The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-09-26
The Election Law Of 1870.

The timely letter which we print to-day
exposes some of the most fragrant provisions
of th election law Of 1870, which leaves the
bal s. uncounted and unexamined, in the
h Is ofMe Commissioners Of Elections for
te. days, the commissioners themselves
being, we believe, exclusively Radicals, and,
all OF them, the appolntees of Governor
Scott the candidate for reelection upon the
Radical ticket. This law enables the Com
missioners OF Elections 10 elect whom they
choose, and so long as the number OF ballots
reported agrees with the total number OF
names upon the poll lists, the people have
no means whatever OF detecting fraud and
exposing imposition. Common decency,
it was supposed, would have caused Cover
nor Scott to appoint one Commissioner OF
Elections in each county from the Reform
party. But. this has not been done. The
commissioners are, nearly, without excep-
ton, bitter Scott Radicals, and, to cap the
climax, some Of them are themselves candi-
dates for Office iu the counties for which they
are commissioners. We do not say that the
law was purposely framed in such way as
to allow the Scott party to carry out. with
out danger, deliberately arranged plan for
securing the election Of the Radical candl-
dates by false count and an exchange OF
ballots. 1t is certain, however, that the
Commissioners of Elections have the power,
if not the will, to throw a majority on the
side Of Scott, whatever the popular vote may
really be.
Mr. Ransier the Radical candidate Tor
Lieutenant Governor, was the father OF the
election law of 1870, and as he declared en-
phatically that it was his desire, and that OF
bis party, 10 have an absolutely fair election,
proposition was made to him which, If
agreed to by both parties, and carried out
properly, will give to the whole State the
protection against fraud, which cities OF over
twenty thousand inhabitants can obtain
under the United States naturalization law,
approved July l4th, 1870. The proposition
was, that committee of four Gwo Radicals
and two Reformers) should be appointed for
each precinct by the County Committees OF
the Radical and Reform parties, which COM
mittees should remain with the ballot-boxes
from the opening Of the polls until the votes
are finally counted. Both parties being
equally represented, and by staunch and
respectable citizens, there could be no ballot
box srutng aud no fraudulent couu:ia:5, for
it is not l:;zely that the commissioners would
attempt 10 play false while their misconduct
was witnessed by representatives OF their
own party as we'll as their opponents. This
proposition seemed TO us fair for both sides,
and it is due to Nr. Ransier to say that he
cheerfully gave ii his assent. 4 letter ac-
cepting the proposition has been forwarded
by Mr.. Ransier to the Executive Committee
of the Reform party, and if agreed to by
that body, as it doubtless will be- joint
letter may be prepared advising the County
Committees to take steps at once for appoint
ing the several joint committees. Where q
County Committee declined to do this, or
where the Commissioners OF Elections re-
fused to allow their proceedings to be
watched by the joint committees, it would
be evident that some trick was intended to
bepracticed As soon, then, as the answer of
the Reform Executive Committee is receiy-
ed it will be published together with the
letter Of Mr. Ransier
We have explained this matter at some
length to convince the public that we are
not blind to the iniquitous provisions OF the
election law, and that We are striving
hard to insure fair and peaceful election.