Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-08-15

ure of the State government after that election
for the frauds committed at every special election
held since they obtained control of the State and
for the system of intimidation which still pre-
walls in many counties whereby the Republi.
cans are actually prohibited from meeting and
organizing.
5. We denounce the Democratic party for the
outrage perpetrated in unseating Republican
members Of the General Assembly, so as to in
crease their majority in the Legislature, and es-
pecially for depriving the seventeen Republican
representatives from Charleston county of their
seats to which they had been elected by over six
thousand majority; and when elections were held
to fill these vacancies in Charleston, Orangeburg,
Beaufort, Sumter and other counties for refusing
to give the Republicans any representation
whatever on the Commissioners Of Elections or
the Board of Managers; for the frauds commit.
ted in the management of those elections, and
particularly for stealing six ballot boxes contain
ing Republican majorties in the county of Sum-
ter, and for refusing to count the votes cast Mt
certain precincts at such elections in Beaufort
part of the managers appointed by themselves.
6. We arraign the Democratic party for enact
ing at the last session of the General Assembly
the law whereby numerous voting precincts in
large Republican counties were abolished, so that
thousands of Republican voters are virtually dis
franchised or else compelled to walk twenty
miles or more In order to VOTE and in some
places to cross rivers in order to reach polling
place.
T. While condemning the conduct of all public
officers who may have in years past violated the
trusts cOnfided to them, and while denounclng
all fraudulent and dishonest practices, and dis
claiming any desire to shield any individual
proved to be guilty of such otfenses, we denounce
the method by which the Democratic parry,
through manufactured testimony. sought to in
culpate men whose only otfense was their Repub-
licanism, and we further denounce the unfair and
partisan character Of the recent Legislative nves-
legations in this State whereby the frauds COM
mitted by Democrats have been carefully SCREEN
ed from public Wow and all testimony looking to
their exposure has been studously suppressed.
s. We reaffirm the declaration made from time
to time that at the general election held in this
State on the 7th day Of November, 1875, for Pres
idential electors, Governor and other State Of
ticers, not only were the Republican Presidential
electors duly chosen, but that Daniel II. Cham-
berlain together with the entire Republican State
ticket, were also elected by the votes of major-
ty of the qualified electors of this State.
8. We deem it mex pedient to nominate candi-
dates for Governor and other State officers, be-
cause, owing to the condition OF affairs In this
State occasioned by rifle club rule and two years
of Democratic supremacy, it is impossible for the
Republican voters in many counties, without
incurring great personal danger, to organize for
the campaign or to vote at the election when
held.
10. We pledge ourselves to assist in the work
of purifying the public service, and we demand
that the local Republican conventions through
out the Stale, wherever they make nominations,
shall nominate only such candidates as are re-
cognized as men of intelligence and integrity as
well as of established devotion to the Republican
principles.
Replying to section seven of the platform,
Senator Cochran denounced the statement
that the investigating committee had manu-
factured evidence as being without shadow
of truth, and most emphatically denied that
any attempt had been made to shield Demo
Gratis. Not single point of evidence implica-
ting Democrats, he said, had been submitted
to the committee which was not printed along
with its other reports, and such as we're faint
ed were always specially named and publish
ed as Democrats Even the democrats who
patronized the State House bar or received
such supplies from other sources were special
ly named in their reports. He further said
that the democratic members of the commit
tee strenuousIy endeavored at all times to get
evidence duplicating Democrats in preference
to Republicans, and their reason for this
course was that if any member of their party
was guilty, they desired that he should be
made an example of for the benefit of their
party in the future. Whenever Woodruff or
Jones said that Democrats received printing
money, the committee had the facts brought
to light, though the clerks of the two houses
could not produce checks endorsed by Demo
Gratis, as they invariably did in the case of
Republicans who eresimilarly charged. The
Senator stated that if any Republican in the
convention or out of it had any evidence
whatever which would implcate any Demo-
crat in the frauds practiced on the State, let
him give his name and make the charge, and
he would Immediately call the investigating
committee together, secure the evidence and
publish it to the world. Further, the accused
would be arrested and tried the same as all
the other offenders had been. The speaker
said that he had no apology whatever to
make for the course he had pursued as
member of the committee. He was appoint.
ed as Republican, and he believed that it
was his duty, representing as he did, the
principles of his party, to make thorough in.
vestigation of and expose all frauds, no mat
ter by whom committed.
Senator Cochran was replied to by Swails,
who made speech ofsome length, in which
he denounced the manner in which the in
vestigating committee had performed their
duties bitterly attacked the Democratic news.
papers of the State, said many hard things
about his opponent for Senatorial honors, and
wound up by telling all about what he had
done since he came as a stranger to South
Carolina, and how he was going to fight it out
during his remaining days in this State.
The platform, as submitted by the COM
mite, was then adopted.
A resolution was next introduced, declar-
ing R. B. Elliott as the choice of the con.
vention for the position of president of the
State executive committee. The resolution
was unanimously adopted, after which nomi.
nations were made for the remainder OF the
executive committee and agreed to as fol-
lows:
R. B. Elliott, President; s. A. Swails. of Will.
lamsburg, Vice President; DR.. J. F. Ensor, OF
Il. A. Webster, Orangeburg; T. E. Miller, Beau
fort; c. c. Bowen, E. w. NJ. Mackey, w. N.
Taft, Charleston; Samuel Lee, Sumter; Wilson
Cook, Greenville; John A. Wilson, Darlington;
r. j. Jenkins, Anderson j. 8. Mobley, Union;
B. H. Williams, Georgetown.
The convention then adjourned until 10
o'clock next day.
THIRD DAY.
On Friday morning the convention reas-
sembled and was called to order at 10 o'clock.
The first business called was the adoption
of resolution that the State executive com.
mittee be increased from fifteen to eighteen
members, by adding thereto j. S. E;llebrown,
A. w. Curtis and H. H. Logan, of Richland.
Chairmen of the Congressional districts
we're next elected. j. S. Mobley of Union,
was chosen as chairman of the Fourth dis.
trict.
County Charmen we're next elected. There
were no elections for Edge6eld, Horny, Pick
ems and Spartanburg For Chester, Purvis