The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-02-19
THE SOUTH CAROLINA ELECTION.

REPORT or THE HOUSE coMMIrrrE-A MAJOR
TIT ON THE FACE OF THE RETURNS FOR
HAYEs-THE INTIMIDATION pRAcTIsED IN
THE sTATE-EFFEcT OF THE PRESENCE OF
rRooPs-TnE GuDERNAronIAL QUESTION.
WASHINGTON, Feb. is, 1877.
Representative sayler, of Ohio. Chairman OF the
South Carolina Investigating Committee, will make his
report tomorrow 1t says many mistakes and inaccu
found in the different returns aud of
them were signed by one aud some by two gers;
but II all the returns affected by such irregularities
were rejected IL would not change the result
rnE ELxcroRAL VOTE
The result by ascertainng the votes cast at all the
precincts, and correcting the mistakes made by tho
managers In the returns shows that Bowen received
the smallest vote the republican electoral ticket,
namely, o., COS votes McGowan who received the
largest the democratic ticket, Oh, 262 votes,
majority OF S3l votes.
IRREGULARITIES
Tho law OF South Carolina which WIS passed In 1875,
divided the different counties into precincts and pro-
vidcd that all elections should be held at the voting
precincts established 1t established IN the county
OF AbbcviIlo seventeen voting precincts, naming the
Abbevilo Court House and hitecn other Places thus.
although II was enacted that there should be seventeen
voting precincts, tho names Of sixteen only
givon. The same mistake made in tho several
statutes In some other counties
In several other counties provision made for
from two four voting places in the county scat,
usually cacd tho "Court House, as "Abbevile Court
House, In the county of tho same name; but In all
these instances they carefully specified Nos J.
2, and4 Previous TO the election tho Commissioners OF
Election for this county having Of powor by
law tho premises addition 10 tho voting precinct
provided IN the statute at Abbevillo, Court House.
ordered other precinct 10 BIO IN the same
low lledN a tAn WI ind n0n ct
by tho democratic member Of the Board Of Commits
sioners who also took the opinion OF counsel and pre-
sented 1t TO his associates setting forth such
be illegal and unauthorized; but the two republican
Commissioners persisted and the voting place
can electors, and ten for tho democratic electors
giving majority Of Az to tho republicans.
The committee are OF the opinion that the voting
place was illegal ana unauthorized, and that votes
cast there should be received or counted.
RvIDExcHs OF FRAUD.
Tho committee show that einpt was made by
the Board OF State Canvasscrs to count the vote al
legged to have been given at Robbins precinct The
return which was sent TO the Secretary OF State and
produced by him among the genuine precinct returns
was signed by only OF tho managers and another
person never appointed as manager and by republi-
can supervisor This return gave the republican
ticket l,3l7 votes and none Tor the democratic
ticket The only manager signing 1t could
not DO obtained q witness, although many efforts
were made to procure his attendance. Tho vote cast
at Robbins in 1874 was 1906 and the supervisor at
election certified that this tho full vote Of both
parties. II the 1917 votes claimed TO have been
at the Robbins poll are added to tho vote OF the
there voters the county In 1878 The commit
tee satisfied that votes claimed and
that second polling place was ever opened and that
tho whole return was fraud gotten up to insure the
election Of county and State candidates on tho part Of
the republicans
REGISTRATION.
The committee say before South Carolina Claims
through her representatives. to help make laws for tho
people Of hor sister States through her electors
participate in the election Of President OF the Re-
public, shc ought In justice to be held to comply with
the provisions OF her own constitution 10 secure a
a
public policy where tho very. existence Of
. government liso ours must depend on pre-
quire that any election held in wful violation
OF constitutional provision made only to secure
honest voting, should be treated as VOID and Of
effect That the recent election South Carolina
held in violation OF the constitution clears that It
tain It's hold on the govern the committee have
doubt. That great frauds committed there
by reason OF such reiuss to set up the great safeguard
OF registration the committee think II equally clear.
Under these circumstances 1t Is for the House of
Representatives to consider what effect to be gwen
to election so held
TIE PRESENCE OF TROOPS.
The committee say that II troops were sent TO South
Carolina, without any legal JustHablc cause, for
political purposes, aud to ovorawe u portion of the
voters clearly election held under such circum-
stances shouid not stand for u moment To uphold il
would DO at war with all OF right aud would
shock every fair mind. An election to be valid
be free.
THE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
The committee review tho proceedings Of the State
Supreme Court the habeas corpus and quo warrauto
against tho republican electors has recently been dis
missed. There also petition for a mandatnus at
the relation OF William Wallace, tho Speaker OF the
democratic House of Represcn tatvcs against tho Sec
rotary Of State. to order the delivery OF tho OF
votes for Governor aAd Lieutenant Governor to him,
provided for by the tuition, no claiming to DO
tho Speaker OF the only legal House, and that
the other House was an illegal body, without
authority as "A part OF tho General Assembly. The
Court decided that Wallace was tho Speaker Of the
only legal House, and that the other body Illegal
with no authority as part OF tho General Assembly,
in ncl urpe RNf thO orv nj has
ever the votes had been delivered to tho Speaker of
the illegal body claiming to be the House, that House
ties entirely pdre aidavits aud declared Cham.
beran elected, and such declaration he naugu.
rated and kept in Office entirely by the authority and
power OF United States troops
Tho committee think that tho employment OF
soldiers Tor the purpose Of sustaining usurpng Legs
ature and Executive against the judgment the yh
est court OF tho State OF the crimes hch
can DC committed under a government ike ours and
that IT cannot DO condemned In terms sufficiently
strong
INTIMIDATION
The committee have no doubt. from tho evidence.
that much larger number OF blacks were kept from
voting the democratic ticket by the threats,
violence and intimidation of people of their
the republican ticket by resort to like
measures on tho part of the whites Many of
from colorcd people IT, deter men OF their own race
from voting with the democrats. Women utterly re-
fused TO have any intercourse with men Of their own
race who voted against the republicans One instance
proven OF the actual dcsertion OF a wife, her
children because hcr husband campaign speeches
for the democrats. The coored people c'st larger
vote than ever before Tor the republicans and larger
proportion OF the voters actually voted than
in any other State Tho increase Of votes
was no more where tho democrats controlled
than those places where the republicans
largely the majority Both parties cast votes
in every voting place, and there no precinct
where there were not some colorcd republican votes
The evidence only shows that there was no con-
siderable intimidation or Violence either before
the election, but II IS In direct conflict with most OF
the testimony OF the coored people who called 10
testify as to tho same places.
the committee feel bound to say that the conduct
and bearing OF the officers and soldiers OF the United
States army prudent and wise and although their
presence made available 10 ovcrawe the colored
voters and prevent them from voting against the re-
pubcans yet as general thing neither officers nor
did anything 70 give encouragement TO such be-
lief
The present State government like It's predecessors
has ia he L.. ...ia.Ir