The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-28
POPE TO MAKE A CONTEST.
He Charges Gross Fraud in the Interest
Of Evans.

he Wants the Right to the Governors
ship Settled by Legal Prooedure-He
Files a Petition and Protest with the
State Senate and 1t is Referred to the
Committee on Privileges and Elec-
tions.
Columbia, s. c., Nov. I.-Dr Sampson
Pope, who ran against John Gary Evans
in the recent election. Is making a contest
in the legislature. He to-day presented to
the Senate petition and protest, which
was referred to the committee on priv
ileges and elections. Dr. Pope's petition
sets forth that the election for governor
was not legal one, and not held under
and in accordance with the constitution
of South Carolina, but was an illegal one.
held under the provisions of the act OF
1882 whose registration provisions are in
direct violation of sections 81, 80 and "a OF
article l of sections and 3 OF article 2, of
section ? of article 3 and of sections 2, 3,
7, and 10 Of article s of the constitution
of this state and the divers provisions Of
the constitution of the United States.
The petition alleges that the constitu-
tional provision in section 81 Of article 1.
requiring that all elections shall be free
and open, was forciby, grossly and shame
lessly violated in :he interest OF John Gary
Evans, depriving thousands of voters of
their right to select their public SER
wants.
1t is alleged that under the guise of COM
plying with the statutory provisions that
a space or inClosure be rallied off at each
nrppiurf m n qlaeffOp nraQtad a
the precincts, in utter defiance and mock
cry Of the spirit and letter Of the consti-
tutonal and statutory provisions, such
barricades and distractions as to entirely
cut off all view of their action and pre-
vent the election from being free and
open; that said managers and others, by
intimidation and physical force, drove
thousands Of legally qualified voters from
the polling places; that the managers so
frequently shifted the position of the ball
lot boxes and refused to read the names
thereon as to succeed in the intended
fraud Of depriving illiterate voters from
voting; that many managers unlawfully
rejected the votes of a great number of
legally qualified voters. alleging that the
numbers on their registration tickets and
the book did not correspond; that the
managers fraudulently abstracted Pope
ballots from the boxes and substi-
tuted Evans ballots; that many man
ayers fraudulently delayed voters 50
as TO deprive others of voting;
that many supervisors fraudulently issued
certificates to voters who desired to vote
for Evans, and thus was his vote in
creased by thousands Of illegal votes
The petition declares that These
frauds, intimidations and acts of violence
| committed by supervisors, managers and
partisans of John Gary Evans were COM
mitted In very many cases at the i'm
mediate instance Of the county chair
man Of the Democratic party, who in
turn received their instruction and orders
as to such action from John l.. NJ Irby,
chairman Of the democratic state execu-
tive committee and United States senator
from South Carolina; and from Benjamin
r. Tillman. governor Of the state of South
Carolina, commander-in-chief Of the mi
lltia Of the state, its highest civil and mill
tary chief whose sworn duty 1t was to
care that the laws be faithfully executed
in mercy, but who, so far from doing so.
in some instances Instructed said county
| chairmen to call to their aid in executing
! these frauds, acts of intimidation and vio-
| lence, sheriffs, constabes and the armed
| forces of the state, il necessary for their
accomplishment"
The petition further alleges that but for
/ these frauds DR. Pope would have had a
large majority of the votes cast. The
/ request is made that this contest of the
/ election of governor be determined by
! legal procedure. stating that the petitioner
/ stands ready to prove his allegations by
! competent and credible testimony