The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-09-22

and Marion alone, there were three thousand
sic hundred and ninety-thrse persons who did
not cast their votes. The-najority for the
constitution in these districts was but
fifteen hundred and twenty:fvs. Nor wasthis
all; for in no less than seven other districts
in the State the qualified voters who did
not vote could have turned the scale and
defeated the constitution.
1t was now too late to accomplish this
great end; but the Democracy of the State
made ready to work in earnest, and under
the auspices of the State Democratic Con-
vention arranged a plan of operations for
the ensuing election-that of county off,
cers-which toek place in June last. With
the result of that election every one is ia
miliar; but it may do good to recapitulate
here the circumstances of the struggle and
the glorious result
At the elections held in April, the negro
constitution was ratified in every district
but Anderson, Horny, Oconee, Pickens and
Spartauburg. The negro registered mo-
jority in the State at that time was about
1000; and IS, 55l qualified voters did not
vote. The Democrats of the State had
shout months time, and they made noble
use of it. The day of election came. There
was no question of whether it was
worth while to vote-whether it would do
any good. Men voted themselves, and per-
suaded their friends and their hired men to
vote. Some, of course, were careless and
indolent, but the great majority of our peo-
pie strove with all their might to drag vic
tory from the teeth of numerical majority.
The news was not long in flashing through
the State. Fifteen districts gave Demo
cratic majorities. Darlington had gained
69S votes, Laurens 1918, Chester 1869,
oraugeburg 243, Union 1919, spartanburg
1872, Lancaster 118, Kershaw 1925, Oconee
ITO, Aobeville 2O76, Greenville 997, York
20C7, and other districts had gained in
similar proportion. This was the fruit of
working systematically and intelligently for
about four weeks, and surely it was enough
to cheer on our Democracy in any contest
which might follow.
The question now is, whether South Car
olina will, in November next, cast her cleo
toral vote for SEYMOUR or for GRANT. we
know thet the State can be carried by the
Democrats, and we believe that it will The
Democratic party is now as thoroughly or
ganized as the Republican party has ever
been. In each district, and in each ward
or precinct, there is the Democratic club.
Every respectable white man in the State
is Democratic canvasser, and the negroes
by the hundred are joining the clubs of the
colored Democrats. Measures have been
taken that will prevent fraudulent voting.
No negro will be able with impunity to cast
q dozen votes for GRANT and CoLFAx.
Every man will he watched, and it will be
seen that each one does his duty. And
what have we to work against? Only
negro majority OF say forty thousand, to
which may be added perhaps fifty white men
who will choose to vote the Radical ticket.
Forty thousand and fifty votes in this great
State is all that we have to overcome, if
we assume that every negro in the State
will vote the Radical ticket. From this
majority we may deduct the increase inthe
white vote caused by the fact that, by the
negro constitution under which we live, no
one is disfranchised. This should amount
to over eight thousand votes, and reduces
the majority against us to thirty thousand.
Every white man will 60 to the polls, and
if every two white men will but take one
negro to the polls with them-as they can
do-the six electoral votes of South Caro-
lima will help to decide the Presidential
election in favor of SEYMOUR and BLAIR.
~ At this election every man must vote; for
q solid white vote, and the exercising Of
proper degree of influence upon the col
ored voters, will make Democratic victory
as certain as that fearful retribution will
one day be visited upon the heads Of the
now triumphant Radicals,