The State Journal

It is claimed that the late election in the counties of Edgefield and Laurens, South Carolina, was a fraud of unparalleled infamy and violence in the history of the country. It does not appear to have reached far enough to have changed the presidential vote, and given the state to Tilden instead of Hayes. But, if suffered to succeed, it appears to have been of sufficient proportions to have constituted the state government of Democratic instead of Republican officials. To overcome these frauds and defeat their successful issue in this, seems to have been the plan and purpose of the use of United States troops in the organization of the state legislature, at Columbia, on Tuesday last. That the plan has thus far succeeded seems certain. Governor Chamberlain called upon the president for the troops, and they were furnished under the authority of the constitution and its guaranties. It may be there are other methods of overcoming fraud and violence at elections, but, certainly, none are more summary or effective than these exampled in this instance.

'It may be, to some extent, an arbitrary and distasteful method, but it certainly has the merit of being short, simple, and decisive. Indeed, we are forced to the conclusion that, but for the timely resort to the military arm of the national government, the Democratic members, including those returned by the Edgefield and Laurens frauds, would have prevailed in the organization of the legislature, and those frauds thus come out victorious. No doubt there will an angry howl go up from the Democratic press, and orators of the land over this repeated invasion of the constitutional rights of the people, and the trampling of the liberties of the people under military power. But these Democrats will persist in the mistake that fraud and violence, in the form of an election, are among their constitutional rights.'