The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1870-11-03
THE ELECTION FARCE IN SOUTH
CAROLINA -BALLOT-BON STUFF
FING ENCOURAGED-

CAROLINA -BALLOT-BON STUF-
FIN ENCOURAGED.
The late so-called election in South Car
olina was a perfect mockery. The Charles
ton Courier of the 22d of October says
that with a fair and untrammeled ballot
and an honest count there could be no
doubt of the triumphant election of Car
penter and Butler, the Reform candidates
for Governor and Lieutenant Governor
1t admits that in Charleston there was a
fair vote, and consequently q majority for
the Reform ticket. The election there
was an exception 10 the rest Of the State.
The Courier adds
But in the parishes outside of Charles
ton the advocates OF Reform We're, in some
instances, driven from the polls, in others
the ballots were torn from their hands, in
others they were intimidated by Scott's
militia, and were forced to seek shelter
for their lives and persons; in others, as
at Biggin Church, armed colored Radicals
cont'd the polls andswept away the box. In
fact, at some of the precincts, for any col
ored man, and for many of the white
men, to vote the Reform ticket was sim
ply to place in jeopardy life and person
And all this occurred in a State under the
pretense of n free election"
The law under which the election was
held was passed by the last Radical negro
Legislature. Before that enactment the
counting of votes was, as in Ohio, a pub
lie matter, done in the presence of witness
ses. But under the new Radical statute,
which was approved by Governor Scott,
he Scott was authorized to appoint three
Commissioners of Election in each county,
and these commissioners in turn appoin-
ted all the sub-inspectors OF the different
precincts. This continuance would give
every elective Office in the State to the
Radicals, and deprive the minority of all
representation. When the election was
over no count was then made, but the In
spectors, all OF n party, and all favora-
bic to Scott, who was q candidate for re
election, quietly took the boxes away and
retained them in their private possession
for three days, hidden from the public
eye and from any scrutiny whatever. The
Commissioners Of Election for the counties
then took the ballots and the boxes of the
different precincts, and they are allowed
ten days in which to count and make the
returns. During all this time nobody but
the officials can obtain a glimpse of the
boxes or the ballots. 1t seems that in
Charleston, which the Reformers carried,
there was an act of Congress which put
the custody Of the boxes in the control Of
persons appointed by Judge Bond, who
divided them equally between the parties
The Reformers proposed TO carry out the
Charleston arrangement throughout the
State, but the Radicals, who supported
Governor Scott declined to do so. Al.
though considerable time had elapsed
when the Courier of the ODD was issued
yet the votes had not been counted, anC
the result had not been ascertalncd. 1t is
of the opinion that a fair count would
elect the Reform ticket, but of cou. Sc thai
count was not made. Was there ever in the
annals of elections a piece of ~villainy
equal to this? What would we thinl
in Ohio if our elections were conducted il
this manner? Yet so dead to all sense o
decency is the Republican press of the
North, that nowhere have we seen thu
least condemnation of this wholesale en-.
couragement to stuff the ballot-boxes o
another State. On the contrary, they
congratulate the country upon the glori
Gus victory they have fraudulently wor
in South Carolina. When we take sucl
an election as this in the South, in con.
n%ection with the open military violence
that is being employed by the Admins
tration to carry the election in New York
every man of the least reflection will ad.
NIT hat there is not much left of Ameri,
can freedom. 1t would seem as if every
honest man, every friend of his country
would blush at the recital of suchSrascali,
ties, and Indignantly refuse to sustain fur.
ther a party that was guilty of them.