The daily gazette., 1876-11-25
Plain Facts for. Honest
Men.

In the confusion uf partisan tongues on
the political situation, and the jealous
disputation Us to the wrongs and rights
of Hayes and Tildsn in the objective
States of South Carolina, Louisiana and
Florida, there are some plain, common
sense, undisputed facts which honest
men should know and calmly consider.
In South Carolina the Republicans
control the election boards in every
township, ward or precinct Of the State.
No vote can be received or rejected I'M
less by majority vote of Republican
election board. The vote rs thus re-
ceived by the Republican boards is COM
puted by them and returned to the coun-
ty return boards, which compute and
certify the vote of each county. The
county return boards are Republican in
not chosen by the people, but selected
by the Republican administration. The
returns from the several counties, as
computed and certified by the republi-
can boards, are finally canvassed by n
State board, consisting of five State Of
ficers, all of whom are Republicans, and
three of whom were candidates for re-
election on the 7th inst. The returns of
South Carolina, therefore, were Origi-
nally made up of such votes in the va
rious precincts as Republican election
boards chose to receive and certify; of
such county returns as Republican cOun-
ty boards chose to approve, and thus
they came to the Republican State board
three-ffths of whom were to certify to
their own election or defeat. In no in
stance, either in precinct or county au-
thOrity, could the Democrats control a
vote or modify return. To these facts
must be added the undisputed truth that
Gov. Chamberlain had practically abso-
Lutte command of the State colored mill
tia and of the Federal troops, and posted
them wherever he believed intimidation
of colored voters possible. The Republic
cans, therefore, had all the power to pro-
tect their voters and all possible ma
chinery to have the votes returned as
they desired. These returns defeated
Governor Chamberlain and part of his
associates on the State ticket, and elected
Democratic Legislature. The State re-
turn Board was bound in all fairness to
accept the returns of their own friends.
in which their enemies have been abso-
lutely voiceleSs beyond casting such of
heir votes as the Republican boards
chose to accept but the State board
would not bow to their own partisan
machinery even when it had been
welded to the utmost IN their own be
half. They proposed TO count them
selves in, in defiance of their own re-
tuI1lS Dut appear was liitiuc " eho .1u-
preme Court, consisting of three Re
publicans and no Democrats. The Court
decided the law as the law is, and en-
tered its solemn judgement directing the
State board to compute and return the
vote as it had been received. This man
date of the highest judicinal tribunal of
the State was insolently defied by the
return board, and they proceeded in
revolutionary contempt of the law and
its supreme Judgement, to reject votes
certified by their own party associates,
and declare themselves and their State,
Congressional and Legislative tickets
elected. Comments to honest men,
whether Republicans or Democrats, is
useless
In Florida, like South Carolina, the
Republican have every election board in
the State and every county board, and
from the county boards the votes must
come to the State board, which consists
of two Republicans and one Democrat
the Democrat being the Attorney Gen
eral elected in 1874. In no precinct
township or ward of Florida could the
Democrats admit or reject vote or CON
l troll the return, and if there are frauds
| they must have been such as Republican
| election and county boards must have
| Sanctioned.-Phild.T Times.