Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-01-23
Gov. Hampton In nteryieweda..

of SUBJECTS. We give below the Govornor's
viows on the political situations:
THE TELLER INvEsrIoAT1oN.
Correspondont." Governor, I would be
pleased to know if you feel well enough this
morning to entor' tho list and talk with mo a
little on public affairs. 1t ia not nattory to
say to you how much your own people roiy
upon your oounscls, and how much wo fondly
believe tho whole country, without reforonco
! to party lines. respect your frank. outspokcn
| views. Whilst therefore hnvo dono myself
tho infinite pleasure as ctizon and friond Of
calling upon you this morning, (smiling)
yet mean littlo businoss, if you aro contio
dent Of being equal to the task"
Goyernor--"l don't think it will hurt me u
bit. and whatever my humble opinions aro
worth, | feel tho country is entitled to them
just rs they aro."
Correspondont-"We thon. Governor,
what have you to say touching tho Blaino,
Teller investigations"
TIE BOTTOM FACTS WANTED.
Goycrnor--"I have no earthly objection to
tho investigation itself, if the right to mako
it is conceded. OF course under the present
circumstances, We could not lodge an objec
ton touching the unwarrantablo espionage
involved in this measure without being mis-
construed, and think Thurman, Lamar and
Butlor and others with them received this
mcusuro with most becoming spirit. Now
that it has been undertaken. wish to soc it
90 to the bottom. Whatever We hero havo
done amiss, let it DO shown. However it
may expose any possible dcreliction of ours
it must do us goud in the end. No good ci,i-
zen, no wise man, no good patriot can afford
to cloak and cover up fraud or corruption in
elections. 1t goes to tho root Of our institu-
tions, aud it destroys tho fruiton of liberty
itself. But VIC have right to ask that the
Teller Committee shall tell tho whole story
and not tho half Of it. Whatever comfort
there is in it, and confess it is worry poor
ono, duo and honest investigation will dis~
cover as much irregularity on tho Republican
sido Of our household rs tho Democratic
And this much | may say, that so far as in"
timidation is concerned, there was literally
mono whatever on our side, whilst on the
Republican sido there are the most unpucs-
tionablo evidences Of gross intimidation
Two cases oil this kind happened with two
OF the employees of my son -in-luw, Colonel
lIaskoll. Two Of his "hands" wcro sadly
beaten for voting the Democratic ticket. SO
too, there were instances Of unqucstonabc
intimidation on tho part Of the Republicans
all over the State This was more or less to
be lorked rr We had all the surrounding
influences Of superior wealth, social and pos
liicul power OH our side, which. naturally,
without actual or undue cUns;raiut, exercises
| Il great control over the average voters Of tho
country. When, then, tho Republican party
saw power slipping from their hands like
water from the broken vessel at tho well,
they first denied it and then put tho thumb
screws on their colorcd partisans to hold them
to their old political rcckoninSs whether or
no. Every sensible man. North or South
will at once recognize this condition of things,
and tho nnyarnished truth Of the relation
thereof. Hence. though have not been per.
mittcd to exercise the executive functions of
my Office since the election, owing 10 the un-
happy accident which befell me, the executive
of tho State, in the worthy hands into which
it has fallen, will be found, doubt not, rccog.
nizing facts rs they are, opposed lending
itself to useless aud unworthy reGrminatons
on the colored Republicans in this matter,
Our courts arc fully open to all parties, and
cur State laws will bc found amply proyident
and sufficiently penal touching this whole
matter Our judges are gentlemen above
reproach, and will know neither Republicans
and whatever fault might be found with
jurics on tho score of partisan bias, either on
one side or the other. there would be the ev.
dcncc taken under the control of bipartisan
Judges and sent to tho Jury nndcr the charges
which could not and would not sount ut
fraud or Intimidation How happcnsit, then,
that no complaint touching the elections are
Lodged With our courts? Why, plainly be.
cause the Republicans know that .thoee who
live in glass houses should not throw stones"
spondcnt--'Gprerno., do yon frankly
acknowledge then, that there were Irregular
itics in our Democratic hDuschold2"
Govcrnor--"l DO uDqucstionably. 1t
seemed impossible to prevent it in view of
the terrible moral oblign,y visited on oar
people by the Radical rule under which they
have lived since tho war. This is a far greater
ll.l... Al, IL a..
perpctraod on us, II bare catalogue Of which
filed columns Of our newspapers No ono
can regret more than do, and 40 one conld
have slrivcn harder to impress its wrongfu4
ness and absolute impolcy upon our people
than | have. And now hold us ever its
utter impnlicy."
TnK DEMOCRATS IN FULLC1NTRoL or THE sTArE
cspondcnt-"Govcrnor, what have YOU
to say as to the actual Democratic strength Of
the Statc?"
Governor 1T is unqncstionably and over
whclmngly in tho control Of the State.
Hence. even the poor excuse Of being ncces,
sary to the preservation Of civilized rule is
waniingto any Irregularities put aioot on our
side. have no disposition to shirk investi
CATION, and | want it, as have said, to 60 to
the bottom Of tho matter. If wo can have
such an honest investigation rs shall keep its
| eyes wide open to election irregularities, in
All PhrtlcS, III hll parts Oi Inc union, IL IS well
| and Liorc than we'll. So far ns tho practca.
bility of such an investigation is concerned,
is another question. Yet, without this, what
of the fairness Of an Investigation in corner
when the hustirgs everywhere else arc full
Of dead mems boncs2' Why investigate olcc
tions in tho Southern States, where irrcgu.
lnrtics have sprung like thistcs from Radical
sowing when tho government department ut
Washington and Federal officials all over tho
| mir lv IL, ~ 4 = r.