The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-02-23

aaxIsr.s tgsmusittee's tsspsrs On AfFairs
IN south CareIIna.


In south CarsIina.
WAsHiNaToN,. Feb. 49, . Representa-
fiya BayIer, chairman of the House
Ho,,tb Carolina Investigating Commit.
Toe. will make his report. tomorrow.
It says many mistakes and Inaccuracies
were found In the different returnss
Home of these were signed by one, and
Hpme hy two managers, but Ii all the
returns affected by such Irregularities
were rejected, II would not change the
result. The result by aseertalning The
votes eaat at all the precincts, and cor
reoting the mistakes made by the man
asara In the returns shows that Bowen
received the smallest vote on the Re.
! publican electoral ticket, namely, eaQW
votes or ssi votes over Mcaowan, who
received the largest vote on the Demo-
cratic ticket, viz 81. 2D2 votes. The res
port cites Che election law OF South Gar
oiina. and details the mistakes made
under IL az the last election. and then
saws that ab one unauthorized preoinct
ag3 Republican votes were cast, and an
nttemi,t was made to count 1917 Repub-
liaan votes cast at Robbins precinct.
ptO more than there were voters In the
county In 1876. The committee are sat
isfied that
THE WHOLE RETURN WAS A FRAUD.
uetten up to insure the election Of the
county and State candidates on the part
pf the Republicans. The report. goes
on TO say. Before South Carolina claims
through her representatives, TO help
make laws for the people OF her sister
States. or through her electors TO par
ticipate In the election OF a President
OF Che Republic. che ought In Justice to
be held to comply with the provisions
of her own constitution TO secure just
A H. aA ~ "a t1f
election in South Carolina was held In
violation OF the mandate OF the eonsti-
tuition is clear. That Ii was 80 held that
tho party In power might better 10.
tain It's hold upon tho govern.
mpnt. the committee have no doubt
That great frauds were committed
there by reason of q refusal to, set UP
the great safeguard OF registration the
committee think II equally clear. Under
the circumstances 1t is for the House OF
Representatives to consider what effect
ID TO be given to an election 30 held.
The committee cay that Ii troops were
sent TO South Carolina without any
legal and iustifiable cause for political
purposes. and TO overcome o portion OF
the voters, clearly an election held
under such circumstances should not
stand for moment, The committee
think that
THE EMPLOYMENT or sotDIERs
for the purpose OF sustaining q usurping
legislature and executive against the
Judgment OF the highest court OF the
State ID one OF the greatest crimes that
can be committed under government
like ours, and cannot be condemned In
terms sufficiently strong. The commit
tee have no doubt upon the evidence
that much larger number OF blacks
were kept from voting the Democratic
ticket by threats. violence, and intimis
dation from people OF their own race
than were prevented from voting the
Republican ticket by resort to like
measures on tho part OF the whites.
Many cases of threats and actual vio-
lence were proven az coming from the
polored people to deter men Of their
Gratis. Women utterly refused 30 have
any intercourse with men Of their own
rnce who voted against the Republicans
The evidence not only shows that there
was no considerable intimidation or
violence either before or at the election,
but Il is In direct conflict with most OF
the testimony of the eolored people
called to testify. The committee feel
bound TO say that the conduct and bear
ing Of tho officers and soldiers OF tho
United States army were both prudent
and wise, although their presence was
made available to
ovERAwE THE ooLoRED VOTERS
and prevent them from voting against
the Republicans, yet, as q general thing,
neither officers nor men did anything to
give encouragement TO such q belief.
The present State government, like Its
predecessors, has no power TO protect
the people, and is so utterly weak that
nothing but the moral power of the
support of the general government
lains unlawful government and It will
quickly vanish like dew before the sun,
and no longer disturb the peace of an
oppressed and long-suffering people.