The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1877-07-19
TIE GENESIS OF THE RETURNING BOARD.

Y
bag government could not possibly
last. From the first it had no real
support. The native people and the
honest immigrants, who went there
for the purpose Of legitimate business,
held it in adherence, and the nes
groes were not long in finding out
that it was sham and a snare. As
early as 1870, and before that, the
handwriting was seen on the wall,
which announced that large and de-
cisive majority of all the votes, black
and white, had determined to break
mp this den of thieves. They must.
therefore, prepare for flight or pun-
ishment, unless they could contrive
a way of defeating the popular will
whenever and however it should be
expressed. Then the returning board
was invented.
This was a machine entirely new,
with powers never before given to
any tribunal in any State. It's OBJ.
ject was not to return, but to sup
press the votes of the qualified elec,
tors, or to change them to suit the
occasion. BY the terms of the law it
can exclude, suppress, annihilate all
the votes of a parish for violence, in-
timidation or fraud, which it finds to
have been committed and adjudges
to have materially. influenced the
result of the polls. This is judicial
authority 30 broad that no court
would consent to exercise it-infict-
ing the fearful penalty of disfran-
chisement upon thousands at once,
without hearing and without legal
evidence, not for any ofense of their
own, but for the supposed sin of 9th.
ers over whom they confessedly have
no control. Of course it is in direct
conflict with tho State constitution,
which declares that all judicial pow
er shall be vested in certain ordain ed
and established courts, and forbids
it to be used oven by them except
upon trial before jury, and convic-
ton on the testimony of credible
witnesses confronted by the accused
and cross~examined by cousol. 1t is
besides, a most insolent affront to the
fundamental principles of all elective
government, for it makes the poll of
the people a more mockery, which
decides that nothing except what the
returning board 10 pleased to approve
and elects nobody whom the returns
ing board does not graciously favor.
Its power to veto a popular vote ex~
tends to all elections, for evary class
Of officers, judicial Legislative, minis
terial executive, including electors of
President and Vice President.
HOW IT DID ITS WORK.
The board consisted of five persons
They were originally appointed by a
carpet-bag Senate, without end OF
their tenure and with power to fill
vacancies, which made them a close
corporation and gave them perpetual
succession. To put on some show Of
fairness, the law required that all
parties should be represented. This
was at first thought to be met by tho
appointment of one Democrat, but
when q deed of more than common
baseness was to be done, the Demo-
crat was got rid of, and the other four,
desiring to work in secret, refused to
fill bis place.
APPLIED TO TIE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
The election came off on the prop
er day, supervised and controlled at
every polling place by officers of the
carpet-bag interest. According to
their own counts the result was a
majority of 1860 for TIE Tilden cleo
tors. 1t h.. never yet been denied
that this majority was made up of
ballots cast by citizons legally qualiS
fed. The vote was regularly taken
and nronerlv counted. and q trua res