Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 November 1884 — They Played an Old Trick. [ARTICLE]

They Played an Old Trick.

l ew York World: "Twenty men, some of whom acted as inspector of election on Nov. 4, called at the district attorney’s office yesterday and gave valuable information in regard to the unscrupulous methods resort ed to by the Republicans to reduce Cleveland’s majorities in districts in which they could Dot expect to gain any advantage by houest means. The revelations they made were astounding. Assistant District Attorney Allen. to Whom they made their confessions, knew iu spite of the precautions taken a great many votes were

oast ill'gaily* but he was aoaroely prepared for the tale of widespread conspiracy to defeat the will of the people w&lch was poured into his ears. For several hours he had two stenographers engaged taking the statements of tn» twenty voluntary witnesses During the night their depositions wili,be written out, and this morning they "will call again and attach their sign a tines to them, and •wear to the truth; ot the 'desertions which they contain. These depositions win, then, eftth a vast amount of other svldetjcewrlSlch has accumu lated In the district attorney’s office, be submitted to the grand Jury for the action of that body. “It would be manifestly improper,” said Mr. Allen, “to make public a? this stage the nature of the startling evidence which has been received in t~is office in legard to irregularities committed at the spoils. lam satisfied that from 15,000 to 20,000 votes were cast illegally in this city alone ” It is a matter of common rumor—and it is believed that the distiiet attorney has reliable information on the subj ct—that the republican workers Invaded the democratic strongholds on Nov, 4, and by the ingenious methods of .votlug double ballots very materially reduced the majorities for Cleveland. Wherever practices were indulged in it has beeu ascermined that a republican inspector was in cbiirg and pushed into the boxes three double bailors. The poll clerks registered the name of each voter who appeared at the polling place. The first thing done after the closs of the po Is was *o count the votes in the boxes and compare them with the registry kept by the poll clerks. In a large number of boxes it was found that there was from twenty to thirty ballo’s in excess Of the poll clerks registry. The number in excess had of course to be thrown out. The double ballots were mixed up with the rest, and a man blindfolded drew enough ballots to make the contents of tne box agree with the poll clerk’s list. By this method it is estimated that several thousand votes were lost for Clevela d, and it is hardly possible that the mat ter can now be rectified, the ballots drawu out having been destroyed. This trick has always beeu h favorite oue with the Republican workers by rea si n of the comparative safety with which it cau be curried out, but it is doubiful if it was ever practiced on such an extensive scale as it was durj ing the recent election.

(JhieagoTimes: The colored peop’c throughout the south are reported to be in a state of the most intense agi tation over the result of the presidential election. They have been told for years that the accession of the democrats to power would result in the re-establishment of slavery, and the groat majority of them be lieva it, Since it has been evident that Cleveland was to be the next president the negroes in various pot* tiont of the south have broken out into excesses and disorders Jof tho most serious character, and they are

I dow in a state of mind which rend* ers tbem extremely pliable in the h .nda of cunning demagogues and unscrupulous tricksters. The credu llty of these simple'm ndfdcreatures may seem amazing to some, but real* ly It is not so surprising when wo observe tne extent to wblen the flctio s of tbe offieeboldinff ela a s have been accepted by thousends of intelligent people in the nor h. The Blaine organs throughout the country are fIIU ed with the most direful predictions of the consequences which are to follow Governor Cl- veland’s inaugurulion. The confederate debt ia to be assumed (regardless of the ronatitu-. tion), and 3onfe erate soldiers and orphans are to be pensioned. Wages are to he cut down all over the land, mills and factories are to be closer', and trade and commerce paral> ze<! % There will be no customers for ihe merchant, no work for tbe mechanic, no market for the farmer. These and a thousand kindreo assertions are made and devoutly believed by a vast mul itede of p-oplo who in the ordinary affairs of life are rations, and sensible. £» it strange, then. «iint the ignorant colored men of the south lihv / behaved tile republican leaders wLj iuve been so long din. ning in their eats tbe storv i they would be reduced to slavery should the democrats obtain p wer? The men wuo have by wi. ked lies worke I he e unlo tunute people up to a condition bordering uu de - spair should now take pains to disabuse the minds or their victims of these absurd and drngerous superstitions. It is a duty nor alo'.e to the colored people of tue south but to the country at large, because society is in grave peril so long as they labor under the delution which has already driven them to such cr cues as the burning of Palatka. They are now in a condition of such nervous apprehension that it would take but little to incite th*ra to an outbreak, the consequences of which might prove very serious.”