National Republican., 1883-12-22

bourbons to prevent freedom of speech in
South Carolina. Bowen was candidate for
congress, and he went with McLane, the indc-
pendent candidate for governor TO Marion
county to make u speech the day before cleo.
ton. The bourbons had been advised Of their
coming, and determined to give them rcccp.
ton. They went TO the hotel Of tho green.
hackers and demanded division Of time
Naturally tho Precnbackors refused to be bull
dozcd. Then tho red shirts took the town.
demonstration was made in front OF the
house IN which the grceubuckcrs were guests,
the rcd shirts yelling, Bring the sons of -
outW The gang took possession of tho meet.
ing and cilcctually prevented Mcl.ane and
Bowen from making speech. As tho green.
hackers llod--nlmost literally for their lives
tho leader Of the rcd .shirted gang expressed
his sorrow that he had not ordered tho " in
famous sons of --J' to bo tarr0d and ioath-
cred, and he declared that if over they came
TO Marion again to talk anything but de-
mocracy, he would hang thom higher than
the mOon.h
Legally aud morally the government clearly
proved its case.
In view Of tho facts have given in this
letter. can IL bo wondered thojury failed to
conviot2 Ono man hung the jury. It's al
ways so. Tho bourbons knew their man. \
crowd OF them waited for him, and whom the
jury were discharged they carried him of in
triumph, and ho held reception ut one of
the hotels. He will get his reward.
Tho South Carolina press is screaming
with delight Mt what 1t calls the breakdown
Of the government, because on Thursday
Judge Bond continued what is known as tho
Monticello" case until next April. lie had
to leave to hold court elsewhere, and the dc.
fcndants counsel declared that they were not
ready for trial. District Attorney Melton
wanted the case to 90 on, hut under the cir.
cumstanccs Judge Bond had to refuse him.
Following arc the facts Of this case of out
rageous intimidation, part of system prac.
tiCcd all over tho state:
Monticello precinct is in Fairfield county.
At this precinct there arc over 1000 rcpuhli.
can votes and about $50 democratic votes. As
soon as tho polls opened two hundred red
shirtcd bourbOns, all armed with guns aud re.
volvors. surrounded the ballot boxes. They
stacked their guns in the room where tho
voting was going on, placing them Signiii-
cantly where they could be seen from the out
side. Tho red shirts openly declared that
they would not allow the negroes 10 vote
anything but the democratic ticket. Over
eight hundred negroes stood mt tho
polls all day, begging 10 be permitted to
cast their ballots. Word was sent by
the democrats to the grccnback inde-
pcndcnt) candidate for congress, Mr. Eiltin,
whom tho negroes were supporting, that
If he came to the polls to vote they would
kill him. This threat was made in all ear.
nest and to save his life Mr.. Ell,in rcfraincd
from voting By evening nearly all tho coli
ored people had lett the polls in despair.
Then the bourbon allowed those who had
remained to vote. There were only 2G6 bal
lots cast all day, aud Of this number only 90
were cast by republicans and independents.
At the close of the polls the red shirts drove
away tho two United States marshals, aud
pCltch thom with stones and rotten eggs
Onc of the democratic managers Of election
warned the marahals, on their peril, not TO
say anything about the occurrences of the
day
Tho United States government has now to
/ fight iuch by imch in ITS own courts in south
Carolina for the rights which tho north has
/ been thinking wCrU permanently and indls-
/ putably won by by the war.
Things are bad enough as they are, but
loyal men in this region can thank their stars
| that nOa. Hugh l.. Bond Is United States
circuit judge. This genial gentleman is u
mortal terror to tho ku kluXers aud union
hatcr, Of South Carolina. Judge Bonds
friends tel the following story on him: A
South Curu.iuinn, with his household traps
and farming implements stacked in a home
made wagon drawn by a ra&Or-baCkCd OK and
n shaggy and ancient jack, was seen getting
with AL haste to the Georgia limo. \ neigh
Dor asked him why he was quitting South
Carolina. Wall he answered, 'possums
air skCCrsc the pcr5mmOn crop is a failure
and do hecr'n that old Bond a-comin!"
District Judge Bryan is venerable and
fine looking gentleman. lie is 7B years of age.
He was appointed by Grant in the days when
| il was almost impossible to find u man in the
whole state who could take the iron clad OATH
Judge Bryan profcsscd TO be Il Louisiana whig.
He is now q diSscntCr-that Is, he always dis
sents from the rulings of Judge Bond in cases
similar to these pending. He says he will not
resign until democratic president is elected,
in order that lie may have democratic sue
| cessor. lie has three sons, all lawyers, and
they find their practice before their father n
| very profitable one. one of the SONS is a lead
! ing counsel for the defendants in these trials.
| This young man has made nearly all the
motions on his side. Tho flal fondness of
the old white haired man on the bench has
continually manifested itself as to cause n
smiling ripple to 60 round the court roo IN
| lie will call up n spectator and inquire, Did
| you hear my chicken? Didn't he make n
fine argument? Didn't he clear the defend
ants?' The Chicken" will probably be the
next governor of South Carolina.
Tho leading attorney for the defense is
Judge MGGrath, the NestOr Of the bar of
! South Carolina. When secession vas declared
Judge McGrath was on tho bench of the
| United States district court lie became tho
| idol of South Carolina by thcatrically pulling
| oif tho robe worn in those days and stamping
and splitting upon it. lie was aiterward
elected governor.
District Attorney Melton is n knightly,
courteous gentleman. He served with dis
| tinction in the confederate cause, and was
| for time secretary of war. TO him the war
was an eternal settlement of the question of
| the union of the states. As loyal citizen of
| the re- United States he considers it an honor
to officially represent tho government of his
country. Bourhonism, however, has learned
nothing, forgotten nothing, nor forgiven any
thing since tho war. District Attorney Mel
| ton is looked upon us a traitor. His position
is ono to try the soul of bravo man--not
| simply that he at any time may no in peril of
his life, but he is daily subjected to the pitt
less social stunning and ostracsm that to q
man of sensitive nature, with n family, re-
quires almost suporhuman strength of char
aCter to bear up against.
A friend in Ohio writes me inquiring about
the Palmetto flag As an independent foreign
country, of course South Carolina has its own
flag. So far rs | can learn, it was not created
by any act of tho legislature. 1t iloatcd over
tho state house before the war, and it still
floats there. / have been here for over two
weeks and have seen no flag HyinG over the
state house but the Palmetto flag, and the
newspapers hero have boasted of the fact tha
that lie" tho stars and stripes, does moi
wave over tho statesmen sitting below
took aB close II view of il rs ] could the othel
day. 1t is n tattorcd rag, of dark blue ground
with the representation of palmetto tree il