New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-22
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAIL.
ELECTION FRAUD IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
THE NECESSITY FOR CONGRESS TO INVESTIGATE
THE CONTESTS THAT MAY BE MADE


THE CONTESTS THAT MAY BE MADE
IN THE HOUSE.
To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: Your Washington letter OF the "a inst, pub
lished In The Weekly Tribune of the ith. while APP
parently written in the interest Of one only Of our
Republican contestants for seat in the next Con-
gress. and that. in my opinion, by no means the
most meritorious case. entirely meets my Views as
to the necessity for the House TO investigate each
case separately and on It's special merits am not
by any means in favor OF reopening sectional or
race issues. or OF again waving the bloody shirt.
But on account OF the principle at issue. of free
and fair elections Republican Congress ought not
In my opinion close its eyes the glaringly fraud
uent character OF registration and election
laws here in South Carolina, anywhere else in
the Union To do would insist. make It to
certain extent particeps criminis in the fraud
Nor would / contend that IT should seat
testsnts who have not been elected, simply
the plea that they might possibly have been elected
under certain circumstances On the contrary. |
think 1t should not do But where the holder
OF the certificate is clearly shown to have been
elected by cheating and fraud or by fraudulent
election laws l think the election ought to be
vitated thereby, and the seat In question declared
vacant Such policy. which In my opinion would
be the for Republican Congress TO
pursue. would vitate at least four five out OF
our seven seats In the lower house OF Congress- and
also that OF Governor Tillman in the Senate. Es-
pecially ought no man be allowed to take seat
In that august body the United States Senate.
who was elected thereto by such wholesale trickery
and fraud characterized the election last No
vember. To do this would be TO offer premium
on such methods which certainly Republican
Senate a Republican House cannot do without
decentralization
need not enter into any particulars to prove to
the readers OF The Tribune the character OF our
rsO Qf ftap o,I1
torious and too maodorous TO require any such
evidence Besides. have two able judicial de-
cisons against them. and not one in their favor.
Judge Gon, OF the United States Circuit Court
declared the registration law unconstitutional last
spring In an elaborate opinion that no reasonable
man can doubt will hold good before the Supreme
Court OF the United States whenever the issue can
he got squarely before tina. tribunal its merits
1t is true that the opinion OF Judge Golf was
aside by the Circuit Court Of Appeals; not. how
ever. on a consideration OF Its merits, but on a
mere technicaity. as Chief Justice Fuller
ful TO explain.
But besides this opinion Of Judge Gofr. we have
ESQ Strong ana unanSwerable opinion OF our own
state Chief Justice against this law Chief Justice
acter and ability, a Carolinian Ito the manner
born, and 1 lifelong Democrat Yet he did not
strongest terms as unconstitutional In opinion
that VIII stand as a monument in his honor of
able opinion Of our Chief Justice also overruied
6 5y the Two pu2Pet associate justices WHO
state to decide as to the constitutionallty OF
State law (sic).
These two judicial opinions are as It seems to
me, sufficient to stamp ,ndelby the true character
or our election laws. and fully to Justify Congress
In attaching little weight to certificates OF election
given under them
But fhow the readers OF The Tribune how
far these laws have carried us away here In South
Carolina from a republican form of government"
l. q. as Mr.. Lincoln expressed It, "a government OF
the people, by the people and for the people"
need only refer briefly TO our State election last
November our present Governor. "Jagary" Evans,
was then elected-i indeed he was elected at all
by only 3s.507 votes. This too after most bitter
and exciting campaign. at least the part of the
OF the entire election machinery OF the State The
latter was used most unscriIpulOusly for counting
in and counting out" purposes. |. O.. for count
ing in friends and counting out opponents. Ac-
cording to the last census the voting population OF
South Carolina 10000 whites and 1872 900 negroes
the vote for 'Jagary." he received less than two
hfths the white vote OF the State. and only about
one-slxth OF the entire vote
Not materially different the vote FOR the
Legislature, which elected Governor Tillman
the United States Senate and for Congressman.
You see. then, how far our State government is
from being republican in form and from repre-
senting majority OF our people. and also how far
Tillman and the Representatives claiming
will be from representing our entire people in Con-
gress. A Republican Congress. then. ought 10
hesitate TO rectify, as far In II may lie. this
deplorable state OF affairs In South Carolina
In far | fully with your Washington
probably differ somewhat as 10 the merits OF the
different TO come before Congress.
4 CONSERVATIVE REPC BLICAN.
\ewberry, s. c., Sept 3, 1895.