The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-01-06
Governor Chamberlain's Views on tile
Whipper.M0seS Infamy.

| Capt. F. w. Dawson, editor of the
Charleston Nesos and Courier, had an in
terview with Gov. Chamberlain q few
days after the election of Whipper and
Moses, and obtained an expression from
him Interference to these worthless, which
is herewith appended:
Question. Of course you arc aware,
Governor, of the result of the judicial
election. Did you expect that election
to take place on Thursday last?
Answer did not, and 1 had the best
reasons for not expecting it. On Tues
day when the Senate passed the con-
current resolution to hold the election on
Thursday, spoke to both my Republi-
can and Conservative friends, telling them
that I had very important engagement
in Greenville on the evening of Thurs
day, which / was the more anxious to
keep becauseit involved the convenience
and interest of so many others. l stated
that, if the election was to take place on
Thursday, I must and should remain
here; but earnestly appealed to them
not to allow the election then to occur,
and thus disappOint my friends in Green
Vile. also addressed a personal note
to MIR. Speaker Elliot, in which l re-
ouested him on personal as well az public
grounds, to use Ills influence to stay the
election, not only from occurring on
Thursday, but to stay it until next week
or after the holidays. In answer to this
note. Speaker Elliott came to my office
on Wednesday morning and said he
regretted that he had not thought of
nv engagement in Greenville before
he was asked to favor concurrence
in the Senate resolution. However, he
said. while he might vote for concur
renee. owing to his previous committal,
yet he would speak to his friends, and ne
thought there would be no difficulty in
postponing the election until after my
return from Greenville at the earliest
+ accepted this assurance of the Speaker
and the vote of the House, which was II
to 81 on the motion to lay the Senate
resolution on the table, as sufficient
guarantee, and left for Greenville on the
morning of Thursday, without the slight
eat suspicion that the election would be
brought on. It's true that / was told
lust before the train left that there was a
bare possibility that the election might
come off that day; but it was deemed
certain that the resolution.could at least
be fought off until Friday, 1and [ conten-
ted myself with making arrangements for
a special train to bring me back to Col
umbia by Friday morninghif necessary.
If I had really suspected the conspiracy
which was developed on, Thursday,
nothing in the world could have induced
me to leave Columbia. s'.
Question. Had you been present when
the election took place, could you have
changed the result? * =. :
Answer. I see no reason to think l
could. The conspiracy appears to have
been carefully eoncocted. The color line,
the party line, and the line OF aRtago-
nism to nv administration, all were
sharply drawn; and the tone, of the
speeches made by the leading supporters
of Whipper and Moses and Wiggins
shows that it required degree of bold
ness not possessed by many of our legis-
lators to vote in opposition to the combi-
nation. Still it would have been a great
satisfaction to me to have been on the
spot and gone down fighting, if I must
go down.
Question. Was it not as q combination
of the supporters Of different candidates
that the conspiracy of which YOU have
spoken was so powerful ?4a T..
Answer. Yes. The peculiar strength
of the combination lay in uniting thein-
terests of large number of the candi-
dates. This alone, I think, caused the
defeat of Judge Maher. The opponents
of this Judge had "a certain number of
votes which they would cast for other can
didates in other circuits Only on. condi-
ton that the friends of those candidates
should pay them, by voting against
Maher. Mr.. Virgins, the successful
candidate, had no strength, and was
mere leaf on the current; but the COM
bination that took him up was welded to-
gether by the force of common purpose
to route an incorruptible judge who had
been an insurmountable barrier in the
way of those who have at last over
thrown him. .e -.,
Question. How do;you look upon the
election of Virgins, Whipper and
| Moses? lfesii..,1..
Answer. look upon their election as a
horrible Disaster disaster equally great
to the State, to the Republican party,
and, greatest of all, to those communities
which shall be doomed to feel the effects
of the presence of Moses and Whipper
upon the bench. Ibid, a year ago, speak
publicly of Whipper, who was then a
candidate for the very position to which
he has now been elected. Then / de-
nounced him as incapable and utterly
unfit for the Office of judge. Of Moses,
no honest men can have different opin-
ions. Neither Whipper no. Moses has
any qualities which approach to quail
.fcation for judicial positions. The rep
utation of Moses is covered deep with
charges which are believed by oil who
are familiar with the facts of: corruption,
bribery and the utter prostitution of all
his official powers to the worst possible
purposes. This calamity is infinitely,
greater IN my judgment, than any w|sieh
has fallen on this State, or, might add,
upon any part Of the South. Moses as
Governor is endurable compared with
Moses as Judge. -, ,.
Question. What do you think of Wig
gins?
Answer. He is not to be classed NOR
ally with Moses and Whipper; but, in
order to defeat Judge Maher, he has con-
sented 10 be the tool of the same combi-
nation which elected Moses and Whipper,
and, as such tool, he will be expected to,
and doubtless will, do their work.
Question. What, in your judgment,
will be the effect of the election of these
three men?
Answer. The grarest consequences of
all kinds will follow. One immediate
effect will obviously be the reorganization
of the Democratic party within the State
as the only means left in the Judgment
of its members, for opposing solid and
reliable front to this terrible crevasse of
misgovernment and public debauchery.
L RI