Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-11-28
Washington Correspondence of Boston Dl
Advertiser.
Democratic Outragcs.


There has been considerable speculation as to
what induced the returning board in South Caro-
lima to single out the counties of Edgcfield aud
Laurens and refuse to count the votes in these
when charges Of democratic frauds in other coun-
lles were as strongly made and fully supported.
This is fully explained in an official letter which
reached here last night, and would seem to Justify
the returning board in acting as they did. In
each county in the State three cauvassers of cleo
tons were appointed prior to the election two re-
publcans and one democrat In Edgetied and
Laurens counties, both of which are strongly re-
publican, the democratic rifle clubs assembled on
the night of the election and threateue to kill
the two republican canvassers, and became so
bold and demonstrative that one republican can
vasser was forced to tly to his ife This left
one republican and one democrat to canvass the
vote, and when this was begun the republican
told that If he did not act strictly in accordance
with such orders as would be given him, he would
be taken out and shot, AS the canvass proc eedcd
the republican saw that large numbers of republi-
can tickets were being taken from the ballot box
es and democratic substituted. He remon-
srated, and was told to keep still or he would suf
fer death. In this way the canvass was made
and the democratic canvasser made up the returns
to send to Columbia. changing an actual republi-
can majority Of 2000 in Edgefeld county to over
1000 democratic. The republican canvasser re-
fused to sign the certificate, and was told that I'M
less he did so his life would be the penalty. Find
ing that these democratic reformers were deter
miutu W tAtCutt tuelr tuIeats ne Auueu MS sig
nature to the certificate. He was then permitted
to depart, and as soon as he was out of danger he
prepared protest to the returning board against
the votes of his county being counted, and notify
ing them that he had signed the certificate under
duress, and that gross frauds Rad been perpetr
ed, which he proceeded to deh.il. This document
was placed in safe hands sno delivered to the re-
turning board in Columbia. These scenes, SINH
lar almost even TO the smallest details, occurred in
the counties of Edgefeld and Laurens, showing
concusively that the matter was prearrauged by
the Hampton rifle clubs. When the returning
board came to count the votes of these two coun-
ties the protests from the two republican canvas
sers who had signed the certificates under COM
pusiop were read, and the board was unanimous
ly Of the opinion that, as one of the two sigma
lures on each certificate had been attached under
duress it was no certificate under the law, which
requires the signatures of at least two of the three
canvassers to be annexed. For this reason the
board decided that they could not count the re-
turns from either county, the law not having been
complied with, and accordingly they were set
aside for the legislature TO investigate and settle.
The board maintained that they could do nothing
else, and that the supreme court itself i'll not
count the votes from these counties in view of all
the facts and in the absence of the proper certf-
cate, and in the face of the protest by one can
vasser in each county.