Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-02-24
M}istellaneums &eadiug,
"THE GHOST OF INTIMIDATION" /"
CONGRESSMAN AIKEN EXORCIsEs 1T WITH
HARD FACTS.

In the House of Representatives, the Ap.
portionment bill being under consideration,
Congressman Aiken spoke as follows:
After the admirable speeches made to-day
by the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr.
Hawley) and the gentleman from Massachu-
sets (Mr. Robinson) had hoped that this
discussion might have been continued upon
that plane of craftsmanship which they had
inaugursted, and that partisan prejudices
would no more be heard in this debate. But
my good friend from Indiana, (Mr. Calkins,)
whose attention I now invoke, has thought
proper to present some very pertinent ques'
tions, which propose directly to answer.
From the remarks of my friend and of
some of those who preceded him on that side
of the House, am impressed that if there is
any pharisaical righteousness on earth it is to
be found in the Republican party whenever
questions pertaining to the South are dis
cussed by them. To-day they seem to be so.
licitous whether or not large proportion of
the people Of the South are permitted to
vote, and the question is raised by them wheth-
er it is not the duty of Congress to appoint a
committee of investigation upon this subject.
ask my friend from Indiana (Mr. Cal
kins) and his colleagues why is this latter
day thought with them? Why did they not
desire to Investigate this subject when Repub-
lican rascality and extravaganza were run
ming riot over the South and none but Repub.
lican votes were cast? | hold in my hand,
sir, Congressional Directory for 1874, of the
first session of the Forty.third Congress, and
in turning to my own State I find that j. H.
Rainey received in the first district 1875
votes as Republican, "being all the votes
that were cast" as the Directory states. From
the same source | learn that A. j. Ransier
was elected as a Republican from another
district, receiving 20,06l votes against 6,549
votes cast for w. Gurney, Independent Re,
publican, not single Democratic vote being
cast in the district In the third district,
which I have the honor to represent, r. B.
Elliott, the candidate for the Republican par.
ty, received 1927 votes, while only 1904
votes were cast for w. H. McCaw, Democrat.
One year later find L. c. Carpenter, Re-
publican was elected to fill all unexpired
term, Elliott having res gned, and received
%, ,1S5 votes, as is recorded in the Directory,
"there being no organized opposition"
Why is it that this party of great moral
ideas, which then controlled the executive
and legislative branches of our Government,
did not think it incumbent upon them to have
Congressional investigation Of this one-sided
condition of things?
But let US come little nearer to the pres
ent time. In the Directory Of 1876 | find
that at the election of 1874, E. w. NJ. Mack.
ey, Republican, received 1912 votes and
that G. w. BUTTE, also Republican, received
at the same time 14,204 votes +; no record to
be found of Democratic vote being cast in
the districts. Is it not strange, Mr. Speaker,
that this party, whose representatives on this
floor are so clamorous for fair and free elec,
tons, did not consider it their duty to inves.
tigate ut that time these anomalous elections? p
But, sir, this same Republican party, to day
so Just, so fair, 80 moral, at that time so cal.
lous, so insensible to the rights Of Southern
voters, are now demanding that all election
districts shall he composed of contiguous
counties. Sir, allow me to instance but a
single case of Republican gerrymandering
during their revelry, extravaganza and prodi
gality in South Carolina. The third con
gressional district WAS composed of the coun
ties of Abbevile, Anderson, Laurens, New
berry, Oconee, Pickens and Richland, and nc
portion of Richland county is within perhap:
fifteen miles of any point of either of the re
naming connties which constitute the district
Lexington county, which has Democratic
majority of about 1000, intervening between
Richland and Newberry.
The gentleman (Mr Calkins) must not mis-
! understand ME as saying that it was the mum