The Portland daily press., 1879-05-29
THE WALLACE COMMITTEE.


Resurrecting the Election Of 1915 Again.
WASHINGTON, May 2S.-The Wallace Com
mittee met today and examined I. j. Mackey,
who is Circuit Judge of South Carolina. He
testified that until 1876 he was in utilization
with the Republican party when he left it,
He was present at Chester in 1876 when the
elections were progressing for state officers,
Presidential electors and members OF Congress-
and was called on to interpoSe his official au-
thority to check interference by the military
and deputy marshals with voters at the polls
Several deputy marshals had declared a pur-
pose to carry the elections for the Republicans.
They exhibited printed circular purportng
to have been signed by Attorney General Taft
addressed to U. S. marshals to disregard the
process of state courts. AT o'clock in the
day the chief deputy marshal, at the head of a
band of colored men, assaulted voters at Car
ma, tearing from their hands HAYES and
Hampton tickets, and several voters, who re-
fused to surrender their tickets, were knocked
down. Subsequently he saw military, 10 men
of the 18th Infantry, march into the court
house yard, forming in two lines. The voters
were required to pass to the polls under fixed
bayonets. On complaint made to witness that
voters were interfered with by the military he
issued a warrant for the arrest of 1t. Hinton,
who commanded the detachments. The sher-
if made verbal report that Lieut. Hinton
stated that he had been summoned by the
chief deputy marshal to bring his troops to the
polls; that there were no breaches of the peace
except such as were committed by the depu ty
marshals who had taken ballots from voter S;
and further that Lieut.. Hinton had declared
that he was informed that violence was immi-
nent at the polls, and that there had already
been breach of the peace and asked to be
be saved from the disgrace of arrest, promis-
ing that he would remove his troops to the rear
OF the court house. Witness (this having been
done) instructed the sheriff to take no further
action; several deputy marshals were engaged
hntin Rpp nd nhar rod
colored persons having Democratic tickets in
their hands and in line with the whites, with
betraying their race. All the deputy marshals
with one exception were colored. Their in
structionS were signed by the United States
Marshal, the words at the head of their COM
mission being "Stand by your party" Witness
saw in three or four instances Democratic bal
lots destroyed by these officers; the conduct
of the marshals did not fall under his observa-
ton in 1878, but he knew of one colored Dem
ocrat who was threatened.
Cross-examined by Mr.. Teller-The Hayes
and Hampton tickets embraced the Democrat
ic nominees, and the Hayes and Chamberlain
ticket embraced the Republican candidates. 1t
was declared by Representative Saylor and
other members of the subcommittee of the
House, on the Sd of January, that Hayes car
ried the state by from 1000 to 1000 votes, ant
such was the belief of witness. Hampton wa.
elected by 100 majority. He supported the
Hayes and Hampton ticket and all the Demo.
VidtiO louiiuOCo, dAu ny Sluo Will Ildl1p-
ton canvassed the state for Hayes, but he voted
for Tilden, endorsing on his ballot as the rea
son for doing so that bayonets were brought tC
the polls to secure the election of Hayes.
A number of persons wore red shirts, inclu
ding colored Democrats hundred O.
them. Both parties carried pistols. 1t wa
the custom of the country, but a law since ha
been passed making the carrying of concealed
weapons felony. Referring to the taking O
tickets from Democratic colored voters witnes
said white men interfered, saying such thing.
would not be permitted. The sheriff, who wa
Democrat, commanded peace and said tn,
remedy for interfering with voters will b.
found in law. The troops did not interfere a
body with the voters, but one of the soldier
cursed citizen and threatened to bayone
him.. The only reason given by the either
was that he was on his way to the polls; troop
were at the polling place an hour; he in 1873
saw voter shot down in Charleston ant
thought the shooting in that case was justif
| able. Three men were knocked down b,
deputy mershals They were arrested on thu
| charge of intimidating voters and for assault
and battery. One was convicted, the jur
containing seven or eight colored Republicans
The judge had ruled that the commissions O
the deputy mershals did not protect them il
committing breach of the law. In concludin,
his testimony, witness wished to say that
jury of the State courts, composed wholly O
Republicans, would convict the most prominen
Republican who should wrong Democrat
and Democratic jury would convict the mos
prominent Democrat who should wrong
Republican.
Marshal Payne of New York and John E
Kennedy will be examined tomorrow