The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-01-30
PRINTED LETTER,

cent CONGRESSIONAL eleCIlOH III your DlS-
trict. If any unlawful means, violence,
intimidation or fraud were used to effect
the result of the election, or in the poll
ing or the refusal to poll or count the
votes of those entitled to vote, you will
please send me the names of witnesses to
prove the facts. Ofpersonal knowledge,
what facts have you? Give me a brief
statement of what particular facts each
witness can testify. Please reply at once,
and be explicit.
Respectfully, L. G. NoRTHRoP,
u. S. Attorney for S. G.
PREssLY's ANSWER.
ABBEvILLE G. H., S. c.,
January 20, 1879.
L. c. Northrop, Esq, United States Dis
trict Attorney for South Carolina.
SIR: I received your communication,
addressed to me as United States Super
visor. There must be some mistake. I
am Republican, and Alb. Titus, the
County Chairman, notified me that 1 was
to have commission as United States
Supervisor at the election in Abbeville,
but the commission never came, and I
was not supervisor. don't know if
any supervisors were qualified in the
county. was at the polls at Abbeville
Court House on the day of election, and
I can testify that there was no unlawful
means, violence, intimidation or fraud
used to effect the result of the election,
to my knowledge, in the polling, count
ing or refusal to poll or count the votes
of those entitled to vote, and what I say
is, as fur as 1 know, the facts. You
asked me if / have any facts of my own
personal knowledge. I have no facts ex-
cept that the election was the quietest
election ever did see. I voted myself,
and nobody tried to stop me or ask me
how l voted. When / voted, there were
only two or three people at the polls.
There was no need for any intimidation,
fraud or violence, because the Republi-
can party in the county had no ticket in
the field for the county officers or for the
Legislature or for Congress. No tickets
were put into the hands of the Republi-
can voters by the County Chairman. In
fact, he never had any.
You ask me to give brief statement
of what particular facts each witness can
testify. I have no witness to testify to
any intimidation or violence, for I have
heard no complaint by any Republican
in the county that he was not treated
fair. All the Republicans that voted
voted the Democratic ticket, and great
many never voted.
l would state that the Republican par
ty in this county was not organized fol-
the election. A meeting was called a
few days before the election and q very
few delegates attended-not more than
sixteen. They made up ticket CON-
posed of part Democrats and part Repub-
licans, and all the Democrats declined
the nomination. We had not much
money, but some was made up, and an
order was sent. to General Smalls al
Beaufort to have 1000 tickets printed
The convention was held on the 18th Oc.
tober, 1878, and the order for tickets was
sent few days later, and dispatch
came to the County Chairman the Satnr.
day before the election informing him
that the order was too late, and they did
not have time to print the tickets. We
made no effort, after that, to get tickets
1t was too late, and SO it happened thai
the election day came and we had nc
tickets for our party.
l have the communications which you
sent to me and asked me to deliver then
to the supervisors in the county. know
of no commissioned Republican super
visor, or any one who acted as such.
l received your communications fol
w. NJ. Holland, B. II. Wimms, Harvey
Jones, B. F. Strother, Cupid Middleton
H. A. Wideman, J. L. Adams, w. w
Fraser, Thomas Jones, William Hollo
way, w. H. Nance, B. F. Donaldson
and will deliver them.
have tried to give you all the facts
as you desired. Very respectfully,
WILLIAM NJ. PREssLY.