The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-03-13
Report of the Teller Investigation Com
miffee.
Associated Press pisnatoh l

WASHINGTON, February 27.-The report Of the
Teller Committee made to the Senate to-day re-
views the testimony OF the ninety-one witnesses
South Carolina. 1t states that the frauds in
South Carolina, by use of tissue ballots, extended
to every county in that State but one and that
between thirty and forty murders were commit
ted in Louisiana. The committee in drawing
conclusions, say: There appears to be wide
spread determination in these States to restrict
the freedom of speech as to political questions
upon the claim that the discussion OF the rela-
lions OF labor to capital, employers to employees,
and other kindred subjects, is calculated to array
the colored people against the whites, and thus
endanger the safety of the people. This determi-
nation is not authorized by State enactments but
the Democrats who attend political meetings
moi only Of their own party, but also of the oppo-
siton in the habit of refusing to allow speak
ers to discuss these questions in their various
forms. Any reference to the condition of the col
ored people before the war, and the causes that
led to the war, are condemned as being of incendi-
airy character. All the attacks which have heen
made on the colored people have been ATTEMPTED
to be justified on the ground that they have made
threats against the whites However false and
destitute of foundation these reports may have
been, they have been made an excuse for fine
most unheard-of atrocity against these people.
AS this pretended rear OF negro Instruction is
made the excuse for outrages on the coIored peo-
pie, it may not be amiss to say that the Demo-
cratic witnesses, when interrogated on that point
all agreed that the negro was peaceful and unre-
vengeful and that all reperts of uprising of this
class OF people to murder and outrage the whites
there was no instance in American history with
in their knowledge when this had been done and
all admitted that it would require great proyoca-
tion to induce the colored people to resort to
violence against the whites. } prosecutions
have been instituted by the State of South Caro-
lima against the vioators OF her laws, and no eff
forts made to punish the men who have thus
wantonly outraged its citizens, and when the
United States courts have been resorted to for
the purpose OF Furnishing the outrages on the
ballot, the complainant has, in very many in
stances, been arrested, clearly in violation of law
by the State authorities, on charges of perjury,
and committed to Jail unless he gave bail. Citi-
zens are threatened that il they attempt to pun
ish offenders in the United States courts the wit
| nesses will be punished in the State courts. and
| thus the State not only declines to punish these
| criminals but refuses to allow it to be done in
| the United States courts. State government is a
white government. Ne colored men are repre-
scented in it, and so far no man connected with it
| has had the honesty courage, or humanity to at
| tempt to redress the outrages OF these unfortu-
| nate men of color. The laws of South Carolina
and Louisiana are undoubtedly sufficient for the
| protection Of all their citizens ; but there has
| been alamentable failure to enforce them. This
course must in the end be the destruction OF the
| government of these States.''
The committee say it not possible, within
the time they have been in session, to investigate
the elections held in all the Congressional Dis
trictS in Louisiana and South Carolina; but Suff-
cient testimony was taken to show that in sever
al districts in these States not only the elections
| for congressman, but elections for State and
county officers well, were neither fair free,
| and that by violence and fraud the honest ex-
preston 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 ex :
tensively used. In South Carolina fraud was more
| largely relied upon. In both States these agen-
| cies so disreputaole in themselves and so dan
gerous to the stability of republican form OF
| government were used not only against the can
didates of the Republican party. but against the
dates by whatever name known who were in op-
| position to the regular Democratic candidates.