The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-03-07
The THIRD STOLEN STATE
F.J. MOSES ON SOUTH CAROLINA.
Tllden's Majority Of 1000 Scratched Out by
Comptroller Dunn's Pen-JOhn d. Dennis
and Others Offering to Swear 10 the Fact
Their Testimony Refused byA Com
niittee OF Democrats, Friends
Of Wade Hampton, u.I 'YI

In South Carolina the Board of State
Canvassers had, ever since 1868, under
the Republican regime, full and untrem-
melled power over the returns of all State
and county elections. Under the law
which established the tribunal they claim
ed that in their official action they were
entirely Independent of and beyond the
control Of any court in the State, and up
to the late campaign, which resulted in
Hampton's election, their claim of unre-
striCted authority in their official sphere
had never been questioned or denied.
There is no doubt but that 1t was the in
tention of the Radical legislators who
framed the law so 20 word its provisions
as to render it extremely doubtful if the
orders of any judicial officer could over.
rule the official acts of South Carolina's
Returning Board. Its members, the At
torney-. General, Comptroller-General,
State Treasurer, Secretary Of State and
Adjutant and Inspectors claimed
for themselves the right tog 60 behind the
returns, and to throw out from the count
whatever votes, the illegality of which
was shown by what they considered ade-
quate testimony.
OF course it can readily be seen what a
terrible machine this might be made in
the hands of INSCRIPTIONS partisans
against the rights of those who were po-
lItcally opposed to them, and often and
over had the Democrats of South Carroll
ma cause to denounCe the villainy which
had framed, and the partisan tools who
had carried out the infamous provisions
of such law. In many cases where
Democratic members of the General AS.
sembly had been elected from counties
having a clearly defined and ascertained
white majority, and were entitled to their
seats on prima facie evidence, it happen
ed that the Board of State Canvassers de-
liberately set aside the results of their
elections and seated the Radical claimants
without the least show of legal right or
equitable justice.
So grown into and recognized as an
undertaking custom had such action be.
come, that the Democrats of the State be-
came utterly disheartened and discour-
aged, and very often they failed even to
go to the expense of engaging counsel to
contest for the seats to which they had
been legally and fairly elected. They
supposed that it would be utterly useless
to appeal to the courts for protection, as
all of the Supreme and Circuit judges
were deeply dyed in Radicalism, and on
occasions had proved themselves utterly
unable to administer justice when it sus-
tanned the rights and liberties of Demo.
Gratis in the State.
But, in the last State campaign, it was
hoped by the Democrats that an oppor-
tune moment had arrived to make des
perate effort to retrieve the fortunes of
their party, and in the last resort to have
recourse to the highest judicial tribunal
in the State. 1t was thought that the
Republican ardor of two of the Supreme
Court Justices in the interest of Cham
berlain as the Gubernatorial candidate
had been considerably abated by the
then recent course of events. My father,
Chief Justice Moses, bad become Violent
ly embittered against Chamberlain, on
account of the latter's action in the mat
ter of my election to the bench; and at
public meeting in Sumter, the place of
his residence, short time before the
election, the Chief Justice had openly
announced his intention of supporting
Hampton as the candidate of his choice.
In this he was followed by many other
Republicans, and the division in their
ranks, which thus became apparent,
strengthened the hopes and redoubled
the energy of the Democratic element.
With this encouragement to the Demo.
Gratis, and doubt and uncertainty among
the Republicans, the campaign neared its
end and finally closed.
Under the law in South Carolina the
votes for Presidential electors are for
warded by the county canvassers, imme.
diately after they they have counted them
to the Secretary of State, in whose Office
they are to be kept, under his own official
responsibility, until the day arrives for
the Board of State Canvassers to open
and determine and ascertain" the votes,
Then he turns them over to the board,
and there his supervision over them as
Secretary of State ceases. During the
time they remain in his custody the law
contemplates their being kept safe from
approach, touch, or inspection ofany one,
and although at the close of the last cam
paign in the State the utmost public ex-
citement prevailed with regard to the
safe keeping of the votes, no attempt was
made toward violence or invasion of the
law. True, the Chairman of the Demo-
cratic party made a published PROPOSE.
ton to the Secretary of State, Henry E.
Hayne, colored man, to allow guard
of an equal number from each political
party to remain around or in the room in
the Capitol in which the returns were
kept until they were turned over to the
Board of State but their proposal was
politely bat firmly refused, the Secretary
claiming that he was fully equal to the
responsibility Of the occasion, and would
preserve the inviolability of the ballot
boxes in his keeping.
Under the law the State Canyassing
Board was required to meet in the Secre.
tary of States Office within ten DAYS af-
ter each State or county election, and
then and there to proceed to open the
boxes and determine the result of the
election. On the occasion of which l
speak, these ten days expired on a Tues
day, and it was on Sunday preceding
this Tuesday that the work of altering
the returns was effected. On that day,
according to the profered but rejected
testimony before the Investigating Com
mittee by John B. Dennis, and by others
who agree with him in their narration of
the facts, there assembled in the Secreta.
ry of States Office, with doors barred
against all comers, the following mem
bers of the Board Of State Canvassers F.
L. Cardoza, State Treasurer; Henry E.
Hayne, Secretary Of State William Stone
Attorney General Claw partner of D, 7.
Corbin); and Thomas @. Dunn, ,Comptroll-
er-General.
This last named man was the head and
front of the whole infamous business,a and
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