Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-11-08


names. While the registration was
going on Tuz Tate, a young soldier
who had served gallantly through the
war, followed by squad Of his COM
panions and neighbors, approached
the officer, leading a steer by the
halter. Addressing the Federal officer,
Tuz spoke as follows:
Here, you fellow there, taking down
the names of niggers! Here Is a
voter for you to register. He has
horns on his head, but he has got as
much sense and has just as much
right to vote as them blamed black
niggers. His name is Buck Tate and
give you just two seconds to put
Bucks name on that list of voters, or
I will bore a hole with this pistol in
your carcass a rabbit can jump
through" And Tuz emphasized his
demand by drawing two pistols from
his bootlegs, and placing them on the
table beside the officer.
The officer looked at Tuz and the
gang at his back, every man armed
to the teeth, and without protest
placed the name of Buck Tate on
| his list of registered voters. When
election day rolled around, another
Federal officer came to preside over
the polls, but he must have heard
about Buck Tate" the voter with
horns in his head. Tuz and his gang
came to the polls leading Buck by a
halter and voted him without protest.
| Last summer I was in Elberton and
inquired about what had become Of
Tuz Tate? l was told that Tuz had a
fine farm in Goosepond district in
Oglethorpe county, and was in Elber-
ton that day. I hunted UP Tuz, whom
I found to be an old grey haired vet
eran. l asked him what had become
of his steer Buck. Tuz replied that
Buck faithfully voted the Democrat
ic ticket and until he died with the
hollow horn, hollow-tail, or some 9TH
er cattle ailment. when the boys
brought to the polls young steer and
voted him in Bucks name so long as
it was necessary.
No negro was denied the right to
vote, but the following method OF
moral 'suasion" was employed To
keep the county solidly Democratic.
When a negro approached the polls
with q ballot in hand. some of the
boys would step up to him and lot
the darkey see him taking down his
name and for whom he worked. With
out one word spoken, that darkey
forthwith left for his home.
1t was such q spirit as this that 81
clearly redeemed Georgia, and then
her people set In TO- help save their
] neighbors and friends across the Sa-
vannah.
In South Carolina all manner of
compromise tickets were put out to
try and save the state, but without
avail. At last Gen. Wade Hampton,
Mart Gary and other ex-Confederates
organized a red shirt campaign and
made a straight-out fight to over
throw the most venal and corrupt
government ever imposed on any
state or county. Every white man in
South Carolina not turned traito- and
aligned with the Republicans. donned
a red shirt, and in bands OF hundreds
and thousands, rode all over the state.
No intimidating methods were en-
ployed with the negroes, but they
were plainly told their day had passed
and the white Democrats intended to
take charge and run the government.
Democratic speakers attended every
Republican meeting. and demanded
division of time and forced their de-
mand. Around the crowds OF blacks
Gordon of white men with guns In
hand and on horseback stood. Each
gun was cooked and pointed direct al
the white leaders and speakers al
these meetings This meant that al
the first sign of trouble these leaders
would be riddled with bullets. So or
der reigned supreme and the Demo-
cratic speakers denounced the Re-
publican leaders to their face In the
most bitter terms.
But the Republicans and their ne.
gro voters had control Of the ballot
boxes and the Democrats knew they
had no chance in a, fair election
Many negro election managers were
bought, some intimidated, and Others
kept drunk. When election day roll
ed round, thousands Of Georgians
| crossed the Savannah, armed to th'
teeth. and every mothers son Of then
demanded the right to vote; and the!
rode from box to box and stopped a
each to vote again. And not conten
with this, tissue ballots were used b!
the Democrats. Every voter stucl
his own ballot in the box, and at th'
same time deposited from 25 to 1O'
tickets folded together. These tissue
ballots were so arranged that wher
placed in the box they would separate
and form different tickets. In Edge
field county alone, it is said that more
votes were crammed into the boxes
than could be cast in the entire state