New-York tribune., 1879-09-30
SOUTH CAROLINA SHOT GUNS.
HOW THE STATE IS KEPT SOLID FOR 1880
The MURDER or BRYCE AND THE ASSAULT UPON
NiN-REPUbLiCAN PRINCIPLES PUNISHABLE

N'iAihHSiON' .. u. sept 2I.-lhe recent murder
of Alexander Bryce, the recognized leader of the
Republican party in Oconee County. and the at-
tempt made last week TO assassinate Frederick Nix
the Postmaster at Blackviile and the only RepubN-
can leader left in Barnwell County seem to indi-
cate that the Democrats intend to resort to violence
In TINS State rs one OF the methods of supprcssing
tue hepuoilcan vote next year, instead of depend
Ing entirely upon stufing tho ballot-boxes. For
several months past the Republican leaders in va
r'ous parts of the State have made no attempt to
conceal the fact that the Republicans of this State
lntend 10 make an earnest effort 10 carry South Car
olna in 1850 for the candidates on the National
Republican ticket. This the Democratic leaders
seem to realize, and already they have begun to
make threats of wnat may be expected if the Re
Puocrns make any attompt to regain South Caro-
lima General Samuel McGowan VINO was Iildtn
eector IN 1876. aud vino IS girdcd as one o' the
most influential % tle mOcratc caders The S.tc
has recently bean expressing his views to tho news
paper corr. andents. In enc OF these interviews
he stated that the gci / belief was that "thero
would bc q lively tiu- 5,uta Carolina next year ';
that there would not b. the least trouble II outside
influences were not brought To bear. tie thought
that tho cOlOr.d people eiatci the blr2siHg5 oi
peace aud justice which , enjoyed urdsr Dcmo-
cratic Iue, and would not be unreasonable If left
to themselves, but the Democracy feared that they
securing theii votes in the Presidential ciecuon and
us "a part oi that agitation eAor1 would oe made
by the Republicans 10 reg ii possession oi TIE state
Government. lhis be said, the Democrats die net
intend 20 allow and ans effort to restore Republican,
rulc would ''nrce isarly produce disuu,Oinc,s and
be resisted to the last extremity
The views expressed by General NcGowan are
those entertained by the entire Democracy Of
this State. who have already begun to souud
/ IL ,1,- tr,s
make fight to regain South Carolina. The
knowledge that the Republicans have an houest
majority of at least - 900 in this state keeps the
Democrats in constant fear. How TO prevent that
majority from asserting itself is "a problem winch
giyes and Will continue 10 give. the Democrats con-
siderable uneasincss tor many years 70 come. As the
time for election approa hes they ieel kind oi
uncertainty until the result IS definitely doter-
mined tor fear that by sona accident sHey may not
have talcn sufficient precautions 20 overcome the
Republican rnajorics in the various counties. Any
mishap IN stulhng the baotboXes in certain local-
! Ties in accor lance with prearran=ed p.ans might
| cause considerable inconvenience Therefore NOT
| withstaudng thcir control Of the election ma
! chinery certain amount oi violence aud ntlmida-
| ton Is necessary.
Thsappreheuslons expressed b. General McGoWan
| and entertained by the Democracy, lnat the Repub-
! icanS are preparing for struggle IN this state
| next year. has had much to do with tile murder OF
| B,vce and the attempted assassination Of Nix. In
al gns these two men haye been fearless and
energetic leaders OF the Republican masses in
their respective localities Ii the County OF Oconee,
where the whites exceed the coorca voters three
to one Bryce has ever since reconstruction nlain-
ta,ned the Republican organization, aud ut every
election has rallied the Republican voters IN that
remote section OF the state 10 the support of the
Republican ticket Bold and fearless IN his adyo-
cacy Of Republicansm in the mountains where Ec
wa, born and where before the war his father was
a recognized leader among the pcOpie-at one tme
holding the Office OF Shorf-yOung Bryce was
thorn in the side of Democracy. One Of the Demo-
cratic newspapers Of the State in mentioning tire
fact Of his murder after speaking of him as always
having been "a violent opponent of Democratlc
rue and a fierce advocate of Republican rule
remarked that during the campaign OF 1876
be boldly combatted the Hampton movement IN
that county lOconeel and led the fOrlorn hope 10
the polls against the Democracy For that oppo-
sition 10 Hampton the Democracy never forgaye
him. A. soon rs they came into power they sought
70 pnnish him. and the history of their attempt to
do so is even more disgracefu than his recent
murder by Governor Chamberlain lie had been
auuointed Auditor Of OcOnee County. HIS office
was in the Court House building. Daring the
troubles following the election of 1870, when
Hampton and Chamberlain were each claiming 10
be tie Governor OF South Carolina, the Democratic
sheriff of OcOnee locked no the Court House and
refused Bryce admission TO tho building. Bryce
went there at night. etfectcd an entrance INTO Ihe
| room he bad been occupying a. an otnce and re-
| moved his books and papers 10 another building.
For this act the Democracy, soon thev got full
| control of the state, had Bryce indicted upon
charge of bur glary and grand larceny-Ourg Tor
entering his own office. A Democratic jury. IN
! accoriance with tho charge OF Demo
cratic Judge, convicted him. lie was Immediately
sent to the pentenlaTy pa, ain no. remain
there more than one day, Tor tno DenlOcratc
/ iudQ- who had been Instrumental IN haVlng nun
! convicted, and who had sent hlm there, soon ielt
ashamed of bis connection with the outrage ana he
FASTENED to Columbia and released Bryce on habeas
| corpus. Bryce granted new trial Dui nothing
| more was ever heard OF the charge. vi course
| Bryce could never obtain any satisfaction Tor the
outrage committed upon him. In any other coiiinu-
| nitv such II Judge would have been lnpeached Tor
his connection with the analr ~ last, lOf DIS hu,
| turing opposition TO Democracy Bryce mas SUFFERED
| death and the Democracy has got rld OF thc only
! man in Oconee County who had the necessary
| en0rgV aud courage to lead any opposition to them
And IL WAS for similar reasons that the aSissIna-
finn of Frederick Nix was attempted on the 10TH
| inst fbe County of Barnweli. IN which NIX Ie-
sides always gave prev 10 the election ol o'v
| a Republican majority Of nearly 2.OOO By iIaud.
| intin,dation and violence the Democrats in 1876
| sueceeded in overcoming that majority ana In car
| rying the county for Hampton by majority OF
| ahouf 900. For several months preceding me
sIacfon rei gn of terror prevailed Throughout the
connty. 1t was IN Barnweli and tho adjoining
County Of Aiken that th9 Ei,en19n % ro,s oco'Leu %
nublicaus assassinared during the week these nous
oonfluued has nexer been definitely ascertaiucd
| In fhe testimony taken by the Committee OF the
limited States Senate appointed TO investigate that
election tho facts IN regard to Tue ihurIer oi Hev
enteen Republicans are fuy uetalIeu, Oui mere Is
M doubt that the number killed was nearly tLrlce
a. many as the Democratic rlile-clubS rode through
Barnw and Aiken for six DAYS shootihg cOloeI1H
men even those working III the helds: AS u result
~ these murders and OF the general violence and m
timidatinn which prevailed throughout BaInWeI
during the election OF 1876, all the leaders OF thc