Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 August 1880 — FRAUD AND VIOLENCE. [ARTICLE]

FRAUD AND VIOLENCE.

Hew Alabama Waa CoavertM tato a Stalwart DeiMcratic State. A Record of Fraud that is AbeehiMy Appalling la Its Magnitude. The Republican State committee of Alabama have prepared the following startling address to tbe country: When the Democrats came into power in Alabama in 1874 they found an election law in force which provided proper safeguards for the ballot, and which was Just and equitable with respect to the rights of the two political parties. Tbe ballots were required to be numbered to correspond with tbe number opposite tbe name of ths voter on tbe poll list; immediately after tbe close of tbe election the ballots wars required to be counted out and a correct reuirtkthereof made, which return, toS it her with the poll lists and the original baits, were required to be forwarded to the office of the Probate Judge of tbe county, and there filed as public records; within a abort time thereafter the Probate Judge, sheriff, and clerk of the Circuit Court, who ware constituted a board of supervisor, were required to again wake a count of the votes and to correct all errors, omissions, or fronds of which the inspectors ot the election may have been gulltv. If, after the action of tbe supervisors, any suspicion that fraud had been committed, or error had been made, remained in the mind of any person, the ballots and the accompanying papers were always forthcoming to answer for themselves in any court where tbe question might be tried.

Those who desire the purity of eleetiona could ask for no better law. But the Democratic par--3 was dissatisfied with it. Tt had Just triumpb- , but by a meager majority. It had been found necessary to inaugurate a reign of terror throughout the entire interior of tbe State. Blllipgs was waylaid and assassinated in Sumter county. Hhortly the mail train on tbe Alabama and Chattanooga railroad was flagged in the same county, in open day, by a band of armed men, and Mail Agent Ivey was riddled with bullets for having declared that the murderers of Bitlings should be brought to Justice. At Spring Hill, Bmbouricounty, the polling place was brokeu into, the ballots destroyed, and in the attempt by the mo’’ to shoot the Republican supervisor, Judge Keils, bis little fourteen-year-old son was murdered. The muhlerers have never been punished or tried, bnt more than one of the persons, whose public reputation it is to have been concerued In the murder, have been honored bv Democratic 'offices in the Republican county thus made Democratic. Armed bands of men rode through the streets of Mobile during all the election day, assaulting and murdering inoffensive colored men, and later on the terre caused by these bands was supplemented by military guard with bayonets and uniforms of gray nt each of the polling places. Notwithstanding these facts, and others of a similar character which could be ’ruthfnllv enumerated. tbe Republicans, white- and black, had rallied to tbe standnrd of their partr, and andor the most ad verse circumstances had polled a vote of 96,000, a vote which was a standing menace to Democratic ascendency. It was the consciousness of this fact that caused the Democratic party to enter upon a “reform” of the election law, to the end that that which they had accomplished with ao much-difficulty by violence, and which remained so insecure, might be made easy, certain and secure by iraud. The statutes of the States of the Union may be searched tn vain for a parallel to the election law which was then framed and passed by the Democratic Legislature of Alabama. It not only utterly failed to provide safeguards where safeguards were required, bnt it crentcM opportunities, and offered suggestions, which the moat dullwitted eonld not fail to comprehend. It was provided that the Inspectors, after having counted out tbe votes, should Indorse the returns, with one noli list, in one box, which should be forwarded to the sheriff of the county, and that the ballots, with the other poll list, should be retained by one of the inspectors for sixty days, a“d then destroyed, unless in the meantime a contest should have been oomdishonest inspectors is thus totally destroyed, because their bare return Is all the evidence lu-fore the' boat - i. of supervisors, and upon which they arq required to declare the result. I’ the meantime the inspectors have the evidence of their fraud in their own possession, and have ample time to . make the vol- s in the oox conform to the return which they have made, should a coh test he threatened Or, as has been alleged in some cases where the boxes were required, the houses of the iuspi ctors may be broken into and the boxer stolen, or thev may be accidentally dropped into the Are and burned: or the inspectors, making a mistake as to the dates, may destroy tlie boxes a few days before the law permits. For alt of tuese misdeeds of, and “mishaps” to inspectors, this “wise" election law provides no penalties. Should these subterfuges fail, no great barm is done anyway. The fraudulent return has subserved its purpose by giving the certificate of election to tbe Democratic candidate, for In Democratic Alabama no greater iiuiHM-sibiiity could be conceived than fora Republican to.successfully mntest in the courts the right of Democratic candidates to offices to which they have l>een declared elected. The law was found to have one defect, however. In Federal election* the Federal courts have Jurisdiction of election offenses, and these courts, taking advantage of the unsuspecting election managers, ha>. reached forth their bands unexpectedly, sad by means of their process taken possession of the ballot-boxes, with tbe ballots, and held the same tn be used as evidence in the prosecution of indictments for election frauds. An unsympnthlzinx grand jury bad found indictments on tbe evidence thus presented, and severe! hundreds of “our best citizens” from the four quarters of tbe State were dragged from tbelr homes to the courts at Montgomery, Mobile and Huntsville. Some even were-convlcted by these “alien courts" of an “alien government,” and were made to suffer tbe Ignominy of imprisomnent in the common jail, and the hardship of restaurant fare paid for by a sympathising and admiring people (which afterward rewarded many of them for their martyrdom with offices of trust and profit). • How to remedy the defect which made thia invasion of Hie rights of the citizen possible was the question which was presen tod at the next session of tbe LegU.atnre. It v. as then aud there detet mined that the law which provided for the numlie.iug of tbe ballot did not comport with the theory ot too secrecy of tbe ballot, and a law was enacted that the ballot should no longer be numbered. Lest some vtie and seditious wretch , should still be tempted to invade “the sacred secrecy of the ballot 1, by putting some mark or brand on his ticket, by which means he might thereafter identify it, or by showing its absence bring the self-sacrificing gentlemen who acted as elootion managers to grief, it was further provided that the ballots should be on plain white paper, not shorter than five inches, nor longer than sever, nor narrower than two inches, nor wider tban two apd one-half inches, and that it shonld have no mark or device whatever on it. All ballots not conforming strictly to these requirements were to be rejected as void. The debate on this measure in the State Senate and House of Ri iresentatives at the time of ite passage would be interesting reading for tbe Northern people Some timid souls there were who suggested that tbe law provided for an election bythe inspectors, and not by the people, but they were overborne by the advocates of tbe measure, who declaimed .bout the “sacred secrecy of the ballot,” and the outrage of dragging innocent men away from tbelr homes on the testimong of ignorant and corrupt negroes that they had voted contrary to the ballots in the boxes nnrnorting to be theirs. v

