Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-11-16
A u q u - Il a.
From the Boston Journal.
How South Carolina was Carried.


How South Carolina was Carried.
People who are in doubt about the sue
cess of the republican, theory of govern
ment must have their doubts strengthened
by the disclosure of the means which
were adopted in South Carolina to carry
the State for the democratic candidates.
There has been no more fragrant and reck-
less assault upon the purity OF the ballot
box since the political murders in Louisi-
ana couple OF years ago; but we have
vet to find q democratic journal sufficient
ly free from partisan bias to speak word
In condemnation Of the South Carolina
frauds, or even to refer to them In any
other way than as matter for jest and
pleasantly. One would suppose that
crimes perpetrated against the right OF
suffrage, especially if done unblushing'
", and on colossal scale, would be con-
sidered sufficiently important to receive
the consideration and condemnation of cit
liens of all parties. But in the case OF
South Carolina we have what purported
to be an election by the people turned into
. mockery and fraud, and any attempt.
TO show the enormi,y of the offence is met
with ridicule. That all this is done
in the interest of a party calling itself
democratic, and protesting more than any
other, to be the champion OF the rights
and privileges of the people, makes ii
only the more monstrous.
The election In the Charleston District
may be taken as an illustration of the sort
of work that was done. The district was
carried by the republicans in 1876. in
spite Of violence and intimidation direct
cd against the negro vote. by majority
of 1914. This year the democratic cleo
ton officers give their candidate MAORI
~ of 1000. Several ways were taken for
the accomplishment of this result. In st.
Andrews Parish, strong republican Sec
ton, the polling places were abolished
The parish is separated from Charleston
by the Ashley river. and when the people
crossed over into the city to vote, the dem
ocralic managers refused to accept their
ballots. All the voting places on the
road between Charleston and Summerville
were abolished. and the people who tried
to vote 10 Charleston were turned back.
Whole sections were thus entirely dIstran-
chissd.
But this was not the worst of ii. The
ballots were stuffed with spurious ballots,
having on them the names of the demo-
cratic candidates. These ballots were
about one-fifth the size Of the regular bal
lots and were printed on tissue paper, SO
that . great many could be compressed
into small space. They were not crcu-
lated at al during the elections, bat they
turned up In all the boxes, and were evil
IDENTIFY provided and used by the demo-
cratic managers. They were used so Law
ishly that in 20 out OF the 80 precincts in
the county the number of ballots returned
- voters 10 largely in excess of the entire
number Of names on the voting lists. In
some cases where the excess was so great
~ 70 make the thing preposlerous. the
managers put all the ballots back and drew
out the number in excess for rejection
taking pains of course to leave the small
ballots undisturbed. At one poll in
Charleston the managers returned vote
Of $500, of which 3.1Os were for the dem
ocratic candidates. Each voter was sep
aratsly sworn. and some time was con-
sumsd in putting questions. Assuming
that II took one minute for each voter,
only 720 votes could have been honestly
polled. providing the stream Of voters had
been continuous during the twelve hours
that the polls we're open. To have polled
the number reported would have required
the casting Of one vote every twelve Sec
onds during the entire twelve hours-a
physical impossibility. OF the 31OS votes
reported for the democratic candidates,
$500 were Of the small, tissue paper va
riety.
Other precincts might be mentioned in
which similar tactics of disfranchisemen
or ballot-stufling were employed to effect
similar results. The charges have been
published definitely aud in detail and have
gone without denial. None of the Off
cials OF the State, from Gov. Hampton
down, have done anything to rebuke the
crimes or punish the perpetrators. The
democratic journals agree in considering
the transaction an excellent joke. But we
submit that the matter is more serious than
the question Of two or three Congressman
for one party or the other and in the long
run. that party which makes its way to
power by such iniquities as these in South
Carolina will pay the penalty which such
. subversion OF the rights of suffrage de-
serves.
The Democratic Party and South