I interrupted the writing of a story, “The Leading White Men of Edgefield,” to give you a peek into voter suppression near the end of Reconstruction. My research into the Edgefield story kept coming back to the Edgefield Plan or Straightout Plan, which two South Carolina lawyers adopted from the Mississippi Plan, successfully used to overcome a 5–1 advantage Black voters had in Mississippi.
I spent hours trying to find the actual text of the South Carolina plans, which appear to be well hidden from history. I finally discovered “Plan #1,” which was secretly distributed to Democratic clubs in every county in South Carolina. Among other things, the plan advocates intimidation and murder of Black organizers and voters. This plan and these tactics ultimately led to the Hamburg Massacre of 1876 and the disruption of the 1876 Presidential election.
What struck me was the similarity of some of the 1876 tactics of Democrats to those in use by Republicans today. I will highlight some of the most egregious tactics and those currently in use.
No. I “Plan of the Campaign” 1876
1. That every Democrat in the Townships must be put upon the Roll of the Democratic Clubs. Nolens volens.
2. That a roster must be made of every white and of every negro voter in the Townships and returned immediately to the County Executive Committee.
3. That the Democratic Military Clubs are to be armed with rifles and pistols and such other arms as they may command. They are divided into two companies, one of the old men the other of the young; an experienced captain or commander to be placed over each of them. That each Company is to have a 1st and 2nd Lieutenant. That the number of ten privates is to be the unit of organization. That each Captain is to see that his men are well armed and provided with at least thirty rounds of ammunition. That the Captain of the young men is to provide a Baggage wagon, in which three days rations for the horses and three days rations for the men are to be stored on the day before the election in order that they may be prepared at a moments notice to move to any point in the County when ordered by the Chairman of the Executive Committee. Election
4. We must get the three Commissioners of Election, who are appointed by the Governor, as favorable to us as possible, and we must demand that at least one reliable Democrat is on the Commission and he must endeavor to get to be Chairman of the Commission, and the clerk that is allowed them must be a Democrat if we can possibly bring it about.
5. We must have at least one half of the managers of Election Democrats and as many more as we can get. We must have the Chairman of the Board of Managers a Democrat by all means. Also all the clerks to the managers of Precincts must be Democrats.
6. We must have a duplicate of the result of the Election made out for the benefit of the Executive Committee so soon as the ballots are counted and forwarded at once by a courier, on the night of the Election. There must be a Committee who shall keep watch and guard over the ballot boxes to prevent the Radicals from tampering with them in any way.
7. We must send a committee with a duplicate of the Election to Columbia in order to see to it that the State Canvassers do not perpetrate any fraud upon us after the Election is held, and see also that the Clerk of the Court files a copy of the returns of Election in accordance with Law.
8. There must be at least two hundred select men, chosen from the different Clubs, to go to Columbia in the event of a refusal to seat the Democratic members elected, to compel and enforce their rights to be seated at all hazards.
9. Every Democrat must be at the polls by five o’clock in the morning of the election, carry his dinner with him and stay there until the votes are counted, unless the exigencies require him elsewhere.
10. It shall be the duty of each club to provide transportation to old and helpless voters and assist them to the Polls, and at same time see to it that all Democrats turn out and vote.
11. Every Democrat must be on the alert on the day of Election to see that negroes under age do not vote and that those who are properly entitled to vote do not repeat, and if they should discover that squads should leave the precincts and go in the direction of another precinct, they must follow them and challenge their vote at the next precinct.
12. Every Democrat must feel honor bound to control the vote of at least one negro, by intimidation, purchase, keeping him away or as each individual may determine, how he may best accomplish it.
13. We must attend every Radical meeting that we hear of whether they meet at night or in the day time. Democrats must go in as large numbers as they can get together, and well armed, behave at first with great courtesy and assure the ignorant negroes that you mean them no harm and so soon as their leaders or speakers begin to speak and make false statements of facts, tell them then and there to their faces, that they are liars, thieves and rascals, and are only trying to mislead the ignorant negroes and if you get a chance get upon the platform and address the negroes.
