Year: 1879

PLAIN TALK FROM HAMPTON.
Correspondent Governor, what have
you to say touching the Blaine Teller inyes-
tigation Z"


THE BOTTOM FACTS WANTED.


Governor : 81 have no earthly objection
to the investigation itself, if the right to
make it is conceded. Of course, under the
present circumstances, we could not lodge
an objection touching the unwarrantable
espionage involved in this measure without
being misconstrued, and think Thurman,
Lamar, Butler and others with them
received this measure with most becoming
spirit. Now that it has been undertaken,
l wish to see it go to the bottom. Whatever
wo here have done amiss. let it be shown,
However it may expose any possible dere.
LECTION of ours, it must do us good in the
end. No.good citizen, no ,otse man, no good
patriot can afford to cloak and coucr up
irautt or corruption az elections. 1t goes
to the root of our institutions, and it de-
stroys the fruiton of liberty itself But we
have right to ask that the Teller committee
shall tell the whole story and not the half
of it. Whatever comfort there is in it,
aud confess it is very poor one, due, an
honest investigation will discover as much
irregularity on the Republican side of our
household as thu Democratic. And this
much l may say, that so far as intimidation
is concerned there was literally none what
ever on our side, whilst on the Republican
side there are the most unquestionable evi-
dences of


GROSS INTIMIDATION.


Two cases of this kind happened with
two of tho employees of my son-in-law Col.
Haskell. Two of his "hands" were sadly
beaten for voting the Democratic ticket
SO, too, there were instances Of unqucstion-
able intimidation on the part of the Repub.
licans all over the State. This was more
or less to be looked for. We had all the
surrounding influences of superior wealth,
social and political power, on our side, which,
naturally, without actual or undue con-
straint, exercises great control over the
average votes of the country. When, then,
the Republican party saw power slipping
from their hands like water from the broken
vessels at the well, they first denied it and
then put the thumb.scrcws on their colorcd
partisans to hold them to their old political
reckcnings whether or no. Every sensible
man, North or South, will at once recognize
this condition of things, and the nnvarnished
truth fthe relation thereof. Hence, though
have not been permitted to exercise the
executive functions Of my Office since the
election, owing to the unhappy accident
which befcll me, the Executive of the State,
in the worthy hands into which it has fallen,
will be found, L doubt not, recognizing
facts as they are, and opposed to lending
itself to useless and unworthy rccriminations
on the colored Republicans in this matter.
Our courts arc fully open to all parties,
and orr State lars 'eW he found amply
prouitlcnt and sufficiently penal touching
tbs wnolc matter. Our judges are gentle
men above reproach, and will know neither
Republicans nor Democrats in the discharge
of their duties, and whatever fault might
be found with juries on the score of partisan
bias, either on one side or the other, there
would be the evidence taken under the
control of bipartisan judges and sent to the
jury under charges which could not and
would not spunt at fraud or intimidation
How happens it, then, that no complaint
touching the elections are lodged with our
courts? Why, plainly because the Rcpubi-
cans know that those who live in glass
houses should not throw stones"


Correspondent: "Governer, do you frankly
acknowledge, then, that there were irrcgu-
laritics i'll our Democratic household ?"


DEMOCRATIC IRREGULARITIES.


Governor: 81 do, nguestionaJly. 1t
seemed impossible to prevent it in view of
the terrible moral obliquy visited on our
people by the Radical rule under which
they have lived since the war. This is a
far greater curse to us than all the thefts
that have been perpetyoted on us, bare
catalogue Of which filled columns of our
newspapers. No one can regret this more
than do, and no one could have striven
harder to impress its wrongfulness and
absolute impolicy upon our people than
have. And | now hold as ever its utter
impolicy."


THE DEMOCRATS IN FULL CONTROL OF THE


STATE.


Correspondent: "Governor what have
you to say as to the actual Democratic
strength of the State %


Governor at is unquestionably and
overwhelmingly in the control of the State
Hence, cccn the poor c;ccusc Of being ncccs-
sa'y to the preservation Of ciUiizcd rule is
CuRtinJ tn ann iyre0uIurjyjps ,ut ufoot