Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-01-23
The Congressional Race.

: tN'NS' ~ oohietohc, VI NoWOcrry,
will receive tho nomination. He
was second in the other race and
ought to have been first. We peo.
pie on the Saluda honor George
Johnstone, and will do all we can to
secure his election. He certainly
has the brain, prestige and every
other qualification to reflect honor
on our State, and we trust the whole
up-country will whoop up George
nc.-Johnston Monttor.
WALKER RUssELL's ASTONISHING
DISCOVERY.
The increasing friction between
the two races, rs shown in the re-
cent massacres in South Carolina and
elsewhere, is largely due to the be-
lief on the part of the Democrats
that this Congress intends to legis-
late to secure their elections. The
probability of such legislation angers
them and this takes the form
among the whites, in some parts of
the South, of increased hatred of the
blacks. At least that is the expla-
nation given by some fair minded
Democrats from the South, who.
however, do not admit in public that
the elections are not honest now.
w. w. Russell, of Anderson S. c.,
who is a native Southerner and a
property owner and who served
through the war in the Confederate
army, has taken prominent part in
,nslns msn' to secure justice to & !! oo'ored
lie is now in this city and he
gives some interesting facts about
South Carolina elections and fur
nishcs an explanation of Mr.. Goth
rams singular action a short time
ago in resigning his seat in the House
from the Third District of South
Carolina and then withdrawing tho
resignation. Mr.. Russell said.
That tho South Carolina elections
are a farce goes without saying.
The whole election machinery, com
missioners of election, hangers,
clerks, etc., with the exception of
Georgetown County, are in the hands
of the Democrats. The Governor
was asked before the last election,
by the representatives of the 15O,-
600 Republican voters, to allow ut
least one Republican official at each
voting precinct, very modest re-
quest considering that in Northern
Republican States the election of
officers are evenly divided between
the two parties. The Governor de-
MED this request, saying that it
would serve no good purpose and
would cndangcr peaceful election.
In our State, as in Mississippi, a
peaceful election is only possible
when the Democrats arc allowed to
have their own way, as they did in
tho municipal election in Jackson
the other day.
But a system that puts all the
power in the hands of q few men,
naturally leads to ring rule. The
entire vote of South Carolina, with
its seven representatives in the
House, is less than that cast in one
or two districts in the North This
ring that controls the State has so
dcmoralized it's prosperity that the
assessed valuation of property has
been reduced from $190,000,000 to
$145,0O0,000. The farmers and others
have been growing restive and discon-
tented. The pow er the ring held to
cheat Republicans was also used to
cheat Democrats, and it was evident
that something must be done or
political revolution would take
place.
The State officers and members of
Congress are all chosen at the Dem
ocratic primaries. If these were
nlade fair the discomfort in the Dem
ocratic ranks would, it was thought,
be stayed. Hence at its last session
the Legislature passed stringent
primary election law. No registra-
ton certificates are required at a
primary election, rs tho law provid-
ing for registration certificates
was merely designed to prevent col
ored men from voting. A primary