The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-06
THE EDGEFIELD VOTERS.
ELECTION Day SCENES DEsCRIBBD
ny A bORTHBRE MAN
One Leader that the Republicans Missed
BunniDs Away with tho County Money


during the whole OF election dav, and was an
eyewitness OF almost every event Of i'm portanco
that happened. Many accounts have been pcb.
lisbed OF the days proceedings at that pl oe,
and In some instances II appears the writer's
must have neither understood nor desired to
understand the purpose Of some OF tho things
they tell about. 1t seems to me that this is no
time for venting feelings OF sectional hatred or
party fanaticism. When crisis Is at hand. there
Is need that the truth he found out by careful
comparison Of all the evidence, and that n cool
and deliberate judgment should mako 1t a guide
for just decision.
Although the county Of Edgeneld was carried
by 31OO for the Democrats. the Canvassing
Board threw out the vote from the count alto
getber The Supreme Court has since given ror-
tincates OF election to the ID mocra,s The
finally accepted result may not only Affect the
Legislature but tho Governorship of tho State,
and even Its electoral vote. without some
familiarity with the past political condition OF
the county even an unbiased eve witness
could have written 10 satisfactory report OF the
election and election scenes, and any account
to be ineligible must be prefloed with some
notice OF the manner In which previous cleo
tions have been conducted. Tue principal
leader among the Republicans has been Nc
Dewitt the County Treasurer, a sharp, sh'ewd
politician with an elastic conscience. lie man
aged hts agents adioitlv, contrived to keep the
negroes well organized and disciplined, and was
really the only man among the Republican poll
iclans capable OF executing a well organized
movement
Itnncdilteiy after the war few white people
voted at all, because Of the humillatin Of voting
with their late slaves. and 80 close upon their
ueicat IN the war. lime, poverty, aud bad gov
ernment nave made them q lite forget these
Things; so that, under the influence " Hanp-
tons leadership, very full white voe was con-
ndently expected at this election. This one
thing favorable for the Democrats. McDevitt,
the heputlican leader. ran away some weeks be-
fore the election and took all the county money.
lie was caught in the west, and during the cleo
ton was IN Jail In Columbia, or was just out on
bonds, and mad no opportunity to 0rRauize his
followers. 1hs0so WIS favorable FOR the Dem
ocrdts. he negroes n, m the country mud been
urged by the white people to stop supp ring
the rascaiv crowd al the village. and n they
would vote the Republican ticket, TO insist upon
wing some OF their own men made candi-
oates. The country delegates went to the coun-
" nominating convention determined to do
this. ana were so Obstinately persistent that he
convention was keUt IN session hree dsrs, and
was only ended then by the appearance of some
OF Chamberiain's agents, VINO had u motion car
Rod 20 have the nominations left to the STATE
Committee. This committee put the same old
names on the ticket, causing much oisarection
among the com ~ negroes, many Of the most
intelligent OF whom resolved TO vote the Demo-
cratic ticket; another point for the Democr IL.
Now. Is To the manner Of previous elections,
The election laws neither reuutte regis r ton
nor require u man 10 vote In his own tnwnship'
IL has been McDevitts plan to have Two boxes
~ the viil1ge one In the court room, the othir
IN hotel very near by, and 10 have large num-
bers OF croes from the country meet at the
court bousc al a. ~. On election day, 50 that
when tho box was opened AZ 1t could 10 sur
rounded 10y negr les SO closely y ckcd that no
Democrat could reach 1t to vote except unorr
such disagreoablo circumstances tuat few would
undertake !. thus II had always been that the
Demo cilts had ony been BILE to vote IN the
latter part Of the forenoon, and many VINO G iIne
10 NOie IN the AFTERNOON anu could not Reach the
polls would return home without voting al all
rms crowd was no. composed o. negroes com
iEg and going, but Of men VINO we're ordered to
stay all the forenoon, sven though they mad
voted McDevitt Dodsted IN iiil that Ia lis crowd
no hal voted squads of negroes OF twenty 1--WE or
thirty, nrst at one box and then at tue other
Ia the afternoon the country negroes would
leave hbd 90 70 the box nearest their home aud
vote alain. Now, wit the advantages already
IN favor Of the Democrats, IL on.y renamed to
Insist upon watching these two b xts To pre-
vent TINS repentinH anu he sure the Democrats
SHOULD not be Ooliged ~ leave because OF not
beiLg able y re ECU tue polls. With TINS end la
view the Democratic Z UNITY Committee re.
ouesieu each club To send nf cen OF It's menu
beers To the Court House ~ vote. and keen some
way open 10 the boxes by which democrats
c .uli rcacn them and, also, keep Gloss watcn
ana prevent repeating.
