The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-04-04

Ill 4, 1879.
precincts, constituted bold violation OF
the Constitution and the rights of the oiti.
zen, with definite purpose Of CARRYING the
elections, both Federal and STATE, at the
point Of the bayonet This purpose is
further made manifest in the order Of the
Secretary Of War to General Sherman,
dated the 18th day Of October, tho very
day the proclamation Of the President was
lssued, and before it was even kn6wn in
South Carolina, commanding him to sond
forward Immediately all the available force
in the military division Of the Atlantic to-
report 70 Gen. Ruger, commanding at
Columbia, South Caroline" and to instruct
that officer to station his troops in such
~ - slevspeel
% - dase 'of Sky feSsiji
sancs . tie aSthofiSy Sf sbe United Satss." |"
These Instructions were given, too, notwith-
standing the fact that General Ruger bad
teiesrapbed the President only the day be.
fore from Columbia, saying all was quiet
Ut l need more troops will send you
dispatch telling you need them" The
evident design was to get, under the pre-
text Of the charges made in the proclama-
e,on' as many troops rs possible into the
State, in order that they might be used at
the polls to bolster mp the failing fortunes
OF party which. in South Carolina at
least. was fast falling to pieces under the
weight OF its own rot'enness and corruption.
U. 8. SUPERVISORS AND DEPUTY MARsHALs
IN CHARGE OF THE POLLS.
Passing by, in the next place, the iuuu>
merable irregularities in the manner of
conducting the election, which 80 greatly
facilitated fraudulent voting, I desire to
show the partisan conduct of the republi-
can managers, supervisors, and deputy mar.
shais who controlled and surrounded tho
ballot boxes, and the gross outrages upon
the rights of the citizen and 4 free ballot
committed by them.
Thomas Il. Rhades, a republican, who
snPPoreed tho Jones republican ticket in
Georgetown County, testi6es that he was at
the Santee poll on the day of the election,
and that tho managers refused to allow him
to vote the ticket he desired and other
witnesses testify to similar partisan spirit
shown by the managers at other precincts
Many of the republican supervisors were
themselves candidates, and took an active
part In electioneering at the polls. In the
County Of Sumter alone, the testimony
shows that the following persons were can.
didates upon the republican ticket. and also
acted as United States supervisors: J.H.
Ferriter, John W. Wrstbury, w. J. An
drcws, L. B. johnson, Wero candida dates for
the State Legislature and United States
supervisors; 7. J. Tourney, for school com.
missioner and United States supervisor
Rufus Q. Westbuay, for county commission.
er and United States supervisor Samuel
Lee, for judge OF probate and United States
supervisor.
But desire to speak more particularly
ofth large number of deputy United States
marshals Gall Of them republicans, and many
Of them candidates for ofice) who were
appointed, not only without authority of
law, but contrary TO the plain letter of the
law, for every prseinct in Darlington and
Sumter counties, if not in all the Others.
for the purpose Of intimidating and over
awipg voters. These marshals claimed TO
have orders to make arrests and to control
the military stationed at the polls. In or
der TO show how thoroughly they performed
the lawless and disreputable work assigned
them, quote only few passges from the
largo amount Of evidence on this subject
NEGROES FORCED TO VOTE RrpUBL1 CAN
TICKET.
The evidence is abundant and over.
whelming TO convince any uppreiudiced
mind that in these three counties none but
the boldest and most fearless negroes, or
those who bad the immediate and strong
protection Of the whites, dared to vote q
democratic ticket. Huudreds in each Of
these counties were forced to vote tho Re-.
pabfioan ticket or TO refrain from voting
through fear Of bodily harm or injury 70
the small property they possessed And
in the county Of Georgetown, whore the
oolored population 30 largely preponderates,
the negro leaders had during the campaign,
by the denial Of free speech TO democrats
Of both colors, by their own incendiary
and inAammstory harangues, by threats
aud violence Of the most savage character,
inflicted upon those Of their own race who
even dared TO advocate republican ticket
with single democratic name upon it, 90
maddened and infnriated their followers
that they acted more like feroeious wild
beasts in, their fsroe opposition TO the
whites than like freA votara In i. f,a. oorn-