The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-03-06
A TALE OF TWO STATES.
Toiiers Report on South Carolina and
Louisiana.
WASHINGTON. Febr,,,rv o7

~ 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 ono 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 that State but one. and that between
thirty and forty murders were committed
in Louisiana.
Ihe committee, in drawing conclu-
sions, says: There appears to be wide
spread determination in these States to
restrict the freedom Of speech as to DO.
iitical questions upon the claim that the
discussion Of the relations of labor to
capital, employers to employees, and
olher kindred subjects, is calculated to
array the colorcd people against the
WHITES, and thus cndangcr the safety of
me people. This determination il not
authorized by State enactments. but tho
democrats who attend political meetings.
not only OF their own party, but also Of
tne opposition, are i'll the habit Of re-
iusing to allow the speakers to discuss
these questions in their various forms.
ANY reference to the condition Of the
coioreu people before the war, and tho
causes that led to the war, are condemned
az being or an lncendiary character. All
.he attacks which have been made on
Inc coiored people have been ATTEMPTED
10 De Justihed on the ground that they
ma. made threats against the whites.
however false and destitute Of founda-
tion these reports may have been, they
nave been made the excuse OF the most
unheard Of atrocities against these peo-
pie AS this pretended fear of negro in
surrectlon 10 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,
oil agreed that the negro was peaceful
and unrevengeful, and that notwithstand-
ing ali reports Vi iho 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 1t would require great provoca-
tlons 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 we're
made to punish the men who have thus
wantonly outraged its citizens, and when
the United States Courts have been re-
sorted 10 for the purpose Of furnishing
the outrages on the ballot, tho 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 witnessed will be pun
ghpH n tho Stefn
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
colorcd men are represented in it. and 10
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. Tho laws of
South Carolina and Louisiana are un-
doLbtedly sufficient for the protection of
all their citizens, but th.Tc has been a
iauientabie failure 10 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 DOS
sible within the time they had been in
session to investigate the elections held
i'll 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, go disreputable in themselves and
80 dangerous to the stability of Repub-
lican form 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 op-
position to the regular Democratic can
didates.
The minority have not yet prepared
their report.
M