The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-03-06
A TALE OF TWO STATES.
Teller's Repor. on South Carolina and
Louisiana.
WASHINGTON, February 81.

WASHINGTON, February 81.
The report of the Teller committee,
made to the Senate to-day, reviews the
testimony of the ninety-one witnesses in
Louisiana and the one hundred and
seven in South Carolina. It states that
the frauds in South Carolina by the use
of tissue ballots extended to every county
in that State but one, and that between
thirty and forty murders were committed
in Louisiana.
The committee, in drawing conclu-
sions, says: There appears to be wide
spread determination in these States to
restrict the freedom of speech as to po-
litical questions upon the claim that the
discussion of the relations of labor to
capital, employers to employees, and
other kindred subjects, is calculated to
array. the colored people against the
whites, and thus endanger the safety of
the people. This determination is not
authorized by State enactments, but the
Democrats who attend political meetings,
not only of their own party, but also of
the opposition, are in the habit of re-
fusing to allow the speakers to discuss
these questions, in their various forms.
Any reference to the condition Of the
colored people before the war, and the
causes that led to the war, are condemned
as being Of an incendiary character. All
the attacks which have been made on
the colored people have been attempted
to be justified on the ground that they
have made threats against the whites.
However false and destitute Of founda-
tion these reports may have been, they
have been made the excuse of the most
unheard Of atrocities against these peo-
pie. AS this pretended fear of negro in
surrection in made the excuse for out
RACES on the colored people, it may not
be amiss to say that the Democratic wit
nesses, when interrogated on that point,
all agreed that the negro was peaceful
and unreyengeful, and that notwithstand-
ing all reports Of the uprising of this
class Of people to murder and outrage
the whites, there was no instance in
American history within their knowledge
when this had been done, and all admit
ted that it would require great provoca-
tions to induce the colored people to re-
sort to violence against the whites. No
prosecutions have been instituted by the
State of South Carolina against the vic.
lators of her laws, and no efforts were
made to punish the men who have thus
wantonly outraged its citizens, and when
the United States Courts have been re-
sorted to for the purpose Of furnishing
the outrages on the ballot, the complain
ant has in very many instances been ar
rested clearly in violation of law by the
State authorities on charges Of perjury,
and committed to Jail unless he gave bail.
Citizens are threatened that if they at
tempt to punish offenders In United
States Courts, the witnesses will be pun
ished in the State Courts, and thus the
State not only declines to punish these
criminals, but refuses to allow it to be
done in the United States. The State
government is white government, no
colored men are represented in it, and 30
far no man connected with it has had
the honesty, courage or humanity to at
tempt to redress the outrages on these
unfortunate men of color. The laws of
South Carolina and Louisiana are un-
doubtedly sufficient for the protection of
all their citizens, but there has been
lamentable failure to enforce them.
This course must in the end be the de-
struction of the governments of these
States.
The committee say that it was not pos
sible within the time they had been in
session to investigate the elections held
in all the Congressional districts in Lou
isiana and South Carolina, but sufficient
testimony was taken to show that in sew
eral districts in these States not only the
election for Congressman, but the cleo
ton for State and county officers as well,
we're neither fair nor free, and that by
violence and fraud the honest expression
of the will of those entitled to vote was
prevented, and thousands Of the citizens
of these States deprived of the elective
franchise. In Louisiana both violence
and fraud were extensively used. In
South Carolina fraud was more largely
relied upon. In both States these agen-
cies, so disreputable in themselves and
so dangerous to the stability of Repub-
lican form of government, were used not
only against candidates of the Republi-
can party but against Independent Dem
ocratic candidates, and candidates by
whatever name known who were in OPP
position to the regular Democratic can
didates.
The minority have not yet prepared
their report.