The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-02-19
HOW A STATE WAS COUNTED
THE TRUTH ABOUT TIE SOUTH GIRO
LIMA ELECTION FRAUDS.
Rn.coiities Unearthcd by MFR. snyier's COM
mittee-Thc Heni Majority for Tiiden s3i
The Real situation Carefully Explained.

WASHINGTON, Gcb. lb.-RcnrcSentatiNc
Saycr Of Ohio Chairman Of the South Caro-
lima Investigating Committee. will make his
report tomorrow. 1t says many mistakes and
inaccuracies were found In tho different re-
turns and some OF them were signed by ono
and somo by two managers but II all the re-
turns affected by such irregularities were re-
| jcctcd. II would not change the result The ro-
| suit. by asccrtaining the votes east at all the
precincts and correcting the mistakes made by
| the managers in the returns. shows that Bowen
received tho smallest vote on tho Republican
| electoral ticket, namely, 92.0o3 votes over Nc
Gowan. who received the largest vote on the
| Democratic ticket, 81 .2G2 votes. majority Of
s3l votes. The law Of South Carolina. which
passed in 1875. divided the different counties
| into precincts. and provided that all elections
should be held at the voting precincts so cstab-
lishcd. II established in the county Of Abbe-
| vile scventccn voting precincts. naming the
| Abbeville Court House and fifteen other places;
| thus. although IL was enacted that there should
be seventeen voting precincts. tho names
OF sixteen only were given. The same mistake
was made in the several statutes in some other
counties.
In several other counties provision was made
| for from two TO four voting places In the county
| seat, usually called the Court House" az Alb
| bcvlllc Court House" in the county OF the same
| name but IN oil these instances they wcrc care
fully specified ~ Nos /. 2. 3, and 4. Previous
| to the election. the Commissioners of Election
| for this county. having 10 manner OF power 10y
law in tho premises, in addition TO tho voting
| precinct provided in the statute ut Ahhcville
| Court House, orlcr' another precinct 10 bc es-
| tablished In the same town cGiicd No. 2. This
action was protcste'' against 10y the Democratic
m'ulucr ui ih" Board OF Cummissl lunrrs. who
also took u opinion Of couns. J. and presented
hW mo associatce setting forth such action 10
% Hlcgal and unauthorized; hut the two l,epub-
li,nn Commisri9ners persisted. and the voting
plac. WIS established 432 votes were thcrc east
tor the epaDcap gectors and 10 for ,SS Dem
Republicans. Tho committee are OF the opinion
that this voting place was illegal and unanthor-
lied arft, .nt no votes cast there should DO re-
Thc can".;,ca uvunHa' sho,, ''t an attempt was
made by the Board of state Canv.. -'rs 70 f9Int
sI,s aEcd TO rrn n%ye Sen sysa W a.
Secretary Of State and produced by him among
The genuine precinct returns, was signed 10y
only one Of the managers and another person
| never appointed nA manager and 10y R"pub-
lean super, is39r. This r,iurn sayc lhc Iepub-
| h'an ticket l3l votes and none for tho Drmo-
cratic ticket The only manager signing It
| could not be obtained as u witness. although
many efforts were mnic 10 procure his aitrni.
ancr The votn cast at Robbins In 1874 was 9G6.
and the Supervisor NJ that election certified that
THIS was the fun vote Of both parties. II the
| Robbins poll are added 10 tho vote of the
| county there will be about 500 mere votes
cast than there were voters IN the county In 1875.
| The committee are satisfied that no votes were
cast as clnimcd and that no second polling place
| was 9p"n"d. and that the whol" return WIS
| fraud gotten up 10 insure the election OF county
| and STATE candidates on the part OF tho Nepub-
Leans. The COMMITTEES say:
BEFORE South Carolina claim, through her representa-.
u.s 10 max Laws Tor NC r'ol V her sister states
e. hg.g, a, , hS1 G to IN ne election Of
sSmPy WIN m Sy,on. Of her v own conssgea to
m p9te poley w,srs ihs very css;nee OF Govern
the bslsi would rsgulry iha, any e.eu,n hsd % wu
9 egn,n,penn m a . % .s & gy y, to secure
That the recent elee eton a south Carolina was held in
was :? held That ne party IN power mish bet retain
doubt rhst great frsuds were ccmned tRcre sy res'
son@ sush rrl 70 II NJ Ne great sacsnard VI resis
uuder thc-. circumstance, It /. or the House of Rep.
~ iG G consider what ''' to be s''" to an
Tho committee adj that II troops were scntto
| South Carolina. y ihout any legal and Justla-
| awe n portion Of The voters clearly an election
| held under such circumstances should not stand
| for a moment, To uphold It would be- at wnr
| with all sense OF right. and would shock every
| fair mind. An election To b. valid must be free
STATE snpr"me court in the fatcas oorpus S and I
| quo warrnnto eases. The latter, IN favor of the
clectors. has rcccnty h'cn dismissed.
Il, Ih"rn WIS alS2 ,, pctitl2n for a mandamus NJ
| p" relation OF william Wallace; tAo SPEAKER of
| the Democratic House Of Rcprcs' natives
against tho Secretary ol State, to order ihe de-
| livery OF the returns of votes for Governor and
10y the Constitution. ho claiming to bo tho
Speaker Of the only legal House and that the
/ tiilfI mousse WIS I'm lilfkhl iHllNs WITHOUT Nu-
| thorlty ~ part Of tho General Assembly.
The Court decided that Wallace was the
| Speaker Of the only legal House. and that tho
| other body was illegal. with no authority as n
| part OF the General Assembly. in fact u-urpers.
II fore the service Of process. however, the votes
had been delivered 10 the Speaker Of the Illegal
| body claiming Ia br the House that House had
counted them, reJ"ctng the votes from two
| counties entirely On cX partc afildaNs. and de-
| clarrd Chamberlain clc. ted and such
declaration ho was inaugurated and Kept in
Office entirely 10y the authority and power Of
United States troops.
The committee think that the employment Of
soldiers Tor the purpose of sustaining "A usurp-
lng Log saturc and Executive against the Judg-
mont Of tn" highrst court Of the state one of the
graVeSt crimes which can he committed under
IA Guverumrnt like ours, and that il cannot be-
condemned IN terms sufici.ntly strong.
The comm tie" have no doubt. from the cyi-
d"n'e, that mu"h larger number 81 blacks
were Kept from voting The Democrhtic ticket 10y
The threats violence. and intimidation Of people
~ thoir own rlce than wore prevented from
voting tho Republican ticket by resort to like
mcnsures ON the part of tho whites.
The cuinmit"c feel bound a. say that tho con-
duct md bearing Of the olii 'crs and soldiers II
the Unit Il STATE, Army were both prudent and
WISE and although their presence was mnde
available tp oVcrawo tho cOlored voters and pr'-
vent them from voting agninst the republicans.
yet, ~ n general thing neither OH nor men
,ld anything 10 giNc encouragement ~ such
belief.
PISTOL FRfCTICE ~ IIfE STREET.