Such a travesty of law and of government of the people was never before presented. The foregoing constitute the chief alterations made in the election law by the Democratic party since it acquired power in thia State, although there are innumerable minor changes, necessary to the smooth and easy working of their scheme of iraud, which point to their determination to disfranchise the black man as ly “ th °* e whleh Ma ’ re h ««‘ of or® been inA tew Instances, not intended as an enumeration, but as simple examples of that which Occurred all over the State of Alabama at the election of the 2d of the present monte, will show that the spirit which actuated the Legislature and the Governor, in the passage of these ini<;'il to us election laws, is alive and active in all classes of the Democratic party, and that there is no division in that party as to the proposition that the negro shall not be permit'cd to have a voice in the government of the country whdro he lives, although a brief examination or the late Democrat 1c census retufiha wifi show that he is largely used to swell the basts of representation. It should be premised that a maturity of toe Republican county officers who have been elected at previous elections have been forced from their positions by the law which required them to und bondsmen wkbin the limits of tnalr own county, a law which was designed for no other purpose than that which it accomplished. No good reason can be given why officers siiovld not be permitted to make their bonds in whole or in part anywhere within the limits of the State, except that by confining them to as small an area as porsibie, such of them as were Republican ! would, in some locatt ties, be subjected to the mercy of a clans of property holders who are hostile to them and Inimical to their retention to office. AX MoGehee’s Switch, in Montgomery county,

