Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-03-11


to render ii extremely doubtful If the orders
of any judicial officer could overrule the Of
fetal acts of South Cardinals returning
board. Its members, the attorney general,
comptroller general, State treasurer, secre-
tary Of state, and adjutant and Inspector
general, claimed for themselves the right to
60 behind the returns and to throw out from
the count whatever votes, the illegality of
which was shown by what they considered
adequate testimony.
Of course it can readily be seen what a
terrible machine this might be made in the
hands of INSCRIPTIONS partisatis against the
rights of those who we're politically opposed
to them, and often and over had the Demo-
Gratis of South Carolina cause to denounce
the villainy which had framed, and the parti-
san tools who carried out the infamous pro-,
visions of such law. In many cases where
Democratic members of the General Assem-
bly, had been elected from counties having
CLEARLY defined and ascertained white major
ity, aild were entitled to their seats ON g1rtnaa
.fuc!e ,1stidenee, it HAPPENED that tbs board
OF State canvassers deliberately set aside the
results of their elections and seated the Rad
ical claimants without the least show of legal
right or equitable justice.
So grown into and recognized as an unde-
Waiting custom had such action become, that
the Democrats of the State became utterly
disheartened and discouraged, and very often
they failed even to go to the expense of en-
1aging cotinsel to contest for the seats to which
They hid been legally and, fairly elected;
They supposed that it would be utterly use
less to appeal to the courts for protection, as
all the supreme and circuit judges were deep
ly dyed in radicalism, and on occasions had
proved themselves utterly unable to admin
lister justice when it sustained the rights and
liberties of Democrats in the State.
But, in the last State campaign, it was
hoped by, the Democrats that an opportune
iioiineiit had arrived to mike desperate
effort to retrieve the fortunes of their party,
and in the last resort to have recourse to the
highest judicial tribunal. in the State. It
was thought that the Republican ardor of
two of the supreme court justices in the in
terest Of Chamberlain as the gubernatOrial
candidate had been considerably abated by
Tbs then feGent course of events. My faith
er, chief justice Moses; had become Violent
ly embittered against Chamberlain, oil ac-
count Of the latter's action in the matter of
my election to the bench, and at public
'nSetiitg in Sumter; the place of his resi-
dence, short time before the election, the
chief justice had openly announced his in
tention of supporting Hampton as the candi-
date of his choice. In this he was followed
by many other Republicans, and the division
in their ranks, which thus became apparent,
strengthened the hopes and redoubled the
energy of the Democratic element.
With this encouragement TO- tbs Demo-
Gratis, and doubt and uncertainty among the
Republicans, the campaign neared its end;
and finally closed;
Under the law In South Carolina the votes
for Presidential electors are forwarded by
lhe county canvassers, immediately after
they have counted them, to the Secretary of
State, in whose office they are to be kept,
under his own official responsibility, until
the day arrives for the board of State can
vassers to open and determine and aseer-
tain' the votes. Then lie turns them over
to the board, and there his supervision over
them as secretary of state ceases. During
The time they remain in his custody the low
eontsmpiates their being kept safe from tho
approach, touch, or inspection of any one,
and although at the close of the last cam
paign in the state the utmost public excite
ment prevailed with regard to the safe keep
ing of the votes, no attempt was made to-
ward violence or invasion of the law. True,
the chairman Of the Democratic party made
published proposition to the secretary OF
slate, Henry E. Hayne, eOlofed man, to
allow guard of an equal number from each
political party to remain around or in the
room in the capitol in which the returns
were kept until they were turned over to the
. board of state but their proposal was polite
ly but firmly refused, the secretary claiming
that he was fully equal to the responsibility
of the occasion, and would preserve the in
volatility of the ballot boxes in his keeping.
Under the law, the State canvassing board
wis required to meet in the secretary of
htats's uf1lcs within ten days after each
State OF county election, and then and there
to proceed to open the boxes and determine
the result of the election. On the occasion
of which speak, these ten days expired on
Tuesday, and it was on the Sunday pre-
ceding this Tuesday that the work OF alter
ing the returns was effected. On that day
according to the preferred but rejected tes
timen5 before the investigating committee
by John B. Dennis, and by others who agree
with him in their narration of the facts
there assembled in the secretary of States
Office, with doors barred against all othe
corners, the following members of the boart
of State canvassers: F. T.. Cardoza, Stat,
treasurer; Henry E. Hayne, secretary o
State; William Stone, attorney general Qay
partner of D. L. Corbin); and Thomas G
Dunn, comptroller general.
This last-named man was the head an
front of the whole Infamous business, an
according to the testimony of Dennis an
others, who know whereof they speak, he ha
planned and proposed the nefarious trans
action in which they had assembled there
engage. They had with them as co-abore1
and counsellors in their work Judge CARTE
of Washington, D. c., who had been maxim
himself very active in consultations with til
board, and whom it was said had bee
specially sent from Washington to see ths
the State was counted for Hayes. Jude
Settle of North Carolina, was also presen
lending his valuable aid, and was accompan
ed by one Judge Dewey, from one of II
western States, who, up to that time. was 81
tirely unknown in South Carolina.
1t must be borne in mind that previous
that time, and Immediately after the close
the campaign, it was generally supposed til
the State had gone for Hampton, and pro
ably for Tilden, and it was as generally su
posed that the board of State canvasse
would reverse, or attempt to reverse the
cision of the people by throwing out, und
the charge of their being illegal, suffice
Democratic votes to alter the result. But
was not thought possible that resort won
be had to the most glaring and villaino
fraud. BE-
In order to prevent the returning boa
from going behind the returns, and alteri
and changing the same-their power to
which under the law the Democrats stead
denied the latter had applied to the supre,