The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1869-03-17
(From tllo Charleston News.
a Willing Witness.

Ir A Willing Witness.
THE LIBEL OF THE GOVERNOR OF
y Souri, CAROLINA UPON THE PEo
PIE OF SOUTH CERoLINA.
We, make ,somo extracts from
the sworn testimony Of Governor
Scott in the Third Congrcssiona
District contested election case
In reply to question by S. l.
Hoge, Governor Scott says: :
I am Governor r. X. Scott, Gov
} ernor of tho State-was so in July
August, September, October and
November, 18G8--inauguratcd 9th
July, 1868, and havo been Cover
nor up to the present time. Du
ring that time tho political con.
dition of Newborry, Abbcvile
Anderson and 'Edgctield was ono
Of great excitement. The laws
could not be enforced, and wore
not enforced in these counties.
The obstruction Of law came from
i the fact that political organiza,
$;tions set at defiance tho officers of
y the law. Tho organizations were
Nthe Republican and the Democrat
ic parties. The Democratic or
ganization was arrayed against
the'law. received tho inf0rma-
tion rs Governor that tho Demo-
cratic party was organized for the
purpose Of preventing the officers
ofthe law from enforcing the law
against any of their partizans, and
for THO purpose Of controlling the
elections to take place on tho 3d
Of November, in tho intcrost of
that party alone. These political
organizations armed themselves
in order to, carry out The objects
and purposes Of their organization.
I was informed by men who
claimed to belong to Democratic
clubs that they wore providing
themselves with sixteen shooters
and 'Wjnchestor rifles, with the de-.
dlared' purpose Of first controlling
tho election by keeping the ne
groes away from the polls and if
resistance was made they would
shoot tho negroes down, and there
by prevent tho moro timid from
attending at all :, Thoy did with
my knowledge bring into the State
the-Winchoster rifles in accordance
with these declarations. There
was: no election for Congress in
Edgefield County, Third Congress-
iohhl district. The reason why
is this: Tho law made it my duty
to appoint three commissioners Of
eleQtion in each county; two of
these / first appointed were white
mehoand one IL colored man, Of
that'county. The white men OBJ
jected, to. servo because that par
tiepl9r colored man. was member
of the board. I"accordingly ap-
pointed three other commissioners,
one of whom was Mr.. Root, a
member Of the present House of
Representatives. He replied to
raS; thae It was impossible for the
board to servo because it required
MI Of his time to, savo his life.
That he had beon shot at twice in
his own residence, had escaped
from Ills house under cover Of
darlkhoss, land was tkea writing to
me from his place Of conccalment
in tho swamp. 1t was too late
then to appoint any othor com
missiQpers lof election, as the law
required d notice Of twenty days
bofore an election could be held,
The goncraIi condition ;of political
affairs in that county, as far as tho
Republican party is concerned, as
regHrdb their sa1ety, T. can only
stat 10 hH opinion, bAsed; upon re-
ports Il Of acitizons Diving in the
tho ;oPinIoh FbasodG III npon ca'ssir 'such in, NJ
e formation.) | think there was
scarcely a mail received in tho Ex-
ocutive Department. during tho
months of September, October and
November, 1868, that [ did not
gettono or more letters, reporting
Che murder of citizens Of the coun-
~ and claimed IN these letters to
be murdered in consequence Of
their,apolitical opinion, or other
outragos committed on them, and
begging Of mo to send q military
fofcot6sthe bounty to give pro
tecttiiop against lawless mon.
oQ.---Whatwas the condition in
-AbbeViile' as to outrages !, also Of
NewEbor'ry2, : r., >,'...." y. Il II
cA.-The sarna rs in y Edgefeld.
In Abbevillo cohpty have re-.
ports OH flo Of nin0teen murders,
TGoso murders we're also commit
teS $efore tho Novcmb bor elections
Jul. ping from the former election
in April, and making due alloy