap at the
state house for the hundi eds or more
niger senator's and statesmen
and their carpetbagger friends, who
conducted a reign OF terror second
only to the days OF the Roman Tp-
theavel.
The skies were overcast with
dark ominous clouds OF social and
political unrest back here in rs
an; '.6, when Wade Hampton step
ped N and redeemed tho fair name
~ut the Palmetto State. with the 90
operation OF native whites and the
since famous "Re. Shirts" whose
orally and dA,ot'on to their in
trepid leader and in born courage
within their bloody red shirts turn
ed out every negro from a states
mans berth. stopped the looting OF
the state treasury. bridled graft and
Rribes. and again made South Caro-
Hfna righteous and unashamed
And Greene Coleman, then res
ident OF Chester, S. c.. and typ cal
negro of his day and time in intelii-
gence and moral stamina was elect
ed to Office by his henchmen and
migger votes to represent Chester in
Che State legislature. The old ne
grol tells about 1t with rare frank
mess.
He described IN his own !nimita-
Sle way how the niggers and carpet
baggers ran rampant with the peo-
pies money and with their voting
power, appropriations for anything
under the sun being as readily OBJ
tained as match with which to
hight 20 cent cigar purchased at
che expense OF the commonwealth lth
There were maybe. he says. $50
niggers in the halls Of the State leg
Islature back there in rs and rs,
Eand every one felt that it was a
wonderful time for the black race.
and they made every minute Of it
scount, because deep in their hearts
rThey knew a day OF reckoning would
come. and when it did-they real
fZed the negro would be no more in
The exalted places so rudely usurped
10y the power of men who stripped
tic otdtS vi all IL neiu uedT ana SOlQ
themselves to the highest bidders
Votes were sold openly and with
out shame-ten. twenty. thirty at
u fime-some for as high as a hun
1red dollars and others as low as
i've. Greene Coleman admitted
without a touch OF shame or re-
morse. that the highest price he
ever obtained for his vote in the
South Carolina state house was 500
in the United States currency. and
M was a "heap sight of money" to
a niger brought up on plantation
in those days.
: Then the former Chester negro
Sold df the silent. mysterious, awe
inspiring activities OF the Ku Klux
Khan and the terrible way in which
one after another negro senator and
lawmaker OF the day before disap-
peared as If the earth had opened
and swallowed them, until the fear
Oof the wrath of God or some unseen
unknown force turned craven the
nigger heart and his little stock OF
courage oozed through his skin un-
d'l n teft him weak, hollow eyed
and shivering on the threshold of
Yrantic despair.
1--WE took our meals with the