Wilmington daily commercial., 1876-11-13
FIRST EDITION.
The soutnern slluatlOn.

CRITICAL TIME-sTEPs TAKEN TO PROTECT
THE RETURNS THE THREE DOUBTFUL
STATES ALL REPUBLICAN,.
Special Dispatch to The N. Y. Tribune.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12.-Information Of
the most specific character from Govern
ment and State officials in South Carolina,
Florida, and Louisiana, has reached the
authorities here, to-day, which fully Justl-
fies the conclusion that each of these States
has voted for Hayes. At the same time, adj
vices have been received of formidable ef-
forts in several quarters, to prevent the re-
turns from reaching the central stations,
and in South Carolina of a movement to
take possession and prevent the count in
case the Republicans do succeed in getting
the returns all in. Several important Or
ders have been issued by the President, to-
day, all looking to the protection of ballot
boxes and those having them in charge un-
til
FULL AND FAIR COUNT
has been completed. These orders are as
explicit as it is possible to make them, to
the end that a fair count of all the votes le-
gally cast may be had without regard to
party result. Gen. Sheridan will at once
proceed to the South, and make his head
quarters at New Orleans. The information
from Florida is that enough Of the returns
are safe in the hands Of the proper count
ing officers to place the result in that State
beyond all contingencies of interference by
the Ku Klux. In South Carolina certain re-
turns which the White Liners had planned
to capture were saved by strategy, and are
now in the hands OF the Board of Canvass
ers. There is
VERY SUSPICIOUS DELAY
in some of the returns from certain OF the
more remote Republican districts. Promi-
nent Democrats in South Carolina are con-
ceding that the electoral vote is for Hayes.
| The main object of the intention to tamper
with the returns is evidently to secure the
election of Hampton. Orders given to-day
look to the safe conduct of the ballot
to places designated by law for the count,
and the securing fair and impartial can
vass OF the contents.
1t has been an anxious day in Washing
ton. The members of the Cabinet have
been in session or in individual conference
| during much of the day. They have had
dispatches from the leading civil and mill
tary officers in the three close Southern
States. The
IMPORTANT ITEM OF NEWS
is that in South Carolina counties along the
Georgia border, and in what is called the
uphill country, there have been several
desperate attempts toseize the ballot boxes
and to destroy them. With a few excep-
tions these efforts have been defeated.
Precautionary measures have been taken,
however, now, which it is thought will
efficiently guard other ballot boxes from
like danger until after the off
oial count is decided. The
counting will take place at Columbia, where
nearly all the troops left in the State have
been concentrated, and where what State
troops the Governor can command will be
put in rendezvous. Gov. Chamberlain tel
egraphed to the Department. of Justice to-
day that many of the witnesses against per.
sons. who have committed and attempted
election frauds are $
~ DANGKLiOk THtIl, IiN Es
al -xAIksn, wnere Great Inany arrests have
been made. 1t is expected that steps viii
be taken to protect these witnesses. There
is information that several ballot .boXei
have been broken up in Florida and thai
couriers have been interfered with, but il
is thought that great majority of the re-
turns are in safe hands and carefully guard
ed. There are intimations of purpose tt
use money with the canvassing boards il
the interest of the Democrats, both il
Florida and Louisiana.