Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-01-11
SOUTH CAROLINA HONESTLY DEN
OORATIO,
From the n. Y. World.1

SOUTH CAROLINA HONESTLY DEM
.... OORATIO.
from the n. Y. World.1
Our esteemed contemporary, the Her.
aid though at first inclined to believe the
stories about democratic fraud, violencs
and intimidation in South Carolina, has
at last allowed its correspondents to do
good service in exposing their untruth.
iulness. Letters from gentlemen In all
parts of the state. and especially in those
districts where the negro voters were
said to have been most shameiully and
shamelessly "bulldozed" and cheated, ,all
agree in testifyIng that the canvass was
peaceable and the result most satisiacto-
ry to majority of the electors. Three
weeks ago the World analyzed with care
what President Hayes called the record
in South Carolina, and insisted that there
was abounding prima facie evidence to
account tor the result IN that state with
out charging it to intimidation before the
election or fraud after it. 1t is worthy
OF remark that every conclusion we then
arrived at has been declared just and ra.
tional by witnesses upon the ground. It
is shown by Congressman-elect NJ. r.
o Connor, that the vote in Charleston
was not SO large as IN 1866 when the re-
publicans did not complain OF it as ex-
cesslve, and the local peculiarities, such
as the heavy vote in the third ward, are
accounted for. MIR. O'Connor says that
the most potent factor IN republican pol
itIcs in the city was neutral and passive;
our republican contemporaries. in their
news columns, are now announcing that
the federal officials at the south are to be
shaken up tor rendering no aid to the
republican ticket. or for belping to de-
feat it, though it is only a few days since,
in their editorial columns, they were rid.
iculing the World declaration that re.
publican members had actively contribu-
ted to manlng the south solldly demo-
cratic Judge Townsend, republican.
certifies that in the first district Mr.. Rich.
ardsons election was fair and honest
and tells how he himself spoke for the
democratic candidate and against Rail
ney. unpopular because of his non-resi-
dence. Mr. Rainey's failure to visit the
county Is the other reason ascribed by
Mr.. Townsend. as the World wrote,
"apart from the disadvantage OF his res
idence in the north, he made no can
vass" In Sumter, where democratic
rule was saving 1886, 900 year in taxes,
while the democrats were gaining me-
groes over BY placing negro at the
head of their ticket, disreputable colored
republicans like Lee were driving all the
white republicans out OF the party, the
democracy thus gaining doubly. Mr..
Dozler writes from Georgetown that the
negroes now vote openly the democratic
ticket, where in 1876 they only dared do
,I,l> -, n fiO
speakers have been assiduously side by
side with the whites on the invitation OF
men who in previous campaigns would
not have listened to democrat. From
all quarters comes the story of republi.
can schism, apathy or disgust, factors
| which, as we have often seen in northern
| states, are potent enouga to work vastly
| greater changes than are this year re-
corded in South Caro- ina. 1t is not sur
| prising that the Herald concludes that
the democratic testimony is worthy OF
| credit, and that the burden OF proof rests
on the republicans, the presumption be-
ing reasonable that the changes are due
to natural causes and the peaceful oper.
alton of influences that affect every polit-
ical community.
1t may be claimed by the republicans
that this evidence comes from democrat
ic sources OF through democratic chan.
nels. Even admitting this, why should
il be less worthy of belief than the un-
supported allegations oi Mr.. Hayes, the
assertions OF Mr.. Blaine, which rest
ON the misrepresentation of facts that
any schoolboy. with slate and pencil
and knowledge Of simple proportion.
could avoid. or expose. and the gossip of
correspondents who present one side Of
a story as having been told to them by
ANONYMOUS individuals, and deny that
there can be another side? But evidence
from republican sources has not been
lacking. A Charleston colored man, Mr..
Samuel R. Cox. testified through the
| Herald that tales OF persecution are sent
north by disappointed politicians who
know that their occupations are gone"
that at the characters OF many OF the
federal appointments were realized by
the northern people, the prosecutions
for perjury would not call forth one :, n-
gle word OF sympathy" aud THAT the
colored people of South Carolina, outside
Of the politicians and their parasites, are
satisfied with democratic rule. u Or ii tnis
evidence is not considered good enough,
let US appeal to DIR. E. Cooke, president
of the Claflin University, at tOrangeburg,
and an old New Englander. who writes
TO the Tribune. venturing TO assert that
he knows more about his own affairs
than the staff correspondent" who de-
plcted them US ..bulldozsd and maltreat-
ed" Dir. Cooke testified that he has
been republican since the party was
formed, and still is a republican, but, he
says, II can't say l am willing to claim
political fraternity with oil who claim
10 be such, whom have met in South
Carolina He admits that he voted Tor
Hampton, but adds that he did SO freely
r aud of his own motion, because he be-
lieves in home government, and that at
ter watching Hampton's course carefully
tor two years, he fully believes he is a
true friend OF the colored man. and is do
ing vastly more tor his elevation in tke
commonwealth than any northern man
c1uld under bayonet rule
But, the tissue-pape ballots?" Well
in the first place, the tissue-paper ballots
are not democratic invention, but were
used by republicans IN Florida in 1876.
and their inventor was rewarded by Mr..
, HAYES with an Office he still holds. In
, the second place, Mr.. Mackey himseli
ordered lot OF hssue-paper ballots.
which, uuhappily, as he thinks, did not
reach him in time. And in the third
place, to conclude, if all the tissue e-papsr
, ballots cast Tor the democratic nominee
! are thrown out. his republican compet-
, itor will not be within some theusands
, OF votes Of an election.