The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-02-10
A Big Political Scheme.

WASHINGTON, February 5.-South
Carolina is prepared to spring sensation
at the counting of the electoral vote in the
House of Representatives next Wednes-
day. The counting of the vote of that
State for Bryan and Sewall will be pre-
sented. Representative Murray has just
returned from South Carolina, where he
was in consultation with the leading Re-
publicans of the Palmetto State. He is
armed with monster petition, signed by
thousands of Republicans Of that State,
protesting against the counting of the
electoral vote, and asking for an investi-
CATION of the election laws and the State
Constitution. The claim is made that the
election laws and the State Constitution
upon which they arc based are not in ac
cord with the Federal Constitution.
The petition set forth is in three Sec
tions, the first and third of which read as
follows:
l. a vast majority of the legally quail
fed voters of this State was prevented
from expressing their choice for Presi-
Dental electors by the enforcement on
the part of managers of election of illegal
and unconstitutional barriers.
3. Your memorialists further declare
that republican form of government
does not exist in South Carolina; that the
will of the people has been overthrown;
that military despotism is in control Of
the State Government. and that the peo-
pie Of South Carolina appeal to Congress
for the fulfillment to the State of South
Carolina Of the United States Constitu-
tional guarantee of q republican form Of
government. Your petitioners aver that
the late election, in which more than
hundred thousand electors wore denied
their right to express their choice at the
ballot box, while in all less than sixty
thousand voters were counted, was lille.
gally conducted.
deals exclusively with the alleged uncon-
stitutionality of the State Constitution,
and the charge is made that the Conven-
tion which framed the Constitution re-
fused to take the oath to support the Con-
stitution of the United States; that vast
majority Of the electors of the State were
deprived of participation in the election
Of delegates to the Convention, and that
the clauses of the Constitution are framed
with the purpose Of disfranchising a
large majority OF the electors of the State.
The entire petition is drawn with much
care and formality.
= Representative Murray is now consult
ing with leading Repub blicans here as to
the course of procedure. There are two
methods by which this petition may be
presented to the joint session Of both
houses Of Congress while engaged in
counting the electoral vote. It may be
forwarded 10 the Vice-P President to be de-
livered to the tellers when South Carroll
na is reached on the call of States, or
Representative Murray may rise in his
place in the House and enter verbal
protest and then submit the petition.
While the dispute over the vote of
South Carolina cannot in any way affect
the result, it may give rise to complica-
tions Of serious nature. The best au-
thorities agree that the petition cannot be
ignored, and the investigation of the pre-
cedents shows that when such protest
is entered the count must Immediately
stop until the question is settled.
Nearly all OF the South Carolina Con-
gressiC al elections for the next Con-
gress are to be contested on the very
grounds set forth in the petition, so that
iftho House should decide that the pro-
test against the electoral vote has no
foundation it will preclude the next Re-
publican House from unseating the Dem
ocratic Congressman who hold the prima
facie certificates OF election. The debate,
therefore, is likely to be prolonged and
exciting, and of an intensely partisan ma
ture. Not only will this be true of the
House, but in the Senate. Senator Till
man may take occasion to use his pitch
fork upon home materials. At any rate
some bitter scenes ar quito possible.
II the House. with its overwhelming
Republican majority, should sustain the
position, and the Senate, with its narrow,
uncertain majority, should take the op-
posite course, deadlock in the electoral
count, similar to that which precipitated
the famous electoral commission, would
follow. 1t should be remem bered that
South Carolina was one of the States then
in dispute, playing conspicuous part
in that thrilling page of political history.
Whatever the immediate result of this
attempt to discredit South Carolina vote
may be, there is no doubt that the pro-
gramme, which is to be thus dramatically
inaugurated, is part ofa gigantic scheme
on tho part of Southern Republicans to
overthrow the registration and election
the negro predominates, but where his
vote is not factor. The programme was
talked over at the st. Louis Convention,
was discussed with Mark Hanna when he
was in Washington, and has been out
lined to President ELECT Mckinley at Can.
ton by tho delegation of Southern Repub-
licans who were at that city yesterday. 1t
is proposed by the promoters Of this big
political scheme to secure either the Re.
publican domination in these Southern
States, or reduce the Democratic repre-
sentatlon IN ongress.-iSpectaL to NCWS
und Courier.
Tt was Martin Tufbar uy1n poid