“Don’t like your complexion!” he answered rising and going toward the door.
“Then we’ll turn you out into the road in less than two years,” said Haley as they left.
“All right!” laughed the old soldier, “I slept on the ground four years, boys.”
When he came back into the room he met his wife with tears in her eyes. “Oh! Tom, I’m afraid they’ll do what they say.”
“To tell you the truth, ole woman, I’m afraid so too. But we’re in the hands of the Lord. This is His house. If He wants to take it away from me now when I’m crippled and helpless, He knows what’s best.”
“I wish you didn’t have to go agin ’em.”
“I ain’t er nigger, ole gal, and I don’t flock with niggers. If God Almighty had meant me to be one He’d have made my skin black.”
On election day no publication of the polling places had been made. Ezra Perkins had in charge the whole county. He consolidated the fifteen voting precincts into three and located these in negro districts. He notified only the members of the secret Leagues where these three voting places were to be found, and other people were allowed to find them on the day of the election as best they could.
Perkins made himself the poll holder at Hambright though he was a candidate for member of the Constitutional Convention, and the poll holders were allowed to keep the ballots in their possession for three days before forwarding to the General in command at Charleston, South Carolina.
Scores of negroes, under the instructions of their leaders voted three times that day. Every negro boy fairly well grown was allowed to vote and no questions asked as to his age.