10 he sure OF being In time three delegations
went hondy afternoon, well knowing that "
the negroes got possession II tile boxes they
could not be r, ached without some disturb
ahce. when they began To arrive In town Mon
day afternoon the obIe u their coming soon
became known To the keDubliutn leaders. ana.
To get the negroes IN the Court House MS. they
devised mat negro show should 20 held. the
design beng 70 have the negroes go ana stay alt
rlsnt. Inc Democrats resolved to attend TIA
snow, aud, ~heu TINS found out, the idea " -
gwen M. Hut, nevertheless, the Democrats con
sdeIcu u wise 10 reuhn In the Court II luse all
uignt ana thus be sure OF beiuq at ths box
wien II " ~ opened. a string nd brought
To tcEuiIe The tine, ana there was some ucius
as inc LlSht paSsud. Among all this heteruge
neous crowd, however, not "a single one was 10
ne seen even 50 much rs partially InfoxlcAteI
- they we're u. 10 O'clock. anu al in Inc |
morning when We returned tue same crowd MAS
"a lhit
on the benches, .dy r4In WAS f..liue ana |
the night WAS pitcni DARK. About u'cl,,rk |
tow %, and very soon u larE. number { mo mo |
lho ann Isnt That Parsed through the win1oMs |
room hdeu tbeS went away TO Toe NdiiOus plizzas |
IN iront II ihe stores 10 DC ont OF tie RAIN.
SIX q CLOCK h4d almost arrived. wnen suddenly |
lh- news Was spr' ad lh,t tue Republic las had |
locidod 10 change tne loo lion uf one o. the |
boxes IRON IL usual pace to VI -cedOnia-l
negro schoO! mouse u ruiy Within the Itui.s Of
lno INLAND That ilacu As Already III pOsses-
SION ~ Il iatEe crowd Of negroes. A de, utltioh
81 DemOcirt, Resolved To follow close upon tue
managers, ana be with them wherever ths box
was located. Ihe Kepublc. n leaders were now
exceedingly uuuuycd because tine Denunrrafs
We're watclins eacn COX. 10. they knew toe elec-
lun was lost II some Irick o., IN their favor
,pLll NOT De Gone. disturbance WIS now the
pest lhbg Tor them, ana the negrOes were utgsI
" CROWD tho DoiuocfaLs awai from tue box
! be negroes all h.d clubs, ana many II Tue
)ouocratS were mounted. The -roes we're
N much larger numbers. ana IN the outskirts Of
Tue crowd the CRY began To be called out to |
iItF1 t's many ul tlcul having ntei ale
ptieSo ma TINS box was theirs. and tn 4 thew |
were only crpwdlng = get rIghtful exclusive
poaaeaaiOn OF II. lhe Democrats reused t0unoNe !
ma some tAcln hrnl began. lhe Young IL II
De- N going un quleiN until v o'ciirk, the Votori
,eihg hhout nali ana mali, negro ana Whlte. liut
iuN the notion WAS spread that TIE Mhi.r ma |
No rght u he tIeTe, aud the Cruwuiug ana
iui,t hecalne greater, and tao exrl,emont IN
'fehsed uhtil sone forward negroes began to
l'A1 tue hor,es OF the noun ed Democrats with
helf tluh-. lhoie Vas much exc tenIent, and
many "a Millt man was struCk WiIudCluD, Iurn
nstois were ufaNn, but no shots were Tired.
hlttd states utilcer " in squad oi four fuen,
men came ont OF the schpul mouse. ana Iuatr
Way through tue crowd. when the opening as
hdue, the negroes Thought II Wa- g. giVe them
exclusive llnssession Of the box, and 81 rteu for
ara SO conn entity that they we're Oeat with
u" SOlulel7 guns, ana those littlu hack uau To
30 lhlptu on lhe head VITA the bayOnets ia order
@ Keep them back. quiet having heen restored
no Young went GA 90 usual, rXcept that he oihcpr
e'lRnaied WIN ms SWORD eizht or ten groes
% 70 IN and vote at time. Bee use they mad
'ten told the box was theirs. and the whites nAd
10 rght 10 vote there, they still con. Inued TO
'eheVe II, and 50 large was tho crowd, IN 4
tnnahlY two hundred had not voted whsn tina
'ull- were closed.
During the whole Of the DAY the company of
hittd states soldiers had teen stationed ON
he summit OF the slope ON which the school.
louse stood. When the voting was nearly over
ne Democrats, VINO had watched tho box mi !
lay, formed IN Inc Oh HORSEBACK, and started |.
"a ghilop toward the company. When the OH
ef win the guard al the door saw the mOye-
nent, lie exhibited IA little anxiety ; but sud-
snl' tno horsemon stopped Ia front OF tho sol