The daily gazette., 1876-11-25
Disfranchised Voters.
Some Information about the Counties
ThrOtcn Out by the Carolina Board.

Some Information about the Counties
IhrO,cn Out by the Carolina Board.
The two counties disfranchised by the
South Carolina Board of Canvassers
were Laurens and Edgefeld. The votes
of these counties would have given the
Democrats the Legislature and nearly all
the State officers. What was the condi-
tion of affairs in these counties. .f' .
Edgefield, according to the census of
1S75,which was notoriously erroneous
and untrust worthy, had population of
only 1922 votes. The census of 1870,
which was taken with much greater care
gave the county 8,904 votes. A careful
census taken by the Democrats before
the election showed legal voting popu.
lation of 9,915. The total vote cast in tha
county was 9.2S9, and the Democrats
claim it would not have reached that fig
ure but for the repeating of the negroes,
Of which proof was furnished, The vote
of9,915 was divided as follows: White
4,733, colored, 5,177. The Democratic
majority was 1925. Why was this? The
Republican leader of tine connty, ex-
Treasurer McDevitt, had absconded, and
only got out of Jail four days before the
election. John A. Barker, leading Re
publican and member of the Legislature,
stumped the county in behalf of Hayes
and Wheeler and the Democratic State
and county ticket. ii. Storm, another
leading Republican, did good work in
the same cause. f. A. Bellanger, County
Auditor, Linus Simmons, ex-member Of
the Legislature, Willis Merriwether, Am
brose Cartledge, ex-County Commission
er, who was put in Jail at Edgefield for
intimidation, together with four Other
negroes Of his company, who were par
doned by Governor Chamberlain,
through l.. Gains influence, Mabin Grif-
fin, George Nix and David Graham, at
present member of the Legislature, also
voted the Democratic ticket; and many
leading Republicans, satisfied of the fair
ness of the vote, refused to join in the
protest to the State Board of Canvassers.
Further than this, the negroes were
thoughly disguised with the action of the
lcounty convention, which sat for thee
to complete the ticket. The executive
committee then put on in the place o.
John A. Barker, present member of the
Legislature, E. u. Harris, County Con
missioner, and brother of Carey Harris
a County negro now in Jail for q crime
committed upona respectable white lw0
man of the county. .... .... ... a,ss'
About Laurens our information is not
so full. W. H. Rutherford, a candidate
for the Legislature and also Republican
Commissioner of Elections, was elected
messenger to carry the returns to Col
umbia. At last accounts he could not be
found, ,all isarch for him having provedin
effectual, and and on Saturday the re
turns had not been delivered at Columbia
A correspondent, however, reported on
the day after election that the county
had given the Hampton ticket Ito ma
jority. There was no disturbance. A few
Republican repeaters were arrested, but
were bailed out. The troops RENAME,
in camp all day, and no call was made
upon them by either party.
These two counties were disfranc hiseS
and Democratic charges repeating, in tin
idation and fraud in half dozen coun
ties totally disregarded. And so the Re
Ipublicans carried South Carolina.