Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-03-06
REPORT OF THE TELLER COMMITTEE.

On Thursday last the majority report or
the Teller committee, appointed to investigate
the elections in South Carolina and Louisi
ana, was submitted to Congress- The ma
jority of the committee being Republicans,
and the committee having been raised for the
purpose Of manufacturing political capital
for the next campaign, we are not surprised
at the fearful frauds and the wholesale intim-
idation developed by their arduous labors.
The minority report has not been submitted,
batiWhen prepared, we presume it will show
the other side of the question and present
facts in different light. ..-
The majority report reviews the testimony
of ninety one witness in Louisiana and one
hundred and seven in South Carolina. 1t
states that the frauds in South Carolina, by
the use of tissue ballots extended to every
county in the State but one-which must
have been York, as we have never heard
of any in this county-and that between
thirty and forty murders were committed in
Louisiana. The committee, in drawing con-
clusions, say j..
There appears to be widespread determi.
nation in these States to restrict the freedom
of speech as to political questions upon the
claim that the discussion of the relations of
labor to capital, employees, and other kin
dred subjects, is calculated to array the col
ored people against the whites, and thus en-
danger the safety of the people This deter
mination is not authorized by State enact
ments, but the Democrats who attend politi-
cal meetings, not only of their own party,
but also of the opposition, are in the habit of
refusing to allow the speakers to discuss these
question in their various forms. Any refer
ence 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 at
tempted to be justified on the ground that
they have made threats against the whites.
However false and destitute of foundation
these reports may have been, they have been
made the excuse Of the most unheard OF atroc.
tiles against these people. AS this pretended
fear of negro insurrection is made the excuse
for outrages on the colored people, it may not
be amiss to say that the Democratic witnesses,
when interrogated on that point, all agreed
that the negro was peaceful and unrevenge'
full, and that Notwithstanding 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 admitted
that it would require great provocation to
induce the coored people to resort to violence
against the whites No prosecutions have
been instituted by the State Of South Carolina
against the violators of her laws, and no ef'
forts were made to punish the men who have
thus wantonly outra ged its citizens, and when
the United States Courts have been resorted
to for the purpose ofpunishing the outrages
on the ballot, the complainant has, in very
many instances, been arrested clearly in viola
ton of law by the State authorities on charges
of perjury, and committed to Jail unless he
gave BAIL Citizens are threatened that if
they attempt to punish offenders in United
States Courts, the witnesses will be, punished
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 Courts. The State government is a
white government No colored men are repre-