Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 November 1878 — The South Carolina Outrage. [ARTICLE]

The South Carolina Outrage.

The red-shirted Democrats of South Carolina have at last succeeded in making that State “ solid.” They have elected, or rather counted in, every Member of Congress. They have carried every county in the State. In 1876 they had majorities in only eighteen of the thirty-two counties. The remaining fourteen counties gave 31,288 Republican majority, which is now entiraly wiped out. The Legislature now stands 150 Democrats in both houses to 8 Republicans. The Charleston News and Courier says: “These figures, better than words, measure and explain the political revolution in South Carolina. 1 ’ A few words, however, will explain how these figures were obtained, and how •the revolution was accomplished. What intimidation, and threat, and display of military force failed to secure, was accomplished by that last resort of desperate men—ballot-box - stuffing, anditwa3 practiced with a degree of boldness that would have made Tammany ashamed even in its palmiest days of fraud. Every poll was in the hands of Democrats. No Republican Judges or Inspectors were allowed. The Supervisors appointed under the laws of the United States were either driven off or were obliged to stand and witness the infamous frauds without the power to prevent them, or even the opportunity to protest against them. Bv the use of the small tissue-paper ticket inclosed in the large register ticket, a voter was enabled to cast at least twenty votes. By this liberal style of individual voting, it happened that in some precincts there wete four times as many Democratic votes cast as there were voters of all parties in the precinct. In other precincts, the Judges deliberately picked out the Republican votes, threw them away, and substituted unvoted p&c&ages of tickets. The stuffing was even carried 1 beyond all limits of necessity, so that the Democratic majority all over the State is larger than the number of Detnocratio voters.

Under such circumstances as these it bebomes the duty of the three Republican candidates for Congress—Mackey, Rainey and SmaUs-rto give notice of a contest, so that there may be an investigation of these infamous outrages. The whole delegation should be thrown out and a new election ordered. They have never been elected at all. They will bring with them to Washington certificates honey-combed w|th fraud. If the Democratic House persists in seating them, let them do it, but the Republicans must see to it that the odium rests where it belongs. The stamp of fraud must be placed upon the Democratic party so that it cannot be effaced, and it must be made to bear the infamous responsibility. If the South Carolina delegation is admitted to seats in Congress, they will hold seats to which they never were elected, and not only they, but the party which shields them in this wrong, must be allowed no opportunity to shirk or escape responsibility therefor., w The Solid South has carried the joke too far this time. It has disfranchised an entire party. It’has seized the bal-

lot-box’by force, and manipulated it to carry oat its own ends. It bus sent a delegation to Congress who do not represent tho people of South Carolina, and who never were elected by them. It has defied the Constitution ami the laws, dented all the rights of the people, taken away the elective franchise and set up an oligarchy in place of the democratic principles upon which our Government is conducted. The dimensions of this outrage extend bevogid the local limits of South Carolina. It is a crime so grave in character and startling in consequences as to demand the cogazance of the people of the whole country. Let them demand 1 , therefore, either that this delegation shall be thrown out or that an investigation shall be made which will fasten tne responsibility upon the Democratic party. It is a crime not to bo condoned or palliated. It has gone too far.— Chicago Tribune.