The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-11-02
"Bound TO WIN"


voters, according to the Reconstruction acts,
which took place under military orders, the
names of 1868 white voters were recorded
in the City of Charleston. No person who
had held any oivil-or judicial office under
the State or under the United States, or
who had taken an oath TO support the Con-
stitution of the United States and had after
wards voluntarily taken part in the So
called rebellion, was allowed to register as
voter. In this way hundreds of our most
highly esteemed citizens were disfranchised'
and our military dictators did not fail to
stretch the law to the utmost limit IN dis
qualifying the white people Of the State
Many persons were indisposed to register
or vote under military rule; but, notWlth-
standing this fact and the fact already men
toned that hundreds of the citizens OF
Charleston were wholly disqualified from
voting, no less than 4S6S whites were reg
istered as being entitled to vote.
All disqualifcations and disfranchise-
ments are now removed. Every white citi-
zen of the United States, twenty-one years
of age. who was resident Of the State
when the Reconstruction Constitution was
adopted, and who hos resided in this city
for sixty days next preceding the tenth day
of November next, is entitled to register
and to vote at the Municipal elections. This
lifts the load of disfranchisement from the
backs of all the old members of the Legls-
lature, officers of the State and Federal
Government, and all persons who were dis
qualified from voting. Every one of these
gentlemen should register at the registra-
tion which opens on Friday. Then, again,
there are hundreds of persons in the city
who, although qualified, have not hitherto
registered or voted. AL of these will, we
believe, register for the Municipal elections.
There are also several hundred Of Irishmen
and Germans who have been naturalized
during the last few weeks. And, as they
became citizens that they might have the
power to protect themselves at the ballot
box, they will certainly register and vote.
The gains from these three classes, viz: l.
They who were disfranchised before but
can vote now; .. They who objected to or
had no interest in voting before and will
vote now; 8. The naturalized citizens who
now for the first time have the opportunity
to vote-must be added to the total of the
former registration. This should give US,
at the lowest estimate which has been made,
seven or eight hundred additional votes,
which would bring up the white vote in the
city to more than fire thousand .fVe hundred.
Now; it remains to be seen what is the
colored vote According to the official re-
turns of the military registrations in this
city, there were 5eS1 qualified colored
voters. But ii is notorious fact that ne
groes were brought in from the parishes BY
hundreds to register and vote at the State
and county elections. This they cannot do
again; for the detective machinery of the
citizens party will infallibly convict the
fraudulent voter, and turn him over to the
civil authorities for the punishment which
is his due. Every colured man who has
been resident uf the city for sixty dnys
is known, and they who think they can live
at Goose Creek and vote in Charleston will
assuredly come to grief. Only the legit;-
mate colored vote will be registered and
polled, and its amount may be determined
by the number of colored voters who reg
istered at the three days registration for
the Presidential elections, which closed on
Tuesday last. At that registration only
525S colored voters were enrolled, inclusive
of hundreds who live between the city
limits and the Six Mile house, and who cam
not register or vote for the Municipal elec-
items. Some colored men may not, it is true,
have taken the trouble to register so as to
vote for "GRANT aud Freedom" but if as
many in the city did not register as there
were outside the city who did register, the
legitimate colored vote at the city elections
cannot be over fvs thousand too hundred.
These are the figures, citizens of Charles
ton Look at them, study them, and COM
pare them; and grow strong and confident
in the knowledge that if we pull hard, pull
steadily and pull together, our candidates
are "Bound to Win"