The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-03-12
CHI A ES ON.
FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 12, 1869.
The Election in the Fourth Congress
sional District.

November last, the Hon. W. D. Simpson,
the Democratic candidate, was elected, de-
feating A. S. Wallace, the Radical candi-
date, by 4291 votes At the same time, in
each of the three judicial disticts into which
the Fourth Congressional District is divi-
ded, County Solicitor was elected. In
each case the Democratic candidates were
successful, having about the same majority
which WAS given to Mr.. Simpson.
The correspondence between the majori-
ties given in the counties for County Solic-
itor with the majorities given in the same
counties for Congressman, proved that there
was no fraud for the exclusive advantage
of Mr.. Simpson. If there was fraud for
one there was fraud for all; but no ohjec-
ton whatever has been made to the County
Solicitors, who qualified without opposition
and are now discharging the duties of their
offices. And, in truth, the interests OF the
Radical candidates should have been e1-
cellently we'll protected. In each county
there were three Commissioners of Election,
who were appointed by Governor Scott,
whose Radicalism is not doubted; and these
Commissioners appointed three Managers
for each election precinct. Wherever it
was practicable the majority Of the mcm-
bers of the Boards of Commissioners and
Managers were Radicals, so that the friends
of the Radical candidate had every opror-
tunity of meeting on the spot any illegal or
fraudulent act on the side of the Demo-
cratic candidates But no complaint or
protest was made by any one. The Man
ayers made their reports to the Commis-
sioners and the Commissioners to the State
Canvassers; and yet no word was said of
anything improper having taken place.
The State Canvassers- we believe, Re-
publicans-declared Mr.. Simpson duly
elected, and furnished him with certii-
cate of his election.
Then it was that Wallace, the defeated
Radical candidate, plucked up heart of grace
and announced his determination to contest
the election. A vigorous attempt was made
to hunt up good strong evidence, and Wal
lace published his grounds of protest. This
protest dealt largely in generalities. 1t
did discuss the ineligibility of Mr.. Simpson
under the Fourteenth Constitutional amend
ment an ineligibility which is not doubtful,
as Mr.. Simpson was member of the State
Legislature before the war, and lieuten-
ant. colonel in the Confederate army, and
member of the Confederate Congress du
ring the war. But, beyond this, the charges
are more vague accusations against the
people of the district than specific proofs
that Mr.. Simpson was improperly elected.
The friends of Mr.. Simpson busted them
selves in his defence, and are preparing
positive evidence to rebut the charges Of
the contestant. Mr.. Simpson himself an
swered, in a paper which is before us, the
statement made by Wallace.
Mr.. Simpson reviews tho whole of the
protest, disproving methOdically and thors
oughly its every specification. In regard
to some particular instances of alleged
fraud, Mr.. Simpson says:
GAS to the matters embraced in charges
numbered in contestants protest from eight to
twenty-four, inclusive. in which it is alleged
that larg" quantities of arms were imported
into Unicn County and Other counties, 10 be
used to intimidatc electors; that armed bodies
of men patrolled said counties; that threats OF
violence were made; that houses were broken
open; that the co,ored voters were shot at
and driven from their homes; thu SAID cleo
tors were prevented from exercising the cleo
tive franchise and especially from depositinS
their votes for the contestant; that armed
men attended at the precincts; tha. ballots
we're opened and changed by tho friends eod
partisans of the undersigned; that barrooms
were kept open on the day OF the e.cetion
that the managers of election precincts, aad
in CERTAIN counties, were not sworn; that Inc
friends aud supporters of the contestant were
prevented from voting on the rrctcnco that
their names could lot be found OF .iia regis
tratlun books; that ballots cas-! lor other par
ties than tho undersigned were Yet counted
for him; that persons WHO wUuld vote the DEM
ocratlc ticket aud for the undersigned were al
lowed TO vote whether reg stored or not; ;liat
the students of Lutheran College at Walhalia,
whether residents or not, were permitted 10
vote: tuat all these meluS wcic rcSortcd TO
by the irien IS and par;isins OF til" under-
signed for tho purpose OF Illegally influencing
the election in behalf OF the undersigned, and
by these melns numbers Of persons III each
of said counties, Who would have voted for the
contestant, were kept away from the polls an;'
prevented from casting their votes for him,
and that numbers OF illegal votes We're secured
by the managers for the undersigned, some OF
them being deposited by SAID managers theln-
aelves and by other parties, who wore allowed
to act as managers, especially ut one OF tho
precincts at Union Courthouse.
s'The undersigned states that he has denied
having any knowledge in reference to these
various charges and all others therein en-
braced, if any be loft out Ill the above emu
meration; but in simply denying personal
knowledge he does not wish 10 he understood
that he thereby makes an implied admission
that said charges may be true; on the contrary,
from such information a. he has baen able to
obtain since the protest Of the contestant was
served upon him, he feels authorized to say