New-York tribune., 1878-11-25
SOUTHERN LIFE AND POLITICS.
DROWNED N wHIsKEY-" KIss-JoKE" BALLOTS IN
KERsHAW COUNTY OUTRAGEOUS FRAUDS

OPENLY ADMITTED AND JUSTIFIED.
IFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNEl
KNOXVILLE. 8. c., Nov. 21.-I left Sumter for
Claremont Depot Yesterday afternoon. in the midst
of q severe rain-stOrm. small farmer, the
only white man living in the latter place, came into
town TO buy groceries, and offered, for very mode
ate sum. to take me homo with him in his wagon
which resembed Western "buck-bOard" enter
tain me over night and put me on the train at day
light in the morning. The ride for sixteen miles
through the mud and rain was not pleasant one,
but it was enivened by the funny stories and
quaint remarks of genuine South Carolina
plantation negro, who worked his passage
by driving the not remarkably swift horse. Austin,
for that was the darkey's name, had taken two OF
three drinks of cheap whisky before starting from
Sumter and brought with him pint flask OF the
same exhilarating fluid, which loosed his tongue,
very much to my amusement This letter might be
filed with recital of Austins stOres but one will
have to suffice as a sample. 1t is about his wonder
full adventures in a thunderstorm.
when you see de pigs" he sad "jumplR about,
from dere heels in de air like as if dey was done
gwine crazy den look out for storm or cOP wead-
der LOrdyl didn't dey act lively afore dat thun-
deretom two ytar ago l was a. comm down de
railroad track nigh onto dc trackman's hOuse-you
know whar dat is, Mr.. Russel-an' Ihad one OBJ dem
make you almost deaf. and de lightning it was
eyerywhar All at once de lightning struck de can
| had in my hand, crack! bang! hep onto it, eos
| knowed Pd done noffin' to God and
want bit afeared / prayed dc Lord, an he
knoyed hadn't been 'sisting him no way. Got wet
through though"
Mr.. Russell lives on the edge of the Wateree
swamp in Sumter County and run" two
poughs this year, but on account of high water
and bad health, which prevented him from giving
personal attention to his crop he made" only
thirteen bales of cotton. while he made" fifteen
last year with one plough. He was brought up as
dry. goods clerk at the West End, Glasgow, and
came to this country ard State after the war. He
would be doing well but for the misfortunes to
which have already referred, and his conscientious
scruples against selling whiskey. He has small
store, but the trade has all left him because he
will not keep bar. Some idea of the state OF
society in the Wateree Swamp may be gathered
from the fact that the heads OF all but one two OF
the dozen families who are settled there are con-
hrmed drunkards-men who are accustomed to lie
night after night in state of the most beastly in
toxication on the floor of the bar-room at which
they obtain their liquor ought to add that it is
no uncommon thing In the country through which
have been travelling for the past ten days to see
drunken men asleep on the floor in the country
stores and to be told that they men of property
and belong to good families. Selling whiskey is q
profitable business in South Carolina when every
thing else fails The ubiquitous drummer" is met
with everywhere, but at least two of them are So
Letting orders for whiskey for every one represent
any other branch of trade; and while the dry goods,
clothing, grocery and other men complain OF dull
times and scarcity of money, the whiskey men do
a large and thriving business.
Mr. Russell knew nothing about the late election.
He understood that many Of the negroes voted the
Democratic ticket, and he told me of several col
ored men living in the swamp who did not go to the
polls because they knew that they would be turned
ont of their situations by their white employers If
they voted the Republican ticket.
Taking the morning train on the Cam
den branch Of tho South Carolina Rail
road. went into the smoking-car, and
there met one of the travelling statesmen of
Baltimore whiskey house, whose acquaintance
had previously formed at hotel in Sumter. In
company with him was young man from Cam
den. Kershaw County, who seemed to be mer-
chant who was going to Columbia on business.
They sat 80 near me and talked 30 loud that i
could not help OveThearing their conversation.
The " drummer" did not seem to understand tho
way in which the State was carried by the Demo
Gratis and the other man was explaining 1t TO MN: %
He described the kiss-jO joke" tickets; showed how
they were folded into larger ones and voted, anu
then explained the manner in which Republican
tickets were drawn out and destroyed: lie then
said that the little tickets were used all over her
shaw County and he named several polllng-paces to
which Understood him tosay that he himselfcarred
the ssjOk THE same thing was done al over
the State" he SAID in CONCLUSION, "and although lt
was a little crooked il wasn't very wrong. after all.
Anyway, we mad to do It, or ICE should hare been
beaten" . o.,,,,,
"Of course" replied his companion, land would
| have done 1t myself"
| have mentioned this incident to show how
freely the frauds by which this State was carried
are acknowledged even by those who participated
| in Them There cannot be much secrecy about q
matter that IS talked of openly in public railway
car and in the presence OF strangers. z. l. W.