New-York tribune., 1878-11-30
ELECTIONS IN THE SOUTH.
CONTINUATION OF THE WAR.

sDOndent of THE TRIBUNE, VINO Is III
South Carolina, gives BRIEF reVie"
of some of the events which have taken
nlace since the election. The Republicans
are taking their wrongs into court, but the
Democrats meet them with a counter cam
naion of arrests and violence, and threaten
TO arrest two Republicans for every Dem
Ocrat prosecuted.
ESCAPING THE RESULTS OF CRIME.
TACTICS PURSUED BY THE DEMOCRATS SINCE THEIR
FR,UDULEST ELECTIoN-WHoLESALE AfR"ei>
AND PFRJuRY-A SHAMEFUL PROSTITUTION OF
THE FORMS OF LAW.
lrPoMA STAFF CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBUNE'I
ORAxGFBrRG. s. c., Nov. 23.-Tle political ex-
citement in many of the counties of this state has
not subsided since the election. In OrangeDnre'
Williamsburg, Sumter. Darlington, and Barn"eI'.
the ID ,mocrats have reSOr,rd 10 the persecution "l
Repubcans through sO-Caled civil processes, eIther
for the purpose of intmidating the witnesses 10
their own raScatv. to retalIate for the arrests
Democrats that have been made by the United
States authorities, OF 10 force the Republic
cans TO Withdraw their complaints. Inc
mower Of the United States Government to deal
with the frauds committed at the last election Is
very limited. BailOt-6ox Stutug, false returns ana
unfar counting of votes are offences against state
laws ana not against liloSc oI NHt NHl''N '''''''
and although these frauds are notorious from one
end of the State to the other, athouEh the agents
who perpctrated them are known in almost every
county. and the evidence against them is OF inc
most conclusive character not single complaint
has vet been made in the State Courts, and doubt
if there is a Republican in South Carolina who
vould dare TO make an affidavit before a trial JUS
tice of what he knows about the frauds. He might
lust as we'll walk into the penrtentary and become
a voluntary prisoner for five years, for he would
certainly be convicted of perjury.
II is only when a United States Supervisor was
shut out of the polling place was beaten and
driven away, or when the Democrats obstruct d q
Deputy Marshal in the performance of his duty,
that the Federal Courts have the right to interfere
III cases where the election managers in their anX-
iety to make their frauds successful or to cover mp
their Tascality laid violent hands on the repTese-
tatives of the General Government, or where the
local authorities have attempted to obstruct the
processes of the United States Courts, the guilty
men have been arrested, but the hundreds of men
who invented the gigantic conspiracy to cheat the
people Of this State of their just representation in
Congress and IN the Legislature, as we'll as IN the
different counties and who carried ont the details
of the fraud cannot be reached by Federal author
ity. purpose giving in this letter a brief review
of the events that have occurred since the ectlon,
although detached reports of some OF them have
already appeared in Northern newspapers.
Here in Orangeburg the Democrats arrested a
United States Deputy Marshal on the evening of
election, because he demanded admission TO the
room where the votes were to be counted, and put
him in Jail without warrant. Section 5,522 OF the
Revised Statutes of the United States makes 1t
crime for any one, on any pretencc whatever to
deny admission to the polls to any United States
Marshal of his deputies. and tie punishment
for violating this law Is fine of not more than
S3 OOO Imprisonment not longer than two years, or
both. The Democrats violated this law in the ar
rest of Sandy Kelt because they were afraid to
have him witness their raScaty. The next day
a warrant was served upon him in jail for attempt
ing to force an entrance into the room where the
votes were being cOunted"-an act which he had
perfect right TO perform, both under State and
United States laws. On the following Monday a
United States Commissioner came to Orangeburg,
and on the ahidavits of Keitt and Smoak who
was also Deputy Marshal eighteen citizens of
this village were arrested and bound over forvolat
ing the Federal law to which l have referrcd-in
seizing Kett on election day and putting him in
iail. On the next day. as Keitt was walking on the
street three or four men who had been apprehendcd
ON his complaint attacked him and beat hun
severely with brass knuckles and cane. He at
the holster was torn from his belt by of the as
sailants before he could get the weapon out of it.
After he had been most shamefully used he was ar
rested and taken TO jail, and three other men who
attempted to assist him, and his wife, were locked
ND with him. None of the cOwardly brutes who
assaied him has been arrested 10 this day. One OF
them in explaining the cause of the attack has said
that Keitt lnsultcd them, that he swelled up big
and looked at them as he passed and that d" they
would take an insult from no Niger" They do not
allege that he said anything to them.
After living in Jail twenty-iour hours, Keitt ant
his fellow prisoners were turned loose, no charge
being made against them, and Keitt by the advice
of white friends who assured him that he would M
killed if he remained in town. hid until the mex
Saturday, when United States Marshal took HIN
to Charleston on a writ of habeas corpus. Anothe
United States Marshal named Mllair, was also ar
rested on false charge of assault and battery, com
Initted while in the performance of his duty. bu
he also has been taken ont of the hands of the STATE
authorities by the Federal Court. These Deputy
Marshals arrested in Orangeburg never undertook
to take any one into custody on election day, bu
simply demanded the right-expressly granted then
both by State and Federal laws-to be present an(
see the votes counted.
The Democrats seem finally to have got it through
their heads, about the middle of last week, tha
they we're in trouble, and that the case against
them in the United States Court was really 8
serious one and they began to take steps to extri
cate themselves. Messrs. Webster and Livingston
are the most influential Republicans in the county
and they were arrested for conspiracy to interfere
with the counting of the votes. was fortunate
enough 10 witness the examination in this case anC
have written about ii in previous letter As soor
as this prosecution begun, tn" chairman OF the
County Democratic Committee went to the counse
employed by Messrs Webster and Livingston anC
said in substance: "Now this thing has gone fa
enough let us put a stop to the whole business. i
ri I,