The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-04-04

two only we're armed, and all were disband.
ed upon the publication Of the governors
proclamation. Democratic clubs were or
ganised in every neighbo.hood in the State,
and many of them were uniformed with
red shirts; but they were unarmed, and :n
no sense of the word were they military
organizations. In very few instances, in
localities where the colored militia, with
arms aud fixed ammunition furnished them
by the State, were 90 violent in their DEM
onstrations las 70 menace the lives and
property Of the whites, the members Of
these clubs did drill without guns, in order
Els thsy nisA. u ths as.asE RssRaEeas los:
forced to contend with an armed mob i'm
bittered and infuriated by the vile teachings
Of their leaders, who publicly declared to
them that they would be justified in using
the iscendiary torch against their former
masters. And in no instance did these
clubs ever parade 10 ar armed military or
ganiIation.
The proof on this subject, afforded by q
multitude of witnesses of the highest char
acter and respectability throughout the con-
gressional district who were active in the
campaign and had every opportuny of know
ing the truth, has not been and cannot be-
successfully assailed. Governor Hampton,
in testifyipg, says truthfully, thnt the effort
on the part of the democrats "was to
make the campaign thoroughly conserva-
tive and conciiatory." He spoke in every
| county in the State, and saw no intimida-
tion except that which proceeded from COL
ored republicans, and was intended to pre-
vent any of their fellows from voting with
the democrats. lie says, further, that Eat
no single meeting attended by me was thero
an armed organization::of men," In his letter
to the New York Tribune, dated November
2, 1876, published in the record of this.
case, (page 5600 he gives the true charac-
ter of these socalled "rife. clubs" "They
are" says he, "neither more nor less than
campaign clubs, moving and acting togeth-,
er for reasons su.A as prompted the orcani-
cation of the boys in Blue the Grand
Army Of the Republic, or other kindred as
sociations." He further declares in this.
letter that "during my canvass of the State
l have not seen single gun or saber in the
possession of these clubs, and they have not
carried any such at any meeting nt which I
have been present" They were called "rife-
clubs" in the proclamations the colored
voters heard them called "rfe- clubs" by
their leaders, who understood better than
they the political necessities of their party
to have them so denominated, and SO were
prepared to see a rifeman in every man
who wore red shit.
UNExAMPLED FoRBKARANcH. OF TIE.
[* X *
Thss We bave seen tue unlawful and
partisan agencies employed by the republi-
cans to avert political defeat which seemed
inevitable. A republican governor, him.
self q candidate for reelection, (withous
the slightest degree of truth in the aliega-
tions made to warrant such action in vio-
lation of every right of free citizen,
virtually declaring the State under martial
law the whites disarmed while the negro
| militia, in the midst of heated political
contest, not only allowed to keep their
rifles and muskets, but encouraged to used
them, to menace the whites, and overawe.
and intimidate colorcd voters who simply
desired to exercise their right of voting for
the candidates of their choice the polls
surrounded by this militia, with arms in
their hands; the precinct managers chosen,
as it would seem, on account of their bitter
partisanship, opposing with the authority of
their office the free choice of the voter; a
host OF supervisors who were themselves
candidates upon the republican ticket for
Office, and having the strongest motives to
secure their own election BY any means.
foul or fair; republican deputy marshal
appointed in violation of the law, guarding
the pathway to every poll, backed by Fcdo-
raj bayonets, in the exercise of his assum-
ed and unlawful authority, and in the com.
mission of his lawless acts boards of coun-
ty canvassers, who violate without hesita-
tion the law and the sanctity which it had
thrown around the ballots; and, last of all,
State board Of canvassers, every one of
whom are republicans, and msiority of
whom are candidates upon the ticket of
their party for high State Offices, surround
ed by Gordon of United States soldiers,
declaring the result iu defiance of the man
date of supreme court composed of re-
publican judges
And yet the minority in their report
say the contestee was fairly elected, and
mildly hint that the report of the majority
is an effort on their part to induce their
party associates in this chamber "to expel
FROM the House of Representative" the
contestee, who is rejecting honor upon his
race and creditably representating his con-
stituency" upon this floor
DENUNcIATIoN OF MILITARY INTERrE-