Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-04-16

| tion of various instruments which are
still desideratum--He0rthG and Home. u
Murder as an Element of Democratic
Politics, iii
The testimony taken in the contested
election case of s. L. Hoge against j. P.
Reid, in the lid Congressional District of
South Carolina, reveals the fact that the
Democratic party in that District, in the
contest of last November, resorted to de-
liberate, wholesale murder as means of
carrying the election. Startling and hor-
rible as this statement may seem, we re-
gret to find ourselves forced to accept it.
Among the witnesses who testify to the
organization and murderous work of the
Ku-Klux Klan is w. K. Tolbert, one of the
confessed murderers of the colored
Senator, B. F. Randolph. The Hon. r.
K. Scott, Governor of the State, testifies
that during the months of July, August
September, October and November last,
great excitement prevailed in the counties
of Abbeville, Anderson, Edgeield, and
Newbury; and that the law could not be
enforced in those counties, which form
part of the Hid Congressional District,
because the Democrats were arrayed
against 1t. He received information that
the Democratic party was organized for
the purpose of preventing the officers
from enforcing the law against their parti-
sans, and controlling the elections in the
interests OF that party alone. The Gov
ernor further testifies:
II was informed by men who claimed to be-
long to Democratic Clubs that they we're provid-
ing themselves with 16-shooters and Winchester
rifles, with the declared purpose of first controll
ip<r fhn ALA hrY1 1ynnr. x1o
from the polls, and If resistance was made they
would shoot the negroes down. and thereby pre-
yent the more tmia from stte attending at all They
the Winchester rifles in accordance with
these declarations. There was no election for
Congress in Edgefeld County; lid Congressional
District. The reason why is this: The law made
1t my duty to appoint three Commissioners of
Election in each county two of these first ap-
of that county. The white men objected to serve
because that particular colored man mem.
Der of the Board. accordingly appointed three
other Commissioners, one of whom was Mr..
Root, member of the present House of Repre-
sentat1ves. He replied to me that it was impossi
BILE for the Board to serve, because it required all
of his time to his life: that he had been shot
at twice in his own residence had escaped from
his house under cover of darkness, and was then
writing to me from his place of ofconcealment in the
swamp. 1t was too late then to appoint any other
Commissioners of Election, as the law required
notice of 20 days before election could be held.
the general e. condition M Of political affairs in that
cerned, as regards their safety, can only state
my opinion, based upon reports of citizens living
in the county. (Mr. Pope objected to the opinion
based upon such infOrmation) / think there
was scarcely mail received in the Executive De-
partment during the months of september, Octo.
ber, and November, 1868, that did not get one
or more letters reporting the murder of citizens
of the county, and claimed In these letters to be
murdered in consequence of their political opin-
ion, or other outrages committed on them, and
begged of me to send a military force to the
county to give protection against lawless men,"
The same witness testifies that the con-
dition in AbbeviIle and Newbury was
very much the same as in Edgefeld, and
that he has on file in the Executive office
reports of 10 murders in Abbeville pre-
vious to the November election; that,
judging by the results of previous cleo
tions, and the statement of intelligent men
of both parties, in a fair election the Re-
publicans would have carried Abbeville by
1900 to 1000 majority, and Newbury by
from 1000 to 1900. The Governor also
testifies as follows:
as worthless that it was the belief of party or
large number of men in the State that Seymour
and Blair would be elected; and thereby decf-
sion would be given gainst the Reconstruction
policy of Congress, and it was the intention of
those to inaugurate civil war and overthrow the
Governments that had been established in the
South. will give one reason for this belief:
Conversations were not uncommon among those
who were most active in importing those arms,
wherein they expressed fully and openly their
plan of operation, in which they stated that they
would bring about riot, in this event they
would be prepared and kill off the leading Re-
publicans, both white and black, and that it
of, to control the rest of the negroes, with these
guns in their hands. The State officers disposed
of, they would call new election, when they
would have the whole matter in their own hands.
In answer te an inquiry whether they did not
fear that they would be called to an account for
Of anybody getting punished for riot and re-
ferred to Memphis, Camilla and New Orleans in
1866. @. You think, then, the 16-shooters were
sion! A. think it was intended for another re-
belicn, but not new secession
When we remember that Andrew
johnson had done his evil best to inspire
the belief that the Reconstruction laws
were unconstitutional that Congress it.
self was unconstitutional; in fact, that
pretty much everything was unconstitu-
tional except "my policy;'' that the con:
clave of rebels calling itself the Democrat
ic National Convention, substantially in
dorsed the views of Mr.. Johnson, and that
Gen. Blair, the Democratic candidate for
Vice-President, advised course of action
similar to that adopted by these South
Carolina Democrats, it will hardly surprise
anybody that they should have pursued
the murderous path that was 80 clearly
pointed ont to them.
Gov. Scott's opinion as to what would
have been the result of fair election In
Abbeville and Newbury must be accept
ed as correct. According to the census of
1860, Abbeville contained 1879 male in
habitants, of whom 10,093 were colored,
and Newbury 1918, of whom 1917 were
oolored, about two blacks to one white.
1t Is not probable that the proportion of
whites to blacks has materially changed
since. The returns show 1923 Democratic
majority in Abbeville, and 1866 in New
bury. Can any candid reader doubt
that q fair election. in which eanh voter