The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-01-16
Anaersou aJnteliigemeeg.
A TISSUE OF rALsEMOODs.
Report OF q Government Spy on tho Caro-
lima Election.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE,


directing me to ascertain from personal
examination whether sufficient iustitica-
tion existed for the arrests recently made
in the State of South Carolina for alleged
violation of the enforcement laws, have
the honor TO report that abundant testi-
mony is at hand showing that sufficient
justihcatlo does exist for the arrests thus
far made, and that the number Of these
arrests is not commensurate with the
violations of law that appear to have
prevailed Mt every polling precinct
throughout the State at which there was
n contest between the opposing political
parties.
The circumstances surrounding the
elections in South Carolina on the 9th
instant, taken in conjunction with the
sworn statements of the Republican su-
peryisors Of elections, and of other sworn
testimony, give evidence Of rrcconcer-
ted, rs we'll as cOnsummated action upon
the part of the Democratic managers of
elections, looking to the accomplishment
throughout the State of results favorable
10 the success of the Democratic ticket.
without regard to the number or charac-
ter of the ballots cast, and without scrl-
pie as to the means employed.
From the statements and the circum-
stances above alluded to, it appears that
the Democratic voter had two distinct
forms of ballot tickets at the polling pre-
cincts in the State, except in counties
known TO be Democratic and in counties
where no Republican nominations had
been made; that one form Of these tick
cts was used openly and the other secret
ly, and that both contained the names Of
the Democratic nominees; that one form
of these tickets was from three to five
times larger than the other, being of
plain, white paper, with the names Of
Democratic nomin,e q for Congress and
other Offices printed in bold type, and
that the second form WAS Of tissue paper,
about three inches long by one and
half inches wide, the names OF nominees
being the same AS on the larger tickets.
but printed in fine type, and commonly
known rs "kiss-jokc," or tissue tickets,
specimens of which will be found upon
Page 80, Exhibit GA" annexed
Concert of action in placing the kiss
joke" or tissue tickets, seems to have
prevailed at all voting precincts in which
they were used.
The testimony is uniform that no such
tickets were in circulation about the
polls, but that at tho close of the polls
they were found in large numbers in the
various ballot boxes; and it then became
apparent that they had been voted in
quantities Of four to seven Mt a time by
means of folding them within the larger
Democratic ticket, or that they had been
placed in the ballot-boxcs previous to the
opening of the polls. The testimony is
to the effect that both these illegal meth
oas wctc adopted.
See statements of Supervisors Thornc,
PIP. and 2; Ryan, PIP. and 3 Field,
PIP. and z; Young, PIP. 10 and IL:
German, PIP. II, and Paris, pp. 10, Of
Exhibit A, herewith annexed; also pp.
3 and 4, of Exhibit B, herewith annexed.
This method Of procedure n::,io iii
every instance an excess of ballots in the
boxes greatly outnumbcring the narues
on the poll lists: reaching, in one in
stance, to the number of thirteen hun
dred, In some instances the ballots
found in the boxes were counted by the
Democratic managers without regard to
the poll lists and against the protests of
the Republican supervisors.
II other cases where the ballots in the |
boxes were found to be N excess of the |
number of names on tho poll lists, the |
managers directed that all the ballots be
returned to the boxes. One of their
number or the clerk was then blindfol.
ded and told to draw out ono ballot 1T n
time, until the number in excess had
been taken out and destroyed tho num-
Der so taken out and DESTROYED being
uniformly Republican tickets.
The manner Of etfecting this result ap-
pears to have been rs follows:
The polls having closed the ballot
boxes were opened, and their contents
taken out for the purpose Of counting
the votes. The count then took place
not in accordance with the law, which
provides that the ballots shall be counted
bore being opened. but by opening or
unfolding all the ballots before counting
them.
This method was practiced with great
unanimity Mt the various polling pre-
clncts in the State, and the managers of
elections were thus informed of the char.
acter of each ballot as they were counted.
The Republican ballots were placed in
one parcel, the Democratic ballots in
another, and the tissue ballots in third.
This entire proceeding was in direct
violation of the local laws of the state
providing that: Each box being opened
the ballots contained therein shall be
taken out and counted unopened, except
30 far as to ascertain that each ballot il
single; and if two or moro ballots shall
be found so, folded together rs to preserve
the appearance O: single ballot they
shall be destroyed, if the whole number
OF ballots exceed the whole number of
votes, and not otherwise" [RevIsed
Statutes s. O., vol. II, p. 140, sec. 1877
Inc proceedings in question were also
in violation, of Section 5,5i5, Revised
Statutes United States, which makes any
and every unauthorized act performed by
an officer of election q crime against the
United States, punishable by fine and
imprisonment, or by both.
The count having been made and the
excess discovered, the ballots were Or
dered returned to the boxes for the pur-
pose OF having the number in excess
drawn out. TO accomplish this drawing
in favor of tho Democratic ticket. and
against the Republican ticket, the ballots
WeIo ounuiugiy refoided as TO admit of
no mistake.
The Republican ballots were folded
iengthwise, this giving them the form of
paper six to seven inches in width.
The Democratic ballots of the large size
were folded cover and over" this giving
them the form of paper two.and.a half
inches in length. by three-eiahta or one-
half inch in width. The Democratic
ballots of the small size wern thrne,n
back promiscuously into tho boxes. in
many instances without being refolded.
These were the "kiss joke" or tissue TICK
cts, whose character could be readily de-
te:ted,. whether they were folded or
otherwise.
This proceeding was also in violation
OF the local eectiCn laws of the State,