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 Vol. XII.

Richmond, Va., June, 1884.

No. 6.

The Last Chapter in the History of Reconstruction in South Carolina — Ad- ministration of D. H. Chamberlain.

Bv F. A. PoRCHER, President South Carolina Historical Society.

Paper No. 3.

RICEFIELD RIOTS.

In May of this year occurred one of those riots which distinguished the close of Chamberlain's administration, and seemed to demonstrate how utterly unfit he was for his elevated position. A strike for higher wages took place among the negroes of the Cornlaher ricefields. Whether the negroes had just grounds of complaint against their em- ployers, is a question of no moment whatever. A morbid sentiment endeavored to excuse them on the ground of unfair conduct on the part of the planters. It is a sufficient answer to this that the negroes, who by contract lived and worked habitually on the plantations, did not begin the strike. It began with those who, living elsewhere, were occasionally hired to assist the regular forces. These persons not only refused to work for such wages as were offered them, (which