The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-11-22
South Carolina

Meeting fthe Supreme Court and it
Order Regarding the Powers of tn
Board of Canvassers---the Count t.
Proceed for the Information Of tn
Court-- Decision Reserved oh thu
Question Of Rival Claims--Demo
Gratis and Republicans Present.
Republican Errors and Demo craft,
! Protests.
IBy Telegraph TO the IIerald.l
COLUMBIA. Nov. II, 1876.
The Board of State Canvassers me
ts..:s morning and adopted a resolution
to the effect that the Board will nov
proceed to make up the statement .
votes given ut the last general election
for electors of President and Vic
| President of the United States ant
| other officers, aud th&t during The can
vassing of the returns from the severa
counties persons from the democratic
and republican parties be invited o at
tend the same.
ACTION OF TIE SCPREME COURT.
Soon after the adoption of this reso
luton the Supreme Court met ant
counsel for the democratic candidate:
Informed the Court Of the action .
the Board. Suule consultation the
ensued, and at the suggestion or the
Chief Justice an orden was lseueu
which appears elsewhere.
A REPUBLICAN Candidates
r. Is. Elliott (%colored), republican
candidate for Attorney General ant
counsel for the Board, was asked by
the Chief Justice if he had any sug
restions TO make, He replied that 1T
had not, that the order of the Cour
was intermediate and auxiliary, ant
he would say nothing TO II.
THE MEANING OF THE ORDER.
This prderwa issued merely to ia
| cilitate the counting of the votes ant
to- save time. Meantime the question
prohibiting the Board from hearing
protests and contests is held under al
visement. The order retains the mat
ter in the court until decision is mad'
and does not indicate that the Cour
has taken upon itself the judicial func
tons of hearing and deciding protest:
and contests claimed by the Board.
ACTION OF THE BOARD OF CANVAS
sERS.
In accordance with their resolution
the Board of CanvasSers met at on
o'clock p. III. and agreed to admi
eight persons Of each of the parties Il
witness the count.
! PARTY REPRESENTATION AT TIL
COUNT.
The democrats We're principally rep
resented by counsel and two clerks
Senator Gordon was also present. Tn
Republicans were represented b..
.Justice Carter, of the District Of Go
lumbia, and q few local politicians
among them G.. G. Bowen, Sheriff o
Charleston, eX-Congressman Elliott
colored candidate for Attorney Gener
al.
WHERE THE BOARD MET,
The session was held in the othce O
the Secretary Of State, and the doors
were locked.
THE PRESS EXCLUDED.
Repeated applications by members
of the press for admittance were re:
fused. No outsiders had any idea OF
what was transporting on the other
side of two locked and bolted doors.
PROTEST BY THE HERALD CORREs'
PONDENT.
Your correspondent presented hlm'
self and demanded admission as the
representative of the Herald, and was
was also refused admittance. |
then addressed a note to one
of the counsel, who was pres
ent, asking him to present my
protest to the Board against the eXclu-
Sion of the press while so vital a mat
ter as q canvass of the vote of the
State for President was being made,
claiming the right to inspect the
methods Of the Office and to have &C.
cess to it during the transaction OF
public business. This was read 10 tue
Board, and the Secretary of State at
once perceived the error and stated
that tile press would be admitted.
THE SECRET SESSION.
This was about seven z. NJ, and the
Board had been in secret session for
several hours. What transpired dur
ing that time is known only to those
who were present. The proceedings
were, to say the least of it, very irreg-
ular.
THE METHOD OF COUNTING.
The method adopted by the Board is
to group the returns Of the respective
county boards and to verify these BY
reference to the returns made by the
precinct managers to the County
Board.
ERRORS DISCOVERED.
NIL hoc o1rnn1Sy IavlIHnp0
several irregularities, chiefly in boxes
giving republican majorities. The
County Board Of Abbeville Included
in their return the box of Ninety-SiH
precinct, which contains 400 republi-
crn votes and none democratic. The
precinct return was signed by only one
of the three managers.
A DEMOCRATIC PROTEST.
The Democrats protest against the
admission of this box, because two
managers failed to appear on the day
Of election and the polls were moi
opened at the proper time.
FAILURE TO OPEN THE POLLS.
The democrats after waiting severa,
hours, went elsewhere to vote. The
manager present opened the polls at
uOOIl, dlu too lCpuoiiSoh 'oeeo ~"
returned from this precinct. The
State Board noted the protest, but In
cluded the vote. The same discussion
was had over the returns from Barn
we'll county, WHICH gave a democratic
majority of 200.
| QUEER DoINGS ON ELECTION DAY
1t appears that on the day of cleo
ton some persons fired a shot from
distance into a house at Robins wher'
the polls were held. The manager
stampeded, taking the box with them
and all parties present went to
neighboring precinct and voted there
ANOTHER DISPUTED RETURN.
After the county board met and can
yassed the returns and Forwarded
them to the Secretary of State q sup
Elemental return vas offered, giving
republican majority of l,317 from tn
Robbins precinct. This return is ir
regular in every way and bears unmis
taxable marks of fraud. 1t did no
pass through the County Board, bu
was presented by the defeated republi
can candidate for Senator, Z. +. Les
IL. >tor;o,,rl, pnrrpnt pOIitipiAn.