Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-06-02
Bully $tn,ttbtf 5uurnal.
Aasusta. Friday Morning. June 2.
The Dfackey-OConnor Case.

D~~'@
cd in Congress By the seating OF Mackey.
the republican contestant, after more than
. week Of filibustering by the democrats
to prevent the case being considered. il
worthy the particular attention Of the Maine
democratic State committee, who have
pompously declared in the call for their
State convention IN favor of elections
free from fraud. force or bribery"
The parties as they stand on the record
are E. w. NJ. Mackey. contestant. and NJ
P. O'Connor. confestee. These parties
we're voted for in November. 1880, as can
dIdates for Congress. O'Connor was de-
clared elected by the county and State
canvassers and the certificate Of election
issued to him. Mackey at once commenced
a contest for the seat. In April. 1881.
O'Connor died. The Governor Of South
Carolina thereupon assuming thatthere was
a vacancy in the seat which had been oc-
cupied by O'Connor. ordered a special
election to fill the same. The republicans
of the district, holding that O'Connor's
claim to the seat was fraudulent, that
Mackey and not O'Connor was the owner
OF the seat, and that no vacancy existed.
refused to vote and did not vote at the
special election. The consequence was
that Mr.. Dibble, who appears in the late
proceedings of the House as the sitting
member and contestee, was voted for by
the democrats and declared elected,
though he had but 1874 votes in a district
which in November, 1880, it was claimed
gave II $50 votes for O'Connor.
The facts in regard to the first election
brought out before the Elections Commit
tee demonstrated beyond a doubt that
Mackev had been robbed of his seat by
the most fragrant outrages upon the ballot.
II was proved that with fair election and
an honest count and return. Mackey was
elected over O'Connor by more than 5000
majority. The history Of the shameful
manner in which Mackey was cheated of
his rights and O'Connor fraudulentIy
counted in, reveals a chapter of rascality
almost equal to that in which Garcelon
and his Council figured in Maine.
The district consists of the three coun-
ties of Charleston. Orangeburg and Clar-
endon. In all three the polling precincts
were under the supervision of democratic
election managers. At no precinct In the
district was single republican connected
with the election boards. Yet the Elec-
tons Committee of the House found that
If the returns had been accepted by the
county canvassers precisely as they were
made by the precinct managers, Mackey
would have been elected by $40 majority.
In order to elect O'Connor, the county
canvassers of Charleston, all of whom
were democrats, threw out seven pre-
cincts which gave an aggregate vote Of
3577 for Mackey and PCS for O'Connor.
and changed the vote at Haut Gap. which
was counted by the democratic precinct
managers as 1887 for Mackey and 46 for
O'Connor. to 10 for Mackey and 1892 for
O'Connor; in Oraugeburg county four
precincts were thrown. out which had
given an aggregate vote. rs counted by
the democratic managers. Of 1445 for
Mackey to $50 for o. Connor; and the vote
of Clarendon county was manipulated by
the canvassers in a similar manner
To illustrate more completely the in
famous frauds practised we take the case
OF single polling place. At Hope
Engine-house poll in the city of Charles
ton the poll list kept by the democratic
managers. by the United States democratic
supervisor. and the republican United
States supervisor, all three agree. and
show that but 1918 persons had voted
No person had had access to or control of
the ballot-box during the day except the
democratic managers. At the close Of the
IL was found that there were 2.2s9 ballots
in the box. 1,071 more ballots than there
were voters. II was also found that there
were 1858 democratic ballots in the box.
465 more democratic ballots than there
were voters all told. republican and
democratic. In accordance with the law
of South Carolina, when an excess Of bal
lots is found in the box. it is the duty OF
one of the managers to order out said ex-
cess. One of them was accordingly blind
folded, and In drawing out this excess Of
l.07l ballots he drew out every republican
ballot but five, and when placed on the
stand ty Mr.. O'Connor he admitted on
cross-examination that the reason he did
not draw out the remaining five ballots
was because he could not find them. AT
the close Of the poll the vote was returned
by the democratic precinct managers as
1900 for O'Connor and five for Mackey:
it was so counted by the democratic county
of Charleston county; again
counted in the same manner BY the demo-
cratic State managers, and also counted
in the same manner by the committee on
elections.
It was by such frauds As these that the
rightful majority of more than 5000 which