New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-26

| lntlmldatc0, anu DIiDeu. Nv Vh0 ""p ~
one can doubt, that they were sincere Ihey
disliked their State Government ana they
wanted change. They were not In sympathy
| with the party i'm power in the nation, ana
| they desired to elect an administration more
| to their mind. There is no question as 10
| their right to OppOo the party in power In
either case, none az to their right to under
take by all legal and peaceable methods TO
| carry out their purposes. But there is qucs-
| ton as to the reasonableness and legality OF
the means they did make use of; and another
and very serious question whether, upon the
whole. men who use such instrumentalities IN
the cause of reform may safely be trusted 10
carry out reform.
OF the efforts of these persons to restore
peace and prosperity by resorting to blood
shed. riot, and violence, we have had q sur
felt of evidence during the past three months.
The country has had ample opportunity to
digest that part of the case and to reach us
own conclusions as to the phenomenal excel
lcnces of the programme followed. later
DEVELOPMENT in the plan by which bribery
and corruption were to be put down, and pure
and honest government established, appeared
the other day in the testimony before the
Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections
of Mr. w. b. Nash of South Carolina, col
ored Republican who was chosen Preslden-
tial Elector. From this testimony it appears
that Nash was invited by Mr.. Childs, Presl-
dent of the South Carolina National Bank, to
the house Of the latter, and there, after beng
told that it was manifestly for the interest OF
good government in the State that Hampton
should be elected was offered $4,000 If he
would get votes enough to seat the Democratic
Senators from Edgefeld, Laurens, and ABB
beyille counties; also that Mr.. Chllds
offered him $4,000 cash if he would agree to
cast his electoral vote for Tilden and Hen
bricks, and $4,000 additional after no had
80 voted The witness testified further that
Childs said to him, as he was about leaving,
"Rcmember, Nash, this is graveyard talk"
of the trustworthiness of the witness Nash
and the degree of credcnce to be given his
narrative we cannot speak, but the story IS
said to have been given in straightforward,
frank manner, and crOss-examination failed to
break him down. 1t is certainly not without
plausibility and wnen it is considered that the
supporters of Hampton saw no improperly IN
rcsorting to violence and riot in the interests
of peace and good government, it is not in
credible that the same persons resOrted TO
Wholesale bribery in their zeal for the puiitica-
ton of politics.
The people of South Carolina have had, as
they deserved, the sympathy OF honest men
everywhere in the wrongs and expressions to
which they have been exposed, nOtwlthstand-
ing the fact of misgOvernmcnt was attribnta-
bic in very large degree to their own mistaken
and foolish course in refusing to accept the
situation and discharge their duties az citizens
Immediately after the war. They forfeited
this to some extent when in the late election
they turned their backs upon Gov. Chamber
lain. who had endeavored honestly to reform
abuses. and allied themselves with the corrupt
men upon whom he had made war. They
must suffer still more in the public estima-
ton with the disclosure of the methods
adopted in the late campaign So many
strange things are developed in politics that
1t is hardly possible for people to be surprised
Mt ANYTHING, but we have not yet reached
nass when the adoption of such methods as
seem to have been in vogue in South Carolina
in the interest of political publication and re-
form will not excite something more than
wonder Graveyard talk" indeed What
Mr.. Childs meant by it is not quite clear, but
one thing is certain 1t was the kind of talk
that is likely to send to the graveyard" the
sort of reform it was sought to promote.