The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-10-18
Tho trouble in south Carolina Briefly
stated.

The political situation in South Carolina
NAV be- described briefly as follows: The
Democratic State Convention this year re-
affirmed the state platform Of 1876 which
diseountcnanced "all disturbance OF the
ueaco Of the state" and declared in favor
Of "a fair and ~peaceable election, appeal
ing 10 tho reason and not the passion OF
the people" and inviting citizens Of all
races and past political preferences to Join
in m effort to secure good and economical
government. On this platform Governor
Hampton and all tho other Democratic
state officers were renominated. The Re.
publicans decided not to nominate a state
ticket, but they arc trying to elect candi'
dates for Congress and for tho Legislature
in several districts. 1t happens that some
of their candidates, whose influence with
the colorod people is still very potent,
have been pronounced by n legislative in
~yestigating committee to be guilty OF vart-
u crimes against the state. The Demo-
Gratis arc determined not only that these
men shall not be elected, but that
the Republicans shall secure as few
offices rs possible either in Con-
gress, in tho State Legislature or in the
counties and towns. To accomplish this
the Charleston Mttrs, the leading Demo-
cratic journal OF the State, admits that a
certain kind OF bull.dozing Is practised.
Democrats, wearing red shirts as uniforms,
attended oil Republican meetings in large
bodies, and insist that tho meetings shall
be addressed by Democrats as well Us by
Republicans. In tho case OF S. A. swails,
q colored ex-state Senator who is again a
candidate for the office, tho Charleston
Ntts admits that "a number OF citizens
declared very positively that swails must
leave the county, and that they would
hold him to account il the incendiary
menaces of his supporters bore any fruit"
The Mtrs defends this course on the
ground that swails was accused of BRIDE
taking by the Legislative Committee on
Frauds, and was allowed to resign his
Office as State Senator without prosecu-
ton on condition that he would not again
seek a public position; it says, however,
that he has both broken his bargain and
has used his iniuenceto stir up race feel
ing.
The Springfield Republican has been the
leading culogist Of Wade Hampton in the
North, and is still reluctant to admit that
he is dcrclict in his duty as Governor OF
South Carolina. Nevertheless, it is moved
to mako the following comments on these
.'red shirted' demonstrations:
Scarcely anything in recent politics Is
more revolving than the keen and hardly
disguised enjoyment with which the
old bloody-shirt organs welcome the
news OF outrages upon Republicans IN
South Carolina. Nothing has happened
since the Chisolm massacre that has begun
TO please the Bill Chandler stripe Of Re-
pnblicanshalf SO well, as nothing has hap
pened moro discouraging to. oil we'll
wishers alike OF tho South and the COM
mon country.
Making due allowance for the obvious
partisan exaggcration, 1t seems plain that
the South Carolina Democrats have at last
broken away from the control OF Wade
Hampton and the moderate wing OF the
party has led,-certainly that the Cover
nor has failed to realize those expectations
Of at least trying to secure fair play in the
campaign whichhi 1 manly rebuke OF Gary
and the bourbons a month ago aroused.
Attacks continue to be made upon Repub::
lican meetings, q little newspaper edited
byono OF Hampton's aids publishes q n m
ticle to fire tho Democratic heart, and q
prominent Republican leader, e1-State
Senator Swails, has been driven from the
State, q committee notifying him that he
would forfeit his lie Il he stayed. The
Washington authorities promise to help
the Republicans so far Us they can under
the United States laws, and there is some
wild talk about the possibility Of martial
law being proclaimed. though this is too
absurd to 30 expected. Experience has
proved that neither Washington authori,
lies nor federal troops can prevent U
RACES BY Democratic bourbons IN the
South. The men who can prevent them
are the Hamptons, and 1t is the blunder OF
the South Carolina Governors lie that he
1ona MT ;nsist unnn fair play,"