New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-17
DIBBLE'S INGENIOUS PLAN.

THE REDISTRICTING OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
COUNTIES AND TOWNSHIPS DIVIDED AND REPUBH-
CAN PRECINCTS ABoLIsHED-How THE DISTRICTS
ARE ARRANGED TO SUIT THE BOURBON MANA
GERs-sINGULAR FORMATION OF THE SEVENTH
DISTRICT.
IBY TELEGRAPH THE rRTBUNE
WASHINGTON, July 16.-The more closely the
"Dibble plan of rcdstrlcting the State Of Sou tn
Carolina is examined, the more plainly appears its
barefaced scOundresm. It is now known that
long before Samuel Dibble was turned out of his
stolen seat in Congress- his busy brain occu-
pied with tins new scheme to neutralize or de-
stroy the large Republican majority in South Caro-
lima to avoid the necessity hereafter of resorting
to intimidation and violence. TO tissue ballots
balot-box stuiling and false recouning. in order
10 send solid Bourbon delegation to
Congress. The registration had disappointed the
Bourbon managers in most of the counties. for the
Republicans had been more prompt than the Demo-
Gratis in complying with the law. Something more
necessary, and the ingenious Dibble. fertile in
expcdents to defrand the Republican majority was
the man to furnish it. He returned to South Caro-
lima armed with his plan and with map of the
State as he proposed to have il redIstrcted This
plan involved the division of counties and in some
eases even Of townships; and also the abolition of
several Of the largest Republican precincts Of Dib-
be's own county Orangcburg. By these
means three objects were sought to be
compiShcd; first. to give six of the seven
districts white majcritcs, or to leave the colored
majority in each 50 small that only small amount
of cheating would be required to count in the Dem
ocratic candid d3tes second to confuse the Repub-
licans by making them uncertain respecting the dis
tricts in which they belonged and third by abOl-
ishing heavy Republican precincts to throw so
many voters into the same election district that il
would be physically impossible for all to vote in
one day.
After Dibbe arrived in South Carolina his plan
was modified in one respect. He had designed 10
divide Sumter Counter, leaving Sumter Court-house
in "white" district, but this was
changed and the whole county put in the
With District, which Las colored majority of
more than $4,000. 1t is understood that this was
done in order to punish General L. w. Noise and
Charles H. Noise. of Sumter two men who have
held a high place in the Bourbon councils, but who
have lately been suspected of Indep or Liberal
tendencies. With the single modification above de-
scribed, the South Carolina Legislature promptly
adopted the Dibble PLAN" In one respect 1t was
not wholly successful iordespite the ingenuity Of its
author, five out Of tho seven districts still
have colored majoriues, and therefore
Republican lnajorities. For it is a noticeable
fact that in all the recent discussions in the Bour
bon newspapers of South Carolina no claim even
has been set up that there Is any appreclabc num-
Der of cOlored Democrats in that State.
A TRIBUNE correspondent has obtained from the
Superintendent of the Census an official statement
showing the number of male persons OF voting age
in 1880 classified by race in each of the new Con-
gressonal districts of South Carolina The state
mcnt is follows: