Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-11-28
Is 10 n state or n Federal Issue?

IL would be well for those who are inclined
10 censure the Chief Justice for refusing to go
10 South Carolina to sit with Judge Bond in
the habeds corpus case of the board of canvas
sers to reflect that he may have very excel
lent reasons Of his own for staying away. The
question whether a United States court has
a right TO interfere in a purely state matter is
very grave one. and the weight of opinion
is altogether on the side of non-interference
A lawyer of prominence and former men,
Ter of the Cabinet, in conversation, expresses
the decided opinion that there is no method
ID relief for the canvasSers through the fed
erai courts The New York Eceaiag Post
ooubis whether there is any intention on the
Iart Of Judge Bond to interfere. and asks.
$ Has lac jurisdiction to do soc" IL argues
that the business of the canvassers was not
federal business. The collision between
them and the supreme court of the
state occurred upon state business
the canyassing of votes for state Off
GERS and members of the state legislature.
IL seems however TO be understood in South
CaroIira that the real strain Of the contest is
in regard. not to state officers but the cleo
tOTal vote, and the Columbia correspondent
of the Cincinnati Commercial states that "the
ultimate end of all this judicial as well as po-
IiticaI assumption is to invalidate the Gre
dsntiais now held from the canvassers by the
Hayes and Wheeler electors
IL will be remembered that the court issued
q rule upon the canvassers to- show cause
why they should not count the statements of
the county canvassers by the precinct re-
turns i'm their possession in the matter of the
electoral vote. Wade Hampton, also, in his
address to the people of South Carolina,
charged that the canvassers had, in violation
of the direct orders of the court. ISSUED GER
tificates Of election to the republican presi-
dental electors, and to republican state Off
Gers" Under this aspect of the case the U.
$. Courts may consider il one coming within
their Jurisdiction, on the ground that the
canvassers are discharging federal functions.
We gave from a northern paper the other
day the definition of the new word coinage
''bull-dOze." The authority quoted from was
of the opinion that ii originated from ''bull
dosing" negroes in Louisiana, that is giving
a whipping Ia bull-dose, or a dose fit for a
bull y to induce them to vote the democratic
ticket. The Charleston Nelcs and Courier now
rises and says the word is of negro parentage,
and that last spring in the parishes of East
and West Feiiciana and East Baton Rouge,
large numbers of negroes began to join the
democratic PARTY. The republican leaders
determined to put stop to 1t, and formed
societies for the purpose of whipping in the
backsliding negroes. Democratic cOlored
mon were seized and made TO join the repub-
can societies. Usually terror made them CON-
ply, but il they refused they were whipped
with bull-whip until they consented to join
the league or leave the state. In every obsti-
nate case the brethren were in the habit OF
administering J,tLrs dose OF several hundred
lasheS on the bare back. When dealing with
those who were hard to convert, active men,
bers would call out "give me the whip and
became easy 10 say ..that fellow ought TO be
sbull-dosed, or bull-dozed." and soon bull
dOze, bull-dozing, and bull-dozers came 20 be
slang words.