The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-02-04

such at the election on the 3rd day of No
vember last, utterly and unqualifiedly
false; and charge that obtained very
large majority of the votes cast for mem,
bsr Of Congress for tue Sd Congressional
District of South Carolina, on that day,
by none other, 80 far as | am informed
and believe, than Legitimate and proper
Influences, such as are admissible and or
dinarily rcsorted to in popular elections
everywhere.
8. denv the truth of the several
charges contained in specifications IL, IL
and IL of the protest. 1t is utterly un-
true that any combination was ever en-
tered INTO by myself and friends, or by
any other persons with my knowledge or o,r,
consent, to prevent.an election being heid
in the county OF Edgefcld. 1t is une
quivocally false that any acts OF violence
were resorted to by my friends or others,
with my knowledge OF consent, tor the
like purpose, or any other purpose, and II
any such acts of violence were committed,
never heard of them except through the
protest of contestant; and | charge that,
ifcommitted, they are attributable alone to
reckless individuals, who acted of their
own accord and it is not true that my
self or the party which sustained me are
in any way responsible for the failure to
hold an election in Edgefeld county. On
the contrary, charge that myself and
friends were exceedingly anxious that an
election should be held in that county,
and telt outraged that the proper authori-
ties did not cause said election to be held.
And 1 am informed, believe and charge,
that the Commissioners OF Election, whose
duty it was TO provide for holding an
election in sale county OF Edgefeld. were
Republicans and partizans of contestant,
aud purposely neg glected and refused to 90
so. because they were aware that large
minority of the electors of said county
would cast their votes tor me as member
of Congress from the 3rd Congressional
District. 20.
4. deny that the charges contained in
specifications Ii, Is, IL, II, Is, IS and ~,
having reference to the ele' tin" IN the
coanty of Lexington, or any OF them, as
therein stated and charged, are true 1T
is not true that nine hundned and hily
persons, who were nc, entitled TO vote,
from non-residcnce or any other cause,
were permitted 10 vote and did cast
their votes ior me in said county and L
charge that it amy illegal votes were cast
for me, by either residents or non-resl-
deuts, they were identified and thrown
out of the count by the Commissioners,
acting as County cahvasser>. The facts.
,s am informed. believe and charge, .rc
these: a number OF citizens, legal voters
of the county OF Edgcfeld, in which no
election WAS held, (he exact numbes |
do not know, but probably three or four
hundred attended at several OF the most
convenient election precincts in the c"un-
ty of Lexington, and claimed The right TO
vote Tor member of Congress, and were
permitted to do So by the managers, near
Iy all OF said managers, as ali informed,
believe and charge, being friends and par
tizahs of cuntes,ant-on the ground, that
l,eing qualified voters III the adjacent
county OF Edgetield, in the same Congress
Sional District, where no election was
held, they were justly entitled to vote tor
Il representative IN Congress in any coun'
ty Of the same (3ri) Congressional Dis
trict. The ballots cast hy said citizens,
legal voters of the county of Edgctield, as
am informed and believe, were marked
by the managers and thrown out OF the
count by the County canvassers. And it
is churs ed that said cltizen>, legal voters
of the county OF Edgcield, being de-
prived by the authorities OF the privilege
of exercising their right of franchise IN
their own county, were entitled under the
Constitution and laws, us had always here
lvtore bcen permitted by the elawsot South
Carolina to vote for representative III
Congress in any county OF the sam Con.
~ressional District, and that the SAID
County canvassers had no legal authority
TO throw out OF the count the votes Of
said citizens. and in doing so, if their
votes were cast for me, as is alleged by
contestant, and IT'S to which have no
knowledge, they unlawtully deprived me
ofat least four hundred legal votes which
should have been counted for me. 1t is
therefore denisd shat any illegal vote or
votes were counted for inc in the county
CT Lexington, and charged that was un'
lawfully deprived as aforesaid OF ut least
four hundred legal votes, which contes-
tant alleges were cast Tor me- 1t Is not
true as charged that |, by my advice and
through the agency OF friends, deprived
my competitor, the contestant, of four
hundred and fifty, or any other smaller
number OF lawful and legal votes in the
county OF Lexington. l deny that ever
gave any advice on the subject, and Know
nothing personally as TO The manner IN
which either the canvas or the election was
conducted in said county, but am in-
formed, believe and charge that it is not
true, as alleged by contestant, that bodies
of armed men, Or other persons, Oh the
day of election, or ut amy other time, I'M
properly intertcred at any one OF the elcc'
tion precincts or elsewhere to prevent
IL ....,.. c.a., s-1,in,r to tha nnlls