New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-01
BOURBON PERVERSITY.

All reports from South Carolina have the
same purport. The BourbOns are carrying the
State in the usual way by suppressing the voice
of the majority They seem to be even more
shameless than usual in their proceedings this
year. Their newspapers make no disguise of
the party's policy. They call openly upon the
red shirted chivalry to go to anti-BourbOn
meetings. demand division of time, and pre-
cipltate row if necessary to break up the gath
ering Even Wade Hampton is less guarded than
heretofore. His previous custom has been to Sc
cretly instigate bulldozing, and publicly lay his
hand upon his heart and protest that he knows
such political methods are very bad and very
disgIaceful, and that thenceforward all his
influence will be used to secure fair and honor
able elections. Now he goes openly to confer
ences of bulldozing leaders and joins them in
urging energetic measures to enable the BOur
bons to retain control of the State. We sup
pose he calls this "dOwn reaching for the
Union" and will say of adverse criticism that
it causes him to be "perplexed and almost dis
couraged."
The leading Bourbon principle is now as it
ever has been, that the negro has no right to
vote unless he will vote the Democratic ticket.
The whole force of the superior intelligence
of South Carolina has been devoted for several
years TO one effort after another for the en-
fOrcement of this principle. They sup
posed they had found a peaceful solu-
ton IN the new registration law, but the ne
grOes were so DESTROYS OF exercising their
right of suffrage that dangerously large num-
Der OF them succeeded in registering in spite of
the many adroit obstacles thrown in their way.
IL &c hot he wi At m
ing unless he is either driven from the polls or
shot. The old familiar attempt is being made
now to scare him away, and it may succeed
The red-shirts are numerous and noisy, and if
they shoot several negroes day during the last
week of the campaign the bulk Of the race may
be Convinced that it will be safer for them not
to try to vote next Tuesday. If, however, they
are not frightened into staying away from the
polls and actually get their votes into the bal
lot boxes, the Bourbons know what to do. The
old tissue ballots can be tried over again, and the
old business of false counting can be resumed.
The only drawback about this system of count
ing is, to use the words Of the leading Bourbon
organ of the State, that it subjects the best cti
zens of the State to the risk of being sent to the
Albany Penitentiary bat after all, this risk is
very small SO long as the public sentiment of
South Carolina compels all juries to treat frauds
upon the ballot-box as deeds of exalted patri-
Otism.
There is something ptiable in this annual
exhibition in South Carolina. Here is a
State majority of whose white people
band together TO carry its elections by
fraud. There Is no disguise about it, The men
who commit the frauds are hailed as the saw
iors OF the commonwealth, and no Jury can be
impanelled which will dare to bring in YER
dict against them. There is apparently no such
thing as public conscience alive in the State.
1t is urged in defense of the frauds that they
are necessary to protect the State from negro
domination. but the men who make that excuse
know that it is no justification for their crimes.
If all the negroes in the State were permitted
to vote, the result would not he negro dom
nation in the old sense of the term. The ne
grOes are vastly better fitted to have voice In the
government than they were ten or fifteen years
ago. In spite of all the Bourbon efforts
to prevent their advancement-and their
efforts have been as persistent as they
have been intamOus-many Of the negroes
have lcceeded in acquiring property and in
having themselves and their children partially
educated They have shown thrift and sObriety