The daily gazette., 1876-11-25
From the Baltimore Gazette
The South Carolina Re-
turning Board.

The action ofthe South Carolina return
ing board was made necessary by the
fact that had they submitted to the law,
not only would General Hampton have
been declared elected, but the electoral
vote of the state would have been cast
for Tilden. The Supreme Court of the
state had laid a rule upon the board to
show cause why they should not correct
the statements of the county canvassers
by the precinct returns. This was the
plain duty of the board under the law of
the state, and its discharge would un-
doubtedly have given the state to Tilden,
as we shall show. According to the can
vass of the doctored returns the majority
of the republican elector receiving the
highest number of votes over the demo-
cratic elector receiving the lowest num-
ber of votes was only 1,133. The smallest
majority of a republican elector was go
These majorities were made up by doc
toring the returns, and if the fraudulent
additions to the vote polled had been eX-
cised they would have disappeared. For
instance, the board, in addition to the re-
gular returns from Barnwell county, for
warded under the seal of the county can
vassers, included in their count the con-
tents of ballot box opened in place
unauthorized by law, and presided over
by persons without official authority. a
Ictuiu vi fOO rtpuDHcdn NOteS from lnlS
box was rejected by the county canvas
sers, all of whom are republican officials:
but the returning board included in their
count a return from this box of / ,317 bal
lots for the republican candidates and
not one for the democrats The elimina-
ton of this fraud alone would have de-
stroyed the republican majority Then
again there We're 800 ballots cast bearing
the names of Hayes and Wheeler, but
without the names of any presidential
electors. The elimination of these ballots
from the vote for electors would alone
have secured the election of two demo-
cratic electors. The returning board was
aware that the slightest correction of the
errors in the returns from the county
canyassers would give the state to Til
den. During the first two days of their
session they made q canvass of the pre-
cinct returns from five counties, and
found the democratic vote on the cleo
toral ticket was 941 greater than had been
returned by the canvassers. With these
facts in their knowledge, and the prospect
that the Supreme Court, although COM
posed entirely of republican officials,
would decide according to the law, the
only resource of the returning board was
to treat the process of the Supreme
Court with contempt, and do their count.
ing in with suddenncss, and then make
off.
We do not doubt but that the carpet
bag rulers of South Carolina will be sus-
tanned by Grant in any outrage against
the law which they may commit, and al
though such proceedings as those of
Chamberlain's gang in South Carolina
would beget popular insurrection in any
northern state, the people of South Caro-
lima must possess themselves in patience,
and await the action OF the Legislature,
and to seat in that body every man
elected should asserts his right with or
without the certificate of the returning
board. We shallth see whether Grant
will repeat the Louisiana.programme and
march the troops upon the Legislature.
certify the election of the Hayes electors,
and what redress will there be for Tilden?
The answer will involve the essence of
popnlar freedom.