The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-10-24
rFrom the Laurensville Herald.l

From the Laurensvile Herald.l
The election for State and County officers
for this county, held on last Wednesday,
parsed off quletly-no disturbance whatever.
We regret TO say, however, that to our knoWl-
edge there never was an election held under
greater disadvantages. Intimidation VA the
Watcnword. The Radical Ring knowing, or
believing, that the Conservatives would put
candidates In the field for county ofdces, ana
fearing this opposition. set their rascally Wits
to work to carry the election at all hazards.
With this view, they first and foremos
brought deputy marshals to this place, IN OF
der, we firmly believe, to intimidate the peo-
pie. The said maIshals hung around for seVe.
raj days in all the ''pomp and circumstance"
of their official position, until last SUNDAY
nIght, when three separate squads OF cavalry
were detailed, each under command ola dep
uty marshal. They left tf,s place between
eleven and twelve O'Clock, koi.g In dlnerenG
directions. They secured the country lrom
the time of starting till Monday noon. return
Ing with six Innocent and unsuspectlDs cln-
zens, whose names We puollsn eise"nele.
The midnight raidlng mad the eIecs snese
scoundrels desired to q considerable e4tens,
thouoh not SO much 30 as they had hoped,
The 5eople were somewhat bewildered, but
thew were satisded as to the meaning OF Ibis
midnight raiding, coming, as 1t did. just on
the eve of the election, and they determined
to vote aud risk the consequences; 80 they
did, though q great number, no aoaos. '"e se
much for the intimidation scheme which we
designate as fraud No. l.
Fraud No. 2 consists In the commissioners
Of election failing to provide q oo4 al eacn
precinct with four separate and distinct apart
ments, as the law plainly contemplates' Wnlcn
reads thus:
IN -, <o1louso. kHonoroaa , SfafR.' tClrC0lt
aud County Officers"
particular, the commissioners only proVloeas
slngle box, containing one single and general
receptacle, into which all the votes were de.
posted. This being the case, q number OF
Gonservstive votes at Clinton, according TO the
ruling Of the managers at that box, were lost,
msny voting the State ticket (Tomlinson's)
folded with the Conservative ticket for county
of1cers. We learn that one hundred and
eighty of these tickets were thrown out at the
Clinton box alone, and we presume the same
VIII be or has been done at other boxes.
was the failure to open the Lyons box. This
precinct was duly advertised In this paper,
and the managers appointed. The chairman
came as required, was qualified, received the
and len this place on Tuesday night, yet
no box wss opened. The voters OF that pre-.
clnct were promptly az the polls, and waited
there until eleven O'Clock. No manager ap-
peared, and OF course the voters of that pre-
cinc1Were deprived Of the privilege OF Young.
Now, In our opinion, this failure to open the
polls at said precinct was an Intentional iraad
perpetrated In order to throw out the Wnole
vote, which the Ring knew was largely Con-
servative. Not lees than three hundred votes
were lost to the Conservative party by this
failure to open the polls at the Lyons precinct.
Fraud No. 4 consists In the voting OF negroes
under age, and others voting "early and
often.n This was undoubtedly done here.
This charge can be substartiated, and Will oe
done. One negro was caught In the act OF re.
heating his vote at this place. A number OF
others voted here early In the morning, were
furnished conveyances, and sent on to HAM
ilton's where they repeated, This, we learn
from reliable authority, can elso De proven oy
the record, and by respectable citizens. Wag-
on loads Of negroes were sent from CLINTON 70
this place, and from this place to Clinton,
repeated their votes. Hence tue large Hadlcai
majority In this county.
knowing, as every one must know, the nu-
merous, unheard Of and monstrous frauds
practiced In the late election, we can't see now
any man, with q particle Of conscience, could
qualify and serve In the ONCE &c winch ne
may have been elected.
WeImfght be In favor of making an effort to
contest the election, were 1t not that we have
no hope Of q favorable consideration; and 80
far az we are concerned, are disposed to give
no all hope OF getting 8 fair election until the
Laws and regulations are changed 4 In regard TO
voting, and we are again allowed registration;
and when the commissioners Of election and
managers are not all candidates, and OF the
same party, or as nearly 80 as practicable, as Is
now tina case.