New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-11-29

remained over night IN jail. Scc that S""'N WV
gyman writing from this place to the Editor OF
ZioIs Herald describes Duncan as a drunken, good
for-notbing negro. | have made some inquiries
about him. and find that in spite of his Ignorance
he has served four years the lower House oil the
Legislature, receiving in 1874 the unanimous vote
of the white people of this county. and that he Is
one of the few Republican Senators elected in 1870
for whose expulsion the Hampton Senate has SO Iar
been able neither to find nor invent an excuse.
The plan of attending Republican meetings anu
demanding a division of time was adopted by 'no
Democrats of this comfy at the small gatherihRS
which were held. and some of them were broken up
but ! believe no very serious trohOlo occuii'u'
When the Republicans called general meeting III
Orangeburg the Democrats arranged Tor a muster
of Pod Shirts on the same day and on the very
ground where political meetings were geher"iiJ
held. But the Republicans assembled on tue pr
yate property Of the Rev. DR.. Webster, when tho
Democrats hardly dared to invade, ana Desl"C''
the Httorney-Gcnera letter Lad Just Deeh pun
shed and il had restraining influence upon tho''
The arrangements for carrying the cIectioh ~
tb,s co,intv by fraud were carefully made by the
Democrats. After promising to appoint 40 o',o "
the Commissioners of Election, a Republican whom
the party here should select, Governor ''"'p'Vn
named two Democrats and a man who, although he
KppuDllCan, ~ ~" '''N W
party's bitterost opponents. The MANAGERS OF
the election at the different polls were
all Democrats or If here and there
nominal Republican was chosen, he was deserter
who wa, known 10 have quarrcllcd with his party
The Republicans were not allowed to select single
manager in the whole county, and the men VINO
wore amounted were generally persons of the lowest
character fit agents for the work they were caleu
upon TO perform. A great number OF state oonSta-
bles were also appointed for each poll, ana III
Orangcburg the commissions for these onheeIs "oio
delivered 20 the chairman of the Democratic
County Committee, signed IN blank ana were issueu
TO such men as he selected he Republicans say
that they can prove by the affidavit OF one OF THESE
cOnstables that be was Instructed to arrest any
negro who he did not think bad right to vote TO
arrest any negro whom he saw Knocked down Dy
n white man TO take the part OF the white people
against the negroes in any fight that might occur
and not to interiors if he saw awhile man put more
than one ballot into the box.
The Democrats held that the appointment OF
United States Deputy yarshals in cities or towns
of less than 90 900 inhabitants was Illegal, over
looking the 5.j22d section Of the Revised Statutes
which gives TO general deputies the right TO be
prcse.t at all polling places with free ingress 10
and egress from the rooms IN Which the votes are
cast and counted and they caused the arrest on the
morning of election day. of three deputy marshas
who were in attendance. and attempted to oXt0r'
from them a promise that they would exercise no
authority under their commissions. This two OF
than did The only person selected by the Repub-
leans who was allowed 10 be present and witness
the voting and the count was one United States
Supervisor and he was easily deceived 10y the Dem
Ocratic managers.
The State law requires that the votes shall be
counted in public. and IN former years, under re-
publican management, the hallO-boX has been taken
into the courtroom after the closing of the polls,
and there opened in the presence OF everybody who
desired to witness it, Ample opportunities were
also afforded TO all who wished to keep tally and to
see the tickets themselves as they were taken from
the box THIS tIme when the Democrats had COM
plctc control Of the election the vote was counted
in small room about feet by 90, with the WIN
dow shutters closed and barred and boards nailed
across the door to prevent any one from getting IN
Except the United States supervisor. not n single
person selected by the Republicans was allowed TO
be present On the other hand, three Republicans
who asked permission TO be present have been since
prosecuted for conspiracy TO hinder the counting Of
the votes and one of them. who was a Deputy
United States Marshal and not only had "A night as
a voter 10 be present, but was authorized by tho
laws of the United States to be there was arrested
and nut into Jail because he showed disposition to
enforce his authority.
When the box was opened at the Orangcburg poll
the number Of votes was found to be 3iG IN excess
of the number of names on tho polllist showing
that the box had been stuffed to that extent. The
number OF Republican votes in the box not eX-
ceSsiye but the Democratic vote could not be ac-
counted for except by the kiss joke ticket fraud.
In fact the Democratic vote all over this county
was a very light one, and yet Republican majority
Of at least 1000 was by fraud converted INTO
Democratic majority of 1900. The tissue paper tick
cts were used at every poll in this county but two.
and at those, which in the forks OF the Edisto
River, the Democrats have always had majority.
AT those two points the election was honest, and at
one of them the Democrats beaten for the first
time since Reconstruction, while at the other the
Damocratic majority wa reduced One-half. At every
other point the kiss Joke" tickets were used by
the Democrats and although the white people
showed less interest than usual III the election, and
the Democratic vote " as actually reduced. the Dem
ocratic gains were enormous.
have heard many interesting incidents Of the
late election in this county illustrative of the means
TO which the Democrats resorted TO win their so
called victory. | shall give only one or two of
them. The Rev Dr. Cook, of Massachusetts. is the
president of the Clain University for cClored peo-
ple. | was informed by Democrat before | had
been an hour in town that the Doctor voted the
Democratic ticket openly, and that he was very
popular man among the people hore. Upon inquiry 1
learned that in 1876 at the time of Governor lamp
toms Inauguration, DR.. Cook came from Columbia
to Orangeburg one night on n train with a gang Of
roughs who had been to the Capital TO take part in
the fun at the far.D Recognizing him as a
Northern man. Republican and tho presi-
dent Of an institution for colored people,
these chivarons young men gathered around
him, insulted him in the most outrageous man
ner called him all sorts of vile names. hustled him
about and kept him mortal terror for three hours