The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-01-25
Tile Situation In Columbia.


The patient work of the Democratic
leaders has nowhere been more fruitful
than in the proceedings before Referee
Wilkes, in Columbia. Every precinct
return in the entire State has been criti-
cally examined and compared with the
statements Of the County Canvassers, the
clerical errors have been noted, and the
statement Of the entire vote put in such
shape as to enable the Supreme Court
to make an intelligent decision upon the
questions submitted TO it. These proceed
ings by mandurnlis, as to the State oiiic- rs,
began Immediately after the election, but
lay in abeyancc until the questions con-
nected with the Electoral vote and the
vote for members of the Legislature could
be settled. The prayer of the ,eniamus
was, that the Board of State Canvassers
be required to compare the returps of the
precinct managers with the staten ,nts of
the County CanvasseEs, which they had
failed 10 do. This, by order of the Court,
has been done before Referee Wilkes,
whose report will be ready shortly.
The general result of tho reference,
when the first scrutiny ended, was the
election OF the Democratic candidates for
Attorney-General and Treasurer, and the
defeat of the Democratic candidates for
Secretary of State, Adiutant- General and
Superintendent Of Education. This was
obtained by correcting an error of 1877
votes at McMillan's, in Marion, and of
223 votes Mt Graham, in Baruwell, where
these votes ior the Democratic candidate
for Attorney.General were counted for
the Democratic candidate for Comptroli-
er, and the same number of votes counted
Eps 4
been counted for Comptroller. The Rol-
Inns box is not taken into account nor
is the disputed Abbrville bux. The ex-
clusion OF this last named box, which
gave the Republicans about 400 Majority,
Is confidently expected, and will elect all
the Democratic candidates. Without
didates for Attorney General and Treas
urer were shown to be elected. A second
examination of the returns was made
which brought to ligSt the fact that there
was difference Of IT, votes between the
total vote cast for Comptroller. General.
as reported by the County Canvasser OF
Horny and tile total vote shown by the
returns of the Precinct Managers. It
WIS ascertained that these fifty votes were
accounted for by nm apparent alteration
OF the figures in the returns from Simp-
sons Creek and Dogwood Neck. Tie
Pre- :inct Managers agra sent for. and
these have made affidavit that ti,e figures
had been altered; the vote for DUN. the
Republican candidate for Comptroller.
having been changed in the Simpsons
Mill return from to 32, and Mt Dogwood
Neck from 10 to 80. The original re-
turns were ut once called for, but they
were missing; and it is a noteworthy
coincidence that these same returns were
not tn be found when the Congressional
Committee called for them. They were
lost and were found, and aro lost again.
Fortunately, their places can besupplied.
Dir. Dunn will not gain anything should
they never be recovered. THO Secretary
of State is their custodian. and If he do
not find them suspicions will fall upon
him. Meantime the change If fifty votes
gives Gen. Hagood, the Dem ,cratic can
didate for Comptroller, forty.nine maior-
ity. The fraud iii the Hurry returns was
artistic. Dunn ran, for instance, mt
Simpsons Siill, just 80 voSes behind the
other Republican candidates; and the
chsuge from 2 TO ai had q very natu.ul
appearance, as 1t put Dunn on the same
footing as mis- assnciates. Only the fact
that the apparent alterations accounted
Tor The exact difference between the Pre-.
cinet returns and the County statement
put the Democratic counsel on the trail.
Not word was said. until the evidence
was forthcoming to establish the fact that
the returns had been doctored. Then
the stunning revelation came. '
Chief Justice Moses win probably be
able TO resume his seat on the bench in
about ten days, and before the full bench
the report OF the Referee in the ananda-
n.us ease will be heerd: We have every
reason to believe, SO stFong il, tne Demo-
cratic case, that the demand fthe Court
will give the Democrats the Offices they
claim. There have been no noisy demon
atrntions. but the good work goes brayely
IN Mann 1L,,d (tar..;e.. oik I.,e4