Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-12-02
a THREATENING SITUATION.

WHO hoiu the peace ana good government
Of the country at heart. There is dangc
OF serious troubie-trouble which ma,
culminate in bloodshed and more civi
war. A was to be expected, it viii aris
in that Jonah of the Republic, South Car
oina. And it will come rs one of the re
cults Of the too great lcniency of the Iowa
people which, in its humane desire t,
pour oil and balm upon the wounds whial
the great struggle of few years ago had
LETT open and bleeding, fDrgave the sins
ard crimes Of rebellion, and welcomed
back the conquered rebels to poitica
rights. -
The situation in South Carolina. if We
understand it distinctly is this. Under
the election laws of the State, it is made
the duty Of the Returning Board to can
vass the votes for State officers and mem.
bero Of the Legislature, and issue certif-
Gates Of election to those who are elected
The Governor and Lieutenant Governor
are not declared elected by the Returning
Board, but the votes for those officers are
canvassed by the Legislature of the State
The local laws Of South Carolina govern.
ing elections, would appear to give power
to this Returning Board to judge as well
Of the legality Of returns, and to reject
such votes as might prove to be illegal.
In conformity with this discretionary
power the Board refused TO count the
votes Of the two counties Of EdgeReld and
Laurens, or TO issue certificates of election
to the members Of the Legislature elected
in these counties. 1t is given as a reason
for this action that in those counties the
election was burlesque upon popular
rights-that Democratic roughs from
Georgia took possession Of the polls and
voted, and then compelled the Inhabitants
to vote their ticket, under threats. This
action Of the Returning Board gave the
Republicans small majority in the Leg
isature. The Democrats then appealed
to the Supreme Court OF the State to
compel the returning Board to issue GER
tiGcates Of election to the parties claimed
W W NlCcCi " biiC 4<tE ISL lDIt, DuJ Dc-
fore this was done the time fixed by law
for the Board to transact its business ex-
pired and the Board adjourne l-ceasod to
exist. IS members were then arrested
10y order Of the Court, fined 81 800 each
and imprisoned for contempt. The Dem
ocrats now claim that the Republican
members win not all be present at the
opening OF the Legislature, that they will
have the organization of that body. and
they Will Immediately declare Wade
Hampton elected, and proceed at once to
inaugurate him.
The action Of the Returning Board ap.
pear. to have been legal throughout, and
the only question in regard to their pro
ceedings would seem to be VIII ether ornot
the members had abused the discretion
allowed them. The action Of the Demo
Gratis is revolutionary, and dictated 10y
determination to declar, Hampton Gov
ernor, whether legally elected or not. 1t
is not our purpose TO give one sided
statement OF this matter, which threatens
to engulf South Carolina in rebellion.
Our sources Of information come only
from those on each side, whose partisan
feelings are SO thoroughly aroused that
their statements are necessarily colored.
1t is only through the report OF Com
gressional investigating committee that
we can hope to arrive at true knowledge
Of the facts of the case. If The Democrats
attempt TO carry ont the programme laid
down in defiance Of the law ia the prem
ises, they will be clearly in the wrong,
whether the Returning Board is guilty Of
abuse Of discretion or not. We have had
such an experience Of the iire-eating"
propensities Of South Carolina in past
years, that we look with natural distrust
on the part Of Che leaders a distru,t nee
essarily strengthened by the means re-
sorted to in behalf Of Democracy 20 "re-
deem the State prior to the late election
While we hope that cooler counscls will
prevail and that the veXcd questions at
issue will be settled legally, it is, perhaps,
more than we can reasonably exp ect.
We speak but the sentiments Of the great
bulk of Northern Republicans when we
say that we can take neither pride nor
pleasure in Il party triumph gained dis
honorably. And while we think that on
a fair election that State IS unquestionaby
Republican in all departments Of its gov
eminent, we counsel ready submission to
the legally expressed will of the majority.
But if Republican government is farce
in that State, if the armed ruffians are to
control its elections and assist the minor
ity to override the majority, it is as we'll
to know it now AS at any other time. The
situation is one pregnant with danger and
one from which the State and Nation can
safely emerge by strict adherence to
the requirem ents of law.
-zSAz-s--.-s- s-ss1s-s@-a
INEIIGIBLE ELEcToBs. livery day or
two there comes a telegraphic report that
some elector Is ineligible, and consequent