Year: 1877

1870 when the United States census was
taken. That is TO say, if every man, white
and black, in Edgefcld county had voted
once-if not one man had stayed from the
polls-the united Republican and Demo-
cratic vote would have been 2,252 votes less
than the vote recorded, although by Gen.
| GARY's admission at least 600 blacks did
not vote at all How was this amazing
result achieved? By Georginns who voted
at every precinct all day long, and by the
grossest frauds on the part of the Demo-
Gratis, of which the Board of State Cauvasscrs
had ample evidence.


In Laurcns there were precisely similar re-
suits and methods But it is not necessary to
point them out, rs this reference to the votes
of these counties is designed only to make
clear the legal questions involved in the
case of the rival Legislatures.


The Board of State Canvassers is the sole
judge of the primd Jacic right to n certif-
cate to seat in the Legislature. What the
wisdom of our ancestors reposcs in single
and irresponsible officer the Clerk OF the
House of Representatives, the State of South
Carolina rcposcs in board of canvasscrs
BY various legal artiiices and the pliancy of
nm intimidatcd judiciary, the Democrats sue
cceded in preventing the Board of State Can
rassers from examining the proofs of fraud
submitted to them from almost every county
until within twenty-four hours of the time
limited by law for the exercise of their duties.
The board then met in defiance of the
court and threw out Edgcfcld and Laurcns,
where the frauds were rs overwhelming
as the campaign had been remorseless.
They gave no certificate TO any claimant
from these counties. They issued certif-
Gates 10 tiity-seven Democrats not one-half
of whom, in all probability, were justly
entitled to them.


Those 81 Democrats, in company, 1t is
said, or by the advice of Senator GORDON,
marched in u body to the State house with
the Democratic claimants from Edgefield
and Laurens at their head. Their plan was
TO refuse to enter unless the Edgeficld and
Laurens members were admitted. As these
men had no certificates. the scrgeant-at-arms
did refuse to admit them. The whole body
of Democracy then performed the second
part of the famous military campaign of
the King Of France with his forty thousand
men:


And then marched down again"


They had what seemed GOvcrnor-but
among their assets was neither legal quo
rum of the House nor the semblance of
Senate, and the most vigilant search fnilcd
to find a Statehouse or the archives of
South Carolina in the list of their corporate
effects. What did they do? Obeying n
popular, one may say national mandate
a dictate of the Ter non scripid of our
America-they hired hall" There
they made believe" to hold sessions daily
The One IIoss Shay took upon itself the
aspect Of legislative body. In the Senate
there were only the lonely members from
Edgefeld and Laurens who, without the
certificates of the Board of State Canvass
ers, had absolutely no legal claim, not the
shadow of a shade Of a legal right, to sit in
any legislative body. The Democrats who
had these certificates qualified and appeared
every day in the CHAMBERLAIN Senate"
took n conspicuous part in its debates, voted
on bills originating in the CHAMBERLAIN
House, addressed the Republican Licuten-
ant Governor presiding there by his official
title, sent bills to Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN as
Governor of the State for his approval, re-
ccived his message and drew their pay or
pocketed their certificates of pay like little
men,"


The HAMPTON Rump found that that it
had blundered. If they had gone into the
"CHAMBERLAIN House" with their "solid"
81 votes it would have needed only few
votes more to enable them to secure ma
jority. Subsequent events showed that
these votes could have been influenced"
They could then, by due form of law, have
seated the Edgetield and Laurens claim
ants. They tried to remedy their blunder,
but it was too late Their position was lu-
dicrous. Only the fact that there was an
organized and disciplined army of rifle
clubs behind them saved them from becom-
ing the butt Of the time. But there is n
serious aspect even in n lunatic's gyra-
tions If he keeps loaded rife
pointed at your head. HAMPTON
had shown himself to he foolish leader
but then his fool had an army behind him.
The Rumps did not lcgislate. They dcvel-
oped an extraordinary genius for adiouning.
They adjourned rs the Georgians voted in
dgcfcld-otten and early. But adjourn
ing has one attribute nf hash-it becomes
monotonous if too continuously INDUCED in
The Rumps became impatient. They de-
termined TO elect Senator. But without
Senate how could this thing be done?
What course did the Rumps take? They
got the Democrats in the CHAMBERLAIN
Senate to come over and vote with
them And so the Democratic Senators
who sat and voted every day in the legal
Legislature, who addressed the Republican
Lieutenant Governor every time they rose
to speak as president of the Senate, after
voting in the legal Senate for Gen. BUTLER
actually voted on the same day with the
Humps for Gen. BTTLER. But they were
true in their action to the spirit of the
HAMPTON canvass in one rcspcCt-thcy
voted twice for the same man Vet cyru