New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-29


Probably the real history or the months OF
November and December, 1876, will never be
fully known; perhaps 1t is as we'll that 1t
never should be. Surely there have been few pc
RODS in the Nations life when the character OF
our people was subjected to more terrible
strain-few periods concerning which such
disheartening revelations have been made
The declaration of treason in 1861 carried with
it a greater shock than the discovery in 1877
that an attempt had actually been made, by
the consent and with the approval OF leaders
in one of the great parties, to purchase"
member of an electoral college; but it may be
seriously questioned whether the poison Of this
yickedness will not lurk in American blood
long after the passions of the civil war have
been cooled forever. 1t was the first dis
closure of the sort that had ever been made
affecting Presidential candidate, and it must
have unsettled faith in character, and led
many who look upon the candidate of their
party as removed from the disgusting vices
of petty politicians, to think that, after all
honesty in politics was impossible.
We present to-day, however, new phase
in the history of this dark. era. In Oregon
the Democracy thought it wise to buy; III
South Carolina they found it cheapest to bully.
In the one State they sought the one thing
needful to the possession of the National
Government-an electoral vote; in South
Carolina, they cared nothing for the Presi-
deney, nothing for Tilden, nothing for the
general welfare of their party. They were
determined on the capture of their State
Government, and they were ready to shoot
and kill to effect 1t. If they had cared any
thing for the Presidency, they would have
been Just as ready to shoot and kill
to get that one electoral vote. The series
of dispatches which we print on another page
show that, under secret orders, the South
Carolina rifle clubs poured into Columbia at
the critical time, armed to the teeth, and
ready for war, if war were necessary. Their
sudden appearance there attracted the atten-
ton of the whole country at the time, but the
country did not know then, as it may know
now, how desperate these men were and
what plots were flying along the wires. This
is the first signal to the rifle clubs {:
{" Fun expected at the Fair this week.
"Let best boys come, but not too
"many, unless well heeled." Next day a
palmer and sharper order is sent out, and the
best boys" came. to the Number of several
thousand, and all "well heeled." Several
urgent kilograms for men are careful to say
that they must come ostensibly to visit
estate Fair" and one adds, I" If rifles can be
concealed, bring them" Another, with a
CHASTITY SORT of humOr, calls for best
"men and tOOl-cbest for Fair" Queer
tools y that chest contained They meant
business, these rural visitors to 1.-THE
Fair" who wore blankets and knapsacks.
There are telegraphic orders here for pistols
as well as for rifles, and the one motto of the
lawless gathering was stated in one of these
dispatches Hampton sure Inauguration to-
"morrow, or SkimiShilg." Happily, the "skir-
finishing did not come, but these cutthroats
were ready to make it bloody work.
While the rihe-clubs were pouring into Col
umbia, there was higgling by wire between
New York and Oregon over the price Of an
electoral vote. The coincidence Is instructive.
While alleging that their opponents were steal
ing States that had voted for Tilden, there
was scarcely disputed point at which the
Democracy were not striving, by some foul
means, TO gain an advantage. In Oregon,
it was bribery in SOuth Carolina, terrorism /;
IN Florida, attempts at both The teegraphIc
history we print to-day only serves to make
more ludicrous the position of the party which
cries Fraud" after having attempted every
kind.