The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-01-23
I vet mean little business, if you are
confident of heinz equal to the task"

confident of being equal to the task"
Goyernor-"I don't think it will hur
me bit, and whatever my humble opin
ions are worth, feel the country is EN-
titled to them just as they are"
Correspondent-"Well, then, Cover
nor, what have you to say touching tht
Blaine-Teller investigation 2"
THE BOTTOM FACTS WANTED.
Goyernor-"I have no earthly objec
ton to the investigation itself, if tht
right to make it is conceded. OF course
under the present circumstances, We
could not lodge an objection touching
unwarrantable espionage involved in thi:
measure without being misconstrued
and l think Thurman, Larmar and But
Ter and others with them received thi:
measure with most becoming spirit
Now that it has been undertaken, wish
to see it 60 to the bottom: Whatever we
here have done amiss, let it be shown
However it may expose any possible
dereliction of ours, it must DO US good in
the end. No good citizen, no wise man,
no good patriot can afford to cloak and
cover up fraud or corruption in elections
It goes to the root of our institutions
and it destroys the fruition of liberty it.
self. But we have q right to ask that the
Teller committee shall tell the whole
story and not the half of it. Whatever
comfort there is in it, and.I confess it is
very poor one, due and honest investiga-
ton will discover as much irregularity
on the Republican side of our household
as the Democratic. And this much !
NAV say, that so far as intimidation is
concerned, there was literally none what
ever on our side, whilst on the Republi-
can side there are the most unquestion'
able evidences of gross intimidation.
Two cases of this kind happened with
two of the employees of my son-in-law,
Col. Haskell. Two of his "haEls" were
sadly beaten for voting the Democratic
ticket. So, too, there were instances of
unouestionable intimidation on the part
of the Republicans all over the State.
This was more or less to be looked for.
We had all the surrounding influences of
superior wealth, social and political pow
er on our side, which, naturally. without
actual or undue constraint, exercises a
great control over the average voters of
the country. When, then, the Republi-
can party saw power slipping from their
hands like water from the broken vessels
at the well, they first denied it and then
put the thumb-screws on their colored
partisans to hold them to their old politi-
cal reckonings whether or no. Every
sensible man, North or: South, will at
once recognize this condition Of things,
and the unvarnished truth of the relation
thereof. Hence, though have been per-
United to exercise the executive functions
of my Office since the election, owing to
the unhappy accident which befell me,
the executive of the State, in the worthy
hands into which it has fallen, will be
found, I doubt not, recognizing facts as
they are, opposed lending itself to use
less and unworthy recriminations on the
colored Republicansin this matter. Our
courts are fully open to all parties, and
our State laws will be found amply prov
ident and sufficiently penal touching this
whole matter. Ourjudges are gentlemen
above reproach, and will know neither
Republicans or Democrats in the dis
charge of'their duties, and whatever fault
might be found with juries on the score
of partisan bias, either on one side or the
other, there would be the evidence taken
under the control of bipartisan judges
and sent to the jury under charges which
could not and would not squint at fraud
or intimidation. How happens it, then,
that no complaint touching the elections
are lodged with our courts? Why, plain
ly because the Republicans know that
''those who live in glass houses should
not throw stones"
Correspondent = Governor, do you
frankly acknowledge, then, that there
were irregularities in our Democratic
household?"
Governor-"I do rneuestionably. 1t
seemed impossible to prevent it in view
of the terrible moral obliquity visited on
our people by. the Radical rule under
which they have lived since the war.
This is far greater curse to us than all
the theets that have been perpetrated on
US bare catalogue of which filled col
umns of our newspapers. No one can
regret this more than l do, and no one
could have striven harder to impress its
wrongIulness and absolute impolicy upon
our people than l have. And l now hold
as ever its utter impolicy."
THE DEMOCRATS IN FULL coLTRoL OF
THE STATE.
Observation-Disclosures, what have
you to say as to the actual Democratic
strength of the State?" 80 80.
Governor-"It is unquestionably and
overwhelmingly in the control of the
State. Hence, even the poor excuse Of
being necessary to the preservation OF
civilized rule is wanting to any irregular
tiles put afoot on our side. I have no
disposition to shirk investigation, and ]
want it, as have said, to 60 to the bot
tom of the matter. If We can have such
an honest investigation as shall keep its
eyes wide open to election irregularities,
in all parties, in all parts of the Union,
it is we'll and more than we'll. So far as
the prac.icability of such an investiga,
tion is concerned, is another question
Yet, without this, what of the fairness oil
an investigation in corner when the
hustings everywhere else are "full ol
dead mems bones?" Why investigate
elections in the Southern States, where
Irregularities have sprung like thistle<
from Radical sowing, when the govern
ment departments ut Washington and
Federal officials all over the Union are
openly and shamelessly taxed for Repub.
lican campaign funds? If the amount
taxed on these officials is not necessary
to their support, then it is SO much o.
the peoples money taxed for the main.
tenance of party rule, which could moi
be otherwise maintained, and if it coulc
be otherwise maintained, then it is SC
much squandered to satisfy partisan
greed. All we want is fair and square
effort before the people of the country tc
purify the political atmosphere, and we
are content and more than content tc
take all the i'll consequences arising tc
US Immediately, in view of our own ulti
mate good, and the great good to the
whole country, which is no less oul
couptr,, hac,psa ,yo ORC Sontharnarc /,