tto RepnbUeona polled 672 votes to aoraal at, the RepubUean voters receiving their «e from one mAh, giving him their names, and going straight from him to the polling place, holding their ticket tn view to enable him to see that they deneoited the same ticket they received. These precautions were adopted In order that tbe number of Republican votes polled there on that day might be fixed and ascertained beyond all aonbt, because at the election in that precinct fcwnsember of Congress two years before, their votes bad been returned ao east for tbe Democratic candidate. Tt is instructive to interject here parenthetically, that Ek E. McGehee, one of the lienocrahc inspectors at the former election, and who to at present under indictment tn tbe United States Circuit Court for stuffing the ballot-box on that occasion, was one of the persons chosen as a guardian of the people’s ballot at thia box at After tiie election had progreased, witheat one threatening incident, to its close at & o'clock, the Republican inspector, a colored man, demanded that tbe vote.- should be immediately counted as the law directed, but oould not persuade the other inspectors to Join him in the count, first one excuse and then another being offered for the delay. About 6 o’clock a military company from Montgomery, the “Greys,” under commaud of Cot. Jones, commanding the 2d A labama Militia, appeared upon the grounds, supported by an armed posse of about thirty citizens from Montgomery. The cause of tbe delay then became apparent. The wretches who were housed inside, contemplating the vfltamy they were about to perpetrate, became afraid of the indignation aaa wrath of the large number of colored men who were quietly awaiting on the ground to hear the verdiet of the election announced, and bad sent a report to the city that they were threatened by the colored men, and that there was danger of a collision. The Governor of the State had thereupon issued his mandate, mustered his bayonets, and dispatched them with all speed to the as*!stance of his threatened compatriots. Tbe soldiers took up their station, and the count proceeded. The details of the farce enacted here have been before published. After counting out 116 Republican aud 59 Democratic votes, the

caudle was aocldertaily extinguished, the ballot-box disappeared from the table, reappeared, the candle waa relighted, tbe box was discovered to be full of tickets, where before it had been only partly full by reason of the diminution canned by those already counted, and large numbers of Republican ballots were scattered all over the room, where before there had been none. The colored inspector, inexperienced though lie was, could not mistake tbe meaning of all this, and, timid as he was inexperienced, he yet raised up his voice in protest. This waa the doint to which it had been desired to bring him. The other Inspector and the clerks pretended to be indignant at an “imputation of their integrity.” and* resented the same with language or such force, aoeompanled by demonstrations of such character, that the guilty individual made haste to Join his friends outside. After being somewhat reassured by them, he attempted to again enter the pollingplace and resume his duties as inspector, but was met by the statement that as he had voluntarily abandoned his post, he could not resume it. The inspectors then proceeded to the count, and made a return, giving the Republicans 132 votes and the Democrats 540 votes. There are two singular circumstances in connection with the election at this, point, which should be marked down. The Aral is, that of the first 175 votes taken from the box while the Republican inspector was there, 116 were Republican votes, while of the 500 votes taken from the box after the Republican -inspector had abandoned his duty, only 16 were Republican votes. Tne second is, how 132 men were enabled to terrorize 540 Democrats, white and black, at that place, and put them in such deadly fright that they required a military company, uniformed and armed with bayonets, to assist them in collecting the “votes of the freemen” who voted there on that day. At Kendall’s Beat, in Montgomery county, at which place a list of names of Republican voters was kept for tbe same purpose as at McGehee’s, 544 Republican votes aud 65 Democratic were deposited. At this place the Democratic inspectors, relying on the ignorance of the old colored man acting as the Republican inspector, who was also partially blind, proceeded, with alight efforts at concealment, to substitute Democratic for Republican ballots, but were not enabled to make as complete a revolution as in the other beat, because the old colored man developed an amount of intelligence and decision of character which prevented. The Republican majority of 475 was reduced, however, to 46, the only majority allowed anywhere in the • wiiole county at tnis election, and even this majority wns not ti ‘lowed us by the board of supervisors who compared the returns anil tabulated the same, bnt was thrown out because more votes were returned than appeared on tbe polllist. The inspectors “bad got things mixed." -At Robinson’s X Roads, Montgomery county, a record of the Republican voters was kept by Mr. Dillard, one of the oldest and best citizens of tbe precinct, and it showed that 580 Republican votes were polled. The T>einocratlc vote at the outside limits did not exceed fifty. The only disturbance during the day occurred about 3 o'clock, and was between two colored men, one of whom was wounded by a pistol shot. The polls were kept open till 5 o’clock, as by law required, and voting continued until the very close. The colored man who acted as inspector then proposed to proceed with tbe count, but was informed by the other inspectors that they did not propose to count, that the disturbance at the polls at 3 o’clock had invalidated tbe election. They then closed up tbe polling place, carried off the I>ox containing the ballots, and from that time to this no information has been received iu any official quarters as to the vote at this box.

