The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-12-14

VI Ocohce, s!fot IN cnder MS arm one.
other member followed him and .yorE;
humble servant fr,luwed ncxE, aGd as'
this time additional members Scarbg up,f
| the door keepers were OverpoHered, the
doors were opened and the entire
body entered. Having been among the
first to enter bad good opportunity to
observe the effect Of our coup Tetdt upon
the Radicals thus assembled. Notwith-
standing the seriousness ofthe matter, |
could not help but take good hearty
laugh. Blank CONSERVATION was depict
ed OH every face, and if there had been
om outlet honestly believe every soul Of
them would have decamped never to re-
turn again. AS soon as we entered the
Hall. Gen. Wallace took the chair, Clerk
Sloan his seat and the members all
crowded the stand
The Speaker called the House TO order,
and WAS abont TO proceed To business,
when f. w. II. Mackey came up to tho
Speakers desk, and asked Gen. Wallace
to vacate. which he promptly declined
doing. Then Mackcy ordered his Ser
geant-at-Arms to remove Wallace, and
although lie was backed up by I,reastplate
Hubbard, United States Marshal. and
half dozen such hc did not dare attempt
it, for by that time good number Of
Democrats had formed around the
Speakers chair, and they would have
gotten into business on tue spot, SO
Mackcy contested himself with standing
by, and ordered his Clerk to call the roll
during which time the Wallace House
proceeded with the business of the House
Then a Rad. would get up and address
Mackey as "Mr. Speaker" and proceed
to speak. A Democrat would address
Wallace in the same way, and go to
speaking. The consequence WIS the
most Internal hullubalou Imaginable,
and the noise Of the Tower Of Babel
would have sunk into harmonious ca
dcnce in comparison with it. This thing
had to have an end, however, and to-
wards nine o'clock the situation remained
the same, but comparative quiet pre-
vailed. Simpson, of Anderson, got the
floor and urged n compromise, and to
carry it out, moved committee Of three
from each ride Of the House be appointed
for conference. The motion was carried,
and Speaker Wallace appointed three
Democrats and three RAIDS. The latter
refused TO scr2e, and although every hon.
orab!e effort WAS made to effect an ad-
justment by the Democrats, still the
Rads. refused, Mackey having told them
that the Democrats would be elected in
very short time. The question then
came up, what should be done? If the
Democrats went out of the 'oor they
would not be allowed to return, ut least
those from Edgefield and Laurens Coun-
tics, rs the Rump House had charge of
the door, and were backed up by the
United States troops They found them
selves in the condition Of the hunter
"who had the bear by the tail,' he could
not let go, for it vas only "a good holt
while we'll held" SO they determined to
hold on.
This thing went on until twelve o'clock,
sometimes Democrat explaining our
position. and urging all honest men who
cared copper for the State or for law
and Justice, to come over and join our
side. Then Radical who would nly
the party lash, and urge and ilnplbre
them "to stand TO the party" Zeal and
prejudice finally tagged out, and the
members of both Houses quietly laid
down fer snooze, some on each side
staying up as sentinels.
AT day-break ali was bustis and excite
ment, md rumors of every conceivable
nature were afoat-that a Constabulary
force had been formed to force us out of
the hall that large numbers of U. S.
Marshals had been appointed for that
duty; that the troops were ali ready to
come up to force us out, &c, &c. These
rumors, as unpleasant as they were, had
but little effect on the Democratic MEM
bers, for they had captured the State
House with certain purpose in view,
and were going to hold it until that end
was attained. Their position, however,
to be appreciated must be undcrtood.
The troops held possession of the lower
part and entrance to the State House..
and prccluded all Of our friends from en-
tering, but allowing as many negroes and
Radicals rs desired to come in. The
Sergeants-at-Arms Of the Mackey House
had control of the door, and we could
not assume control except by violence,
which was the last thing we would have
resorted to, rs it would have given the
Radicals the very opportunity they had
sought SO ard for, to put the State under
military Vie, with Chamberlain as cs.asi
dictator. ~ frequently we found our
selves with Int thirty or forty mer, on
our side, and from one to two hundred
on the other. Speaking went on until
breakfast and then snmesof our men
went to get theirs, and others had it
brought to them, and there they sat in
| tho Hall of the House of Representatives,
making it dining room, though they
were the representatives of the people of
South Carolina, excluded from their
Hall by Fe,:e-al bayorats, had they gone
to breakfast. 4tmalt