Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-12-27
south Carolina Rife Clubs.
columbia Union. Herald.

In obedience to kilograms from the
leaders in Columbia the "disbanded"
rifle companies began to assemble in
Columbia yesterday. One of the
FIRST on the ground was from Sumpt-
or. Special trains came in on all the
railroads, bringing from 100 to 500
men. The regular trains were delay
ed several hours by the unusual de-
mands.upon their capacity. The men
came armed and equipped for the
campaign. They had their rolled
blankets around their necks, their
harversacks slung, and the true old
Confederate air of "dont-care-a-cuss-
it-iveness" which became familiar
enough to most of US in previous
unpleasantness.
Not very much display of numbers
was made, but certainly there could
not have been less than forty compan-
les, aggregating 1900 men i'm all.
Early morning found the "critter"
companies from the surrounding
counties arriving, and several hun
dred Of them have been added to the
"fair men,"
This assemblage is only the last
move in Hamburg; EIlenton was the
counterpart of the Clinton massacre;
the rifle clubs, the dividing line"
the night riding, the "where-do-you-
buy-your-meat" policy, the de.
nunciations, bullying, threats, and
open violence on election day; the
repeating at the poll; the intimida-
ton Of managers and canvassers-
these nearly accomplished the sought
for end. But the Republicans were
more steadfast than was expected.
The poor, the weak, the ignorant
were superior, after all, in mo raj
courage TO any population under the
the sun. When white Republicans
became renegades under the pres
sure, ninety-nine in a hundred Of
the coIored men stood firm. The
frauds in Edgefield had to be made
too enormous. Other counties were
nearly as bad, but they sent their
returns on too early. Eegeiield con-
sidered 2,O00enough; then.on demand
it rose to 1890; then, as day after
day developed the necessity, 1t rose
up TO 1900. The palpable fraud
could not be passed by tho board OF
State canvassers. Laurens was not
much better, and its vote was also
excluded i'm the count for members
of the General Assembly, and If nee
essary to change the result, both
counties would doubtless have been
left out entirely for all Offices voted
for. A fair investigation ofall the
Of the election In Abb
beviIle, Barnwell, Aikens, Pickens,
Oconee, and Spartanburg,
would undoubtedly develop facts
which would lead to the blotting out
of one half the Democratic MAORI
ties reported. Nosuch investigation
will ever take place, but enough
will be known TO set the Democrat
ic tactics in their true light before
the men Of the future. If In the
economy Of nature injustice and
cruelty go unpublished, then the
State will prosper under rule OBJ
tanned through such means; not else.
The assault upon the legal legisla-
ture was another step in the Missis.
sippi plan, made necessary by the
unforeseen failure OF the previous
efforts.
At every point since the election
the Republicans have been right in
law. At every move the Democrats
have abandoned ground shown TO
be untenable. The managers know
this, and they go back to force.
The rifle clubs were telegraphed to
DO here to-day. In the campaign
they were the most efficient weap-
ons, and now they may prove to be
superior TO even the Supreme Court.
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