Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-11-21
A South Carolina Democrat Tells
How the Election was Carried.

The New York Tribune is publishing letters
from one of its most reliable correspondents, now
in South Carolina, from one of which we copy the
following:
Mr.. Brady, of the Kingstree Star newspaper. is
young man about town, intimate with the man
ayers Of the election, and fair specimen of the
young men Of the place. The Star has been one
of the bitterest sheets in the State. Mr.. Brady is
from the up country. lie has been 10 Williams
burg County only about year. and is young
man of small mental calibre, and could not posi-
bly, have influence IN any respectable Northern
community. | found in the Star for this week
many paragraphs which illustrate the character of
Southern country journalism. In describing the
rejocings of the Kingstree democracy over their
victory, lasweek, it said among other things, that
the crowd visited the house OF Mr.. IL. H. Mon.
SOD, a colored man, chairman, belive, of the Re-
publican County Committee, and invited him TO
come out and be killed with his party, an inv its
tion which. the editor says he did not accept The
same journal also gives lively description of the
| overturning election day Of the United States
Supervisor Of Elections by the white democrats.
the throwing of the box on which he stood into
the street, and the pushing of himself down the
Court House steps. The article represents this to
have been done by voter in whose way he stood.
The true version Of this performance, which is to
be jndcially investigated, shall give in another
letter before leave Kingstree.
l was fortunate enough to form Mr.. Brady's &C.
quaintance last evening as we sat together before
the fire in the common room Of the tavern. Of
course, we talked very little about politics, but
discussed the crops, the prices of lands, the
healthfulness of localities in this and
adjoining counties, and other subjects
that man looking for place to settle in the
South for himself or friends would be interested
in. Some inquiry about the taxes led to others
about the political future of the State, and asked
If there was not danger that the "Radicsls would
again get possession of South Carolina, and make
its government as extravagant and corrupt as it
was under Governors Scott and Moses, remark ing
at the same time, that the bare possibility of such
a thing frightened the people away from the
State.
He replied that Radical success in the future
was impossble that the democrats had carried
the State this time and would always do SO here
after. "Why in this county" said he, ''that has
never gone democratic since reconstraction, we
beat them by 600 majority"
How did you do that" asked.
"Well, some Of the niggers voted the democrat
&c ticket" was the reply.
"But the black population outnumbers the white,
does it notf'
"Oh yes, two to one"
was there much excitement during the cam
psgn'"
mo, it was very quiet There was no trouble
except here and in Sumpter. You ought to have
been 10 this State in 1876 to have seen lively
election"
"what was the trouble here during the last
campaign"
"Oh, not much; we gave Swails ten days to
leave aud he left. Everything was quiet after
that"
"Who is Swails p
"He is a niger mthe Nortb-from Pennsyl-
vania, l reckon. He has been State Senator from
this county"
"What had Swails been dongl"
"Playing the devil with the niggers making
incendiary speeches"
"Was be man of influence among them 7"
Eyes, he could do anything he pleased with
them.
"what effect did bis going away have on the
negroes ?"
at broke them up-they had no leader any
more"
"W he come back"
81 reckon he'll come back to settle up his sf
fairs; he has property here. He's right smart
fellow"
"Was there any other excitement in this county
during the campaign"
"No, nothing that amounted to anything The
democrats attended all the meetings, you know,
and asked for half of the time
"Was it accorded to them p
'No, the Radicals did not want to divide time.
think they generally broke up when the demo-
Gratis appeared. l never attended meeting out
side of kingstree and don't know much about
it,
"What was the trouble up in Sumpter !"
81 believe democrat speaking and Radi-
cal said !, was id lie and got knocked down.
There was something of q row but nobody was
killed"
After this the conversation turned To other mat
tiers, and politics were not referred to again dur
ing the evening. 1t will be that the informs-
ton one gets from even the best Informed demo-
Gratis political subjects here is rather indefinite,
but from the specimen given in this letter, it will
also be discovered that there is no attempt to deny
the main facts of which the republicans complain
so bitterly. They were not allowed to exercise
their constitutional right peaceaby to assemble,
aud their leader in this county twas given ten
days to leave and he left" Z. l.. W.