Daily Republican., 1881-04-25
The RnIIOt in South Carolina.

could to purify the ballot and to nave
honest elections held. Like as not wade
will forget his admission some OF these
days and deny that he ever made II,
and may inSinuate that his address Is
Charleston, South Carolina. BY making
this admission, however, Hampton al
mits that he holds his office by fraud,
and if he really wants to have honest
elections held and put down fraud he
should Immediately resign his seat IN
the Senate, to which he was never hon
estly elected. 1t is by the votes OF such
men as Hampton and Butler, elected
Inv these outrageous frauds admitted by
Hampton that the Democrats are ena-
bled to deadlock the Senate and prevent
its organization in the interests OF the
Republicans.
The latest chapter of fraud from
Hampton's State is furnished by the
Supreme Court of South Carolina Al
the late election in Charleston County,
a county that in q fair election gives
eight thousand Republican majority
the Board of County Commissioners,
solidly Democratic by the action of the
Governor, who has the appointment oi
them and who is required by law to give
both parties representation IN the
board, but did not, these Commls-
sioners deliberately upon the most finn
sy ex-parte testimony OF Democrati'
strikers threw out seven boxes contain
ing large Republican" najorities. there
by disfranchiSirg 3,637 RcpublicanSand
rivinp the county to the Democrats.
The Democratic board of State canvass
ers of course confirmed the action OF the
corrunt commissioners, and hence an
appeal to the Supreme Court OF the
State. The Judges however are III =
dilemma. If they make an honest de-
cison at all they must. make it in the
interests of the Republicans, which
would throw out all the Democratic Of
ticers of Charleston and seat the Repub-
licans in their places. 1t would also
send Republican to Congress from
that district in place of a Democrat,
who now holds the certificate, but we
- -.
hope no longer than Congress itself Will
require to boot him out as soon as 1t
meets in December.
1t is worth while to watch the biased
actions of the South Carolina Judges OF
the Supreme Court, who are the eNenll
lars of law and sworn to do justice.
The Constitution of the State requires
the Judges to file their decisions with
in sixty days from the last day of the
term of Court at which the cases were
heard. Any departure from this pro-
vision is clearly II violation OF the Con-
stitution. Instead of sixty days almost
ninety DAYS have expired but up to this
date 10 decision has been rendered.
The Judges tind'that law and Justice are
both on the Republican side but the
fear of offending Democratic politicians
is on the other side and it is somewhat
difficult to screw up courage enough to
announce decision which if made in
accordance with law, order and dCCcnCy
must he in favor Of the Republicans, a
decision against the Republicans would
make good citizens feel that the highest
tribunal in the State has declared that
voting is useless, and Il formal, if not Il
DANGEROUS farce. ON the other hand
decision aunuIling the action Of the
Commissioners who threw out the boxes
would throw the County back to the
Republicans, break up the Democratic
party, and set loose the tongues of the
Democratic County officers, several Of
whom have openly proclaimed that in
such an event they would divuige the
hidden rascaitieS of the Bourbon man
ayers.
Under these circumstances it is said
the Supreme Court has concluded to
pursue middle course, and not render
| any decision at all. In other words,
rather than expose themselves to the al
tacks of Republican newspapers and
the contempt Of the public, or expose
their party to annoyance and disrup,
ton, the Supreme Judges prefer tc
ignore the Constitution which they
have sworn to obey and uphold, This
is a sample of the justice meted ont by
South Carolina Courts when party III
tercsts are at stake. Let us wait and
see how the Every Evening that goes
into Mysteries ut the very mention OF
fraud will chaw up these South Caro-
lima Judges. The Gazette Of course
will sustain the judges any how very
likely upon the plea that as it alway'
causes n disturbance in South Carolin;
for Republicans 30 vote, they shouldn'
vote at all, and the sooner they ar
all prevented from voting the soone
will peace and quiet prevail at tn
, election.
WlhhoWs'