The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-12-05
DR.. PoPE's PETITION.

The petition of Dr.. Sampson Pope
| was presented in the Senate by Senator
Mower of Newberry The petition
was referred to the committee on elec-
tons.
Dr.. Pope's petition sets forth that the
election for Governor was not legal
| one, and not held under and in accord
ance 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. S3
and 81 Of Article /; Of Sections 2 aud
3 of Article 2; of Section 2 Of Article
8: of Sections 2, 8. Z, 8 and 10 of
Article 8 Of the Constitution of this
State and of divers provisions Of the
Constitution Of the United States.
The petitioo alleges that the cons'itu.
tiooal provision Of Section 81. of
Article L., requiring that all elections
Shall be free and open. was forcibly,
grossly aud shauefully violated in the
ioteres. of John Gary Evans, depriv-
ing thousands of voters OF their right
to select their public servants.
1t is alleged that under guise OF
complying with the statutory provisions
that space or enclosure be rallied of at
each precinct, managers Of election
erected at The precincts, 10 utter deh-
auce and mockery Of the spirit aud let
ter of the Constitution and statutory
provisions, such barricades and OBJ
struc,ions as to utterly cut of all view
OF their action and prevent the election
! from being free and opcu.
That said managers aud others by
intimidation and physical force drove
thousands of legally qualified voters
from the polling places. That mana-
gers so frequently shifted the position
of the ballot boxes and refused to rcad
the names thereon as to succeed in the
intended fraud Of depriving illiteraie
voters from voting. That many mama
gers uulawfully rejected the votes of a
great number Of legally qualified voters,
alleging that the number on their regis
tration tickets and the book did not cor
respond
THAT the managers fraudalently alb
stracted Pope ballots from the boxes
and substituted Evans ballots. That
many managers fraduleptly delayed
voters so as to deprive others of voting
That many supervisors fraudulently
issued certificates to voters who desired
to vote for Evans and thus was bis vote
increased by thousands Of illegal votes. "
The petitioo declares that these
| frauds, iotimidations and acts OF violence
committed by supervisors. managers
and partisaps Of John Gary Evans were
mitted in very many cases at the
immediate instance Of the county chair
men of the Democratic party, who IN
turn received their instructions and
orders as to such action from John l..
NJ. lrby, chairman OF the Democfa'lc
State executive committee, and United
States Senator from South Carolina.
and from Benjamin r. Tillman. Cover
per of the State Of South Carolina, com.
mauder-in-cbief of the militia of the
State. its highest civil and military
chief, whose sworn duty it was to care
that the laws be faithfully executed in
mercy, but who SO far from doing SO in
some instances instructed said county
chairman to call to their aid in executing
these frauds, acts Of intimidation and
violence, sheriffs, constables aud armed
forces of the State if necessary for their
accomplishment"
The petition further alleges that but
for these frauds DR.. Pope would have a
large majority Of the votes cast. The
request is made that this contest OF elec-