Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-06-03
Congressional.


Congressional.
WASHINGTON, May 25.-At tho cxpira.
ton of tho morning hour, on the renewal
Of Senator Bayord's motion tho Senate
took up the supervisors bill, which pro-
vidcs that supervisors Of election shall bo
appointed by tho President, with tic cou-
sent of tho Senate, and shall hold ollico for
two years. Senator Dayord proposed to
change the date on which tho terms of
supervisors now in Office sl,onld cxp;,c from
May lst to July lst. IIc also agreed to 50
amend the bill as to recognize the prcsi-
dents right to appoint new Supervisors
during tho recess of tho Senate.
Senator Bayard explained the bill, and
IN reply to questions and criticisms Of Soma.
tor lloar, said it was not intended to affect
tho powors of supervisors in any way, but to
regulate their tenure Of Office. Many of
them had already held their places since
1871, and there was no provision for their
removal for cause. Their Office could be
vacated only by death or resignation. IIo
thought this opposed to our practice Of
government.
Senator Conkliug spoke in opposition to
tho bill and declared that it wns one more
link in the chain of Legislation intended to
nullify tho laws guaranteeing FREQ elections.
Senator Mcdonald supported tho bill,
and said ho did not believe that Federal
interference with elections was beneficial, or
constitutional. Since, however, tho Demo.
Gratis could not repeal tho election laws they
proposed to take the tcoth out of tho Federal
machinery and render it MS harmless as
possible.
Senator Teller opposed tho bill and
referred to the lawlcssncss in varions parts
OF the South ns proof that Federal election
officers wore needed.
While lie was speaking or tho use Of
tissue ballots in tho South, Senator lIamp-
ton handed him :, tissue ballot and asked
him to rcadit
Senator Teller said that it purpcrtcd to
DO Republican tissue bnllot and he thcro
upon went into the history of tho election
in Charleston, asserting that tho Rcpubli-
cans used tissue ballots iu q Legitimate
manner to prevent tho Democrats from
distinguishing them from their own tissue
ballots and throwing them out.
Senator Hampton remarked that tho
present representative from that county
was elected hy ten thousand majority.
Senator Teller lad said that threo thousand
Democratic tissue ballots were cast E7cn
allowing thrco thousand, no still had seven
thousand majority. In further remarks he
said that Senator Ioar had fallen into n
mistake very common at tho North, that
when colo:cd people mako up o majority Of
tho population there must be Republican
majority. No greater mistake could be
made. llc ycntnrcd to say there were
tens of thousands of colorcd men in his
own State who woro as carnost Democrats
as ho was. llo believed he could 90 into
his State and be elected by negro votes
alone. The negroes realized that they
were better OF under Democratic rule than
Republicans. Hc had been bcotcn in the
canvass against Chombcrlain by shcr votes
and he had told them then that il they
were in Massachusetts whore Chamberlain
camo from they might bn as good citZans
as any ono, but unless thoy conld read and
write they could not vote
Senator Thurman moved to amend tho
bill by providing that no person who has
held or who now holds the rilice of super-
visor of elections shall be re-oppointcd.
He said ho knew some supervisors Of clcc-
tiop had boon bad mon and he did net in
tend they should ever be re-appointcd.
Senator Hoar said that this bill was pnrt
of q scheme to destroy tho liberties of the
people by sort of dry rot. The govern
mont was not to be ovorthrown BY
violence, but by tho corruption Of tho ballot
box.
Senator Hampton said that Senator
lloar might instruct Massachusetts, in her
duty under tho Constitution before ho con.
demncd other States. That State disfran-
chised 1885, 900 mon uuder tho educational
qualification, yet sho kept her full, popula,
representation in Congress in violation Of
tho Constitution.
An animated running debate folowed, il
which Senators Hampton, Dutcr, IIoar anG
Teller took the principal part, and vhiof
turned upon tho evidence :akou before Tho
Wallace committee and tho Interpretation
Of it in various ways.
A long, dcsultory, running dobato was
then brought on by tho assertion of Senate,
Teller that tho Democrats wcro afraid tt
discuss certain questions md daro not oper
their mouths about 'hnm.
Senator Voorhees, challenged tho Rcpub
loans to namo such questions, and sharr
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