Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-02-20
OUR wAkIIINGTON LETTER.
The south Carolina Disfranchising
sche me s-BOw 10 il to be Done
Facts aud ffgurex-The Stains
Of COnKrs sst0nal Gem mttte,s d. p
The Senatorial Scandal e
Bulldoxisg-aekIen
tha0ees s4


odious, aud finally succ eeded in elm
mating it from our body polite.
Even the class of "gushers" who we're
wont to rail out against negro rulsn'
are becoming stalwarts, and freely ad-
NIT that they were misled by the
hypocritieal csntings Of men like
Wade Hampton.
With view to showing what Wade
Hampton has done by tissue ballots
and what he hopes t, continue dong
by mt ans OF tue "forms of law"
submit TO your readers few statistics
acquired from source altogether re-.
liaUie, the correctness of which | un
nesitaiiugly vouch for.
In south Carolina in 1867, the rtgis-
tered vote was, colored, 81, 2S6; whites,
47,0l0-a republican msjoity on the
color line alone of 80. 276 In 1870, the
population Of the state was, coiored
4l5,Sl4; whites 289 .073, colored ma
jority of 1875 TAI In 1868, at the pres
ldeutial election, General Grant res
ceived in South Carolina 81. 30l votes
and the electoral collfgs of the state.
In 1872 Grant received IL .290 votes
1851 majority and the electoral col
iege OF Tie state. A solid republican
delegation was elected to congress, and
of the legislature on joint bal OF, a ma.
jority of 95. In 1876. General Hayes
received 81 SO votes; Tilden, support ID
by rifle clubs. only 80 906. But in
1878, how many republican woes were
cas- or rather COUNTED? Ga the gov
errors vote not Que. Only 2l3 we're
counted as scattering. MOI one repub
lican member was returned TO COT +. So.
The democratic voc was increased to
ll9 $50, by which were elec d he five
mem bers Of the house, a solid delega
ton 10 congress, aud Of the legislature,
on joint ballot, u majority OF l42.
What in 1873 had become of Grants
heavy majority of 1868 aud 1872?
What, indeed OF Hayes vote of 81 1856
polied in 1876, OnIy wo years before?
Suppressed by the rifle clubs and tissue
ballots in Jt0od terrorism and fraud!
But figures ike the above are alarm
ing the south Caroliua gentry. They
freely admit that il their young men
ne raised up in the practice of voting
tissue ballots by the haud full, there ia
no telling where the thing will end.
Hence it IL that the democratic
leaders. are beginning to desire
means whereby the negro vote can
be 'slenced" by the "forms of law
TO that end James Conner, J. d.
Pope and ex Chief Justice Haskell
are at pre- ent devising a registration
scheme whereby the msjorlty OF the
republican vote of the state will be
DISTINGUISHED They have incorpo
rated an educational test in bill now
before the legislature, which will soou
become a law, whereby every voter
Will be required 10 sign his name on
he registration lists. OF course those
familiar with dem ncratlc methods will
readily comprehend how the thing
will work. The registration clerks,
supple too of the Hsmptons and
Conners, will sit In closed offices, aud
the voters will be admitted one a. a
time. The white democrat who does
not know bis alphabet, and who
makes his cross when he has
occasion to Sign his name, will find
the aforesaid clerks accommodating
enough to write his name for him,
while the illiteTate negro will be re-
CURED to sign bis own name, and,
upon failure to do so, will be driven
out. Ia that way, the democratic
leaders of South Carolina propose to
dispose Of the immense republican
majority of that state. 1t remains to
be seen whether the loyal masses OF
the north will condone this unprectA
dented attempt of southern rebels to
disfraDchise a race which prayed and
watched for the nations flag in the
late war, aud whose only offense is
that they are now loyal to the republic
eau party.
1t may interest some Of your read.
ers to be informed Of the manner in
which the congressional committees
have been divided out.
The committee ON privileges and
elections, just now most i'm
portant Committee, as 1t prac-
ticslly decides all cases of
of contested seats in the senate, is COM
posed of nine membership demos
Gratis and three republicans, but five of
the six democrats are ex-rebel briea.
diers. The committee ON finance is
composed of uine members-tive dem
ocrats and four republicans, but four IF
the five democrats are coDfederates.
The committee on appropriations is
composed of nine members-five dem
ocrats aud four republicans, but three
of the five democrats are cOnfederates.
The committee on commerce is com.
posed of pine members-tive democrats
aud four republicans, but four of the
five democrats are exsrebels. The
com mite g on postofflces aud postrosds
is composed Of nine memoers-six
democrats and three republicans, but
five of the six democrats are ex-con-
federates. The Committee on claims,
Just now committee of the
grandest Importance to the south,
In view of The immense
rebel claims now on the calendar OF
congress from that section, is COM
posed of nine members, five demo-
crals--all confederstes-and four re-
publicans. The committee on election
OF president aud vice president, con-
sisis OF nine mem bers, four Of whom
were In the rebel army. And 30 on
through all the senate committees.
A major ty of these import-
ant committees are confederates,
and consequently control them under
the caucus rule on all important ques-
tons,