New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-17
oBr1lNING DGuoCaArc NlJoRI7IES

ern Democrats.
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OBT1INTNG DENOCH1TiC NfJORi7IE&
II has been often said that Ie people care
no longer about alleged frauds at the Sodti.
If ;hcy do not care about such frauds as were
perpetrated at the late election in South Caro-
lima. and do not take steps to prevent such
crimes in future, then the people OF these
Halted States do not deserve the blessings OF
free government I'm ad lIess by the Republic
can State Committee of that State, JUST issued,
ses forth with great clearness and force the
methods used by the Democratic party to OBJ
tam a pretended majority of 54,2ll for Han
cock, in q State where large mtJ1Iliy OF
the actual ana qualified voters were for Gar
field. These methods are DESCRIBED with such
completeness and precision, as to person, place
and time. that there ought to be no difficulty
in verifying or disproving the statements
made, whenever an honest Congress or an
upright Court investigates the matter.
|. 1t is charged that in every county III the
State, with but few exceptions, the three
| managers at each poll who conduct the cleo
ton were all Democrats. In the few eXcep-
| tional counties, tie majority at each poll
were Democratic. and the one so-cailed Ke-
nublican was selected without consulting the
| Republican organization, and was in nearly
| all cases incompetent or unreliable.
II. There was no chance, therefore, for any
| Republican to witness the voting or counting.
or to guard against fraud, excepting when
| United States Supervisor was allowed to be
present. But at very many polls III ali parts
| of the State the mere presence OF TINS one
witness was prevented, i'll violation OF law
| In Aiken County, at five precincts, the super
yisOrs were forced by mob 10 abandon their
| duties; and one OF them was hunted through
| n SWAMP with dogs. In Edgeteld. the super
| visors were driven away from every precinct
| In Laurens, the violence and threats OF Dem
| ocruts were such tnat no Republican dared to
undertake the duties at any precinct Ia Darn
well, the same was true AT two precincts, anu
| from these not a single Republican vote was
| returned. In Ncwbery, Supervisor was
| arrested by a State Constable on III, morning
| of the election and taken away sixteen miles
/ and another was assaulted and driven from the
poII. Othcr instances are given, and methods
are also described by which Supervisors who
! fried to act were prevented from witnessing
! the voting or counting.
III. Throughout The Stare, at most of the
|
| fonnd to contain more ballots than there were
names on the pol-iisis. The managers then
drew out tie number of ballots in excess, but
were enabled by h. character of ballots voted TO
draw out Republican ballots almost exclusively.
| At 81 polls not a single Democratic ballot
was drawn ont though at one Of them as
many as 1875 ballots were drawn. AT other
nlaccs the excess of ballots was greater than
the whole number of Republican votes cast.
| so that nearly the whole Republican vote was
| distracted. Thus, at precinct in Charleston
| the excess was 1,071, and ont OF 597 Repub-
| lican votes cast al but five were drawn out.
| A table is given showing the exact result at
| each of 121 precincts, where 62.46l names
were on the poll lists, 1884 ballots were III
the box. 1O,S73 ballots were drawn out, and
1913 of these were Republican ballots. In
! place of these, of course corresponding
number of fraudulent Democratic ballots WAS
retained and counted, making difference in
! the result of IA, 14G, or % per cent OF the
! whole lawful vote. At other polls, where the
number Of names on the lists was ID, $50,
there were 1854 ballots drawn out, but the
Democratic managers made it impos slble for
| the Supervisors to ascertain how many OF
| these were Republican ballots. The Demo
cratic State Committee issued strict orders to
| managers throughout the State that they
"n,uSt not GlIoW the Supervisors to see or inspect
| ANY ballots drawn" and that such ballots
"must be Immediately deStrOyed" to prevent
subsequent detection of the fraud. But at "A great
lumber of polls, as has been stated, the SUI
pervisors were wholly prevented from acting,
| so that no record can be obtained of the
number of votes withdrawn and destroyed.
| ". The address, pamphlet of forty-five
| pages sums up great mass of testimony as
| 70 the character of frauds already mentioned,
! and as to fraudulent additions 10 the poll
| lists in order to admit the counting of the
excessive Democratic vote frauduently cast. 1t
maintains that not less than 10000 names
were thus flaudulently added, and says:
Although the official canvass by the Board OF State
Canvassers credits Garfield with only 5sO7l votes, we
have established the fact that according 70 the count
made by the Managers OF Election, G9,727 votes were
returned by those officers for him. and have further
established the fact that 1928 ballots known have
been cast destroyed without being counted
increases actual vote cast for Garfield to
1850 And II the latter figures add the 10000
votes estimated have for him aud destroyed
Ia like the vote actually cast for GARFIELD Is IN
creased 10 50 $50
In the calculations tins far made 30 account has been
taken OF the fact five polls which gave large
Re publican majortes no returns received.
The facts in these cases are rected, and the
address then proceeds:
Add 10 the vO al Garfield the number q" Republican