14. In speeches to negroes you must remember that argument has no effect upon them: They can only be influenced by their fears, superstition and cupidity. Do not attempt to flatter and persuade them. Tell them plainly of our wrongs and grievances, perpetrated upon us, by their rascally leaders. Prove to them that we can carry the election without them and if they cooperate with us, it will benefit them more than it will us. Treat them so as to show them, you are the superior race, and that their natural position is that of subordination to the white man.
15. Let it be generally known that if any blood is shed, houses burnt, votes repeated, ballot boxes stuffed, false counting of votes, or any acts on their part that are in violation of Law and Order! that we will hold the leaders of the Radical Party personally responsible, whether they were present at the time of the commission of the offense or crime or not; beginning first with the white men, second the mulatto men and third with the black leaders. This should be proclaimed from one end of the country to the other, so that every Radical may know it, as the certain, fixed and unalterable determination of every Democrat in this country.
16. “Never threaten a man individually if he deserves to be threatened, the necessities of the times require that he should die. A dead Radical is very harmless-a threatened Radical or one driven off by threats from the scene of his operations is often very troublesome, sometimes dangerous, always vindictive.”
17. Members of the Executive Committee and the leading members of the Party should visit the various Clubs and explain the Plan of the Campaign and such facts as are necessarily of such a nature as are not to be reduced to writing.
18. There should be at least five map meetings in the County, during the canvass, and the last one should be held at Edgefield C.H. on or about the middle of October.
19. The months of July and August ought to be devoted to speeches at the Club meetings or Township meetings, and speeches should then be made by the candidates and such other speakers as we can obtain.
20. At our map meetings we should invite distinguished men of this and other States to address our people.
21. In the month of September we ought to begin to organize negro clubs, or pretend that we have organized them and write letters from different parts of the County giving the facts of organization out from prudential reasons, the names of the Negroes are to be withheld. Those who join are to be taken on probation and are not to be taken into full fellowship, until they have proven their sincerity by voting our ticket.
22. In the nomination of candidates we should nominate those who will give their time, their money, their brains, their energies and if necessary lay down their lives to carry this election. Any attempt to run independent candidates must be prevented at any risk.
23. There should not be any assessment for money to carry on the campaign, before the month of October, when the cotton crop begins to mature and our people have an opportunity of raising money by its sale.
24. In voting for or nominating candidates for County, State or Federal offices we must give the preference to native born white South Carolinians over Carpet baggers.
25. The watch word of our Campaign should be “fight the Devil with fire.” That we are in favor of local self government, home rule by home folks and that we are determined to drive the carpet baggers from this State at all hazards.
26. That we must make the Campaign an aggressive one and prosecute it with great vigor and try and get up all the enthusiasm we can among the masses.
27. That harmony and concord should be preserved in our ranks. Personal considerations, must be given up for the good of the County. Success must be achieved at the sacrifice of everything except the principles of our Great Party. The boys from 16 upwards are to be enrolled on the lists of our clubs.
28. In all processions the clubs must parade with banners, mottoes, etc, and keep together so as to make an imposing spectacle.
29. Every club must be uniformed in a red shirt and they must be sure and wear it upon all public meetings and particularly on the day of election.
30. Secrecy should shroud all of transactions. Let not your left hand know what your right does.
31. Where ever there are two election precincts at the Court House the Democrats should remain mounted in order to move at once from one box to the other in case of any disturbances.
32. Where the negroes are largely in the majority a corps of challengers should be organized, with appropriate questions. You gain time by this.
33. Any member of the Party who fails to vote the ticket must be read out of the Party.
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This post was previously published on Black History Month 365.
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You may also like these posts on The Good Men Project:
 White Fragility: Talking to White People About Racism |
 Escape the “Act Like a Man” Box |
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Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