The same thing occurred at Porter’s Beat, where the vote was about 400 Republican to tiity Democratic, but at that product there was not one incident of a threatening character upon which to ground an excuse for not counting. Why they were not counted is not known. We only know that the inspectors, after receiving votes all day, have utterly failed to make any return whatever, and by their arbitrary and unlawful omission have disfranchised about 500 voters. Why the monotony was varied at this beat and the Republican majority only suppressed. instead of being transposed, ts perhaps accounted for by the fact tlmt the Republicans romciulieriiig their experience in former elections, when t) ey hod been counted out, determined to remain-at the polls en masse until tbeir votes had been declared. This fact, aided by sundry remarks, which were made during the day and night, that the Republicans only wanted a fair count, and that they would have that, appears to have had a salutary effect on the minds of the inspectors, and they did not feel it safe to close the building aud go away with the ballot-box lu the presence of the crowd outside, without giving it a pacifying assurance. The statement was accordingly made to them publicly that the vote as counted showed the Republicans to have 350 majority, nevertheless they were suppressed all the same. At Old Elam the list of votes showed that 446 Republican votes had been polled to 16 Democratic. The count proceeded at this place until 200 Republican votes and five Democratic votes bad been counted out. At this Juncture the candle expired, amt it appeared that no other light oonld be procured. it was accordingly proposed to Charles Pope, tbe colored Inspector, who had been selected for tbe position because of his ignorance and stupidity, thut all the votes be placed together und sent to town, tn lieu of a return, which proposition Popo accepted. This proceeding vitiated everything, because under this law tbe inspectors are required to make the count immediately, and it is upon their return. and not by a count of tbe votes, that the board of supervisors declare the result. To make the thing safe, however, and to make the, injury resulting from their action irreparable, tbe vote us cast and all the loose papers and trash In tbe room, with several hundred ballots of both parties which bad not been voted were dumped indiscriminately into a bag, ana sent tq, the sheriff’s office as the return from Elam. At Union Academy and Dooley, where the RepbbUcan votes exceed the Democratic, tbe lav ter have been returned as having majorities. Tbe feature s at tbe count of those beats do not differ materially from those related as to tbe other beats, except teat the inspector instead of transiMtslng tbe Republican and Democratic votes, as was done elsewhere, appear to haveatteiupted to extend the Democratic vote beyond tbe Republican vote without diminishing the latter. They did not bear in mind the late census returns, however, and have returned more votes from their precinct than those returns show there are male citizens over twenty-one years of are. In tbe city of Montgomery, where it was not supposed any attempt would be made to falsify the count, the precautions to ascertain our vote were not taken as in the country ‘ preoineta, and the Republican majority of 1,400 In 1876, and of about the sama turnbvr to 1873) was this time transposed into a Democratic majority of about 900. There are st Hl some indicia extant. The intelligent white Republicans, who bad been offered by tbe ReKbUcans as inspectors at the city boxes, had in rejected for colored Mien, who could not wnta nor read, or who. it was supposed, would be pliant in the hands of their associates. Tbe Democrats became aware before election day that a mistake bad been made as to one of the amxnuteee, who was a smart and resolute color ed man. On ths morning of election ths latter presented himaeU ax the voting place te assume his duties half boor before tbe time fixed by law for opening the polls. He waa refused entrance into the room on .the pretext that be a.rived too tote, and that tbe election officers bed already met. organized and tilled hts p.aer. The Ri iwmteans of the city bad no usroudatc'. for Justice ot.the peace and constable. Many

yfcked eat sane Maae ae ewe eiee weeM batik*ly to tteiok of, aad voted it for oae or tbe other of these offices. It is noticeable that not one of the pereaeo so voted for ts retnrned aa receiving idpflie vnUk Before tbe atartfim tbe leading Republicans of VUcox eemta, fearing that they oould not got a fair ceonttn tbeeeMern end of the county. OOMiuded to advise the Repobimans In several preffibets sot to vote, and then tbe Oemocratae steel would ne more palpable. Republicans posted themselves near the poll*, aad took down the name of every colored man who voted. At Snow HUI seven colored men voted. The Democrats gave tbemaelves, in their official return at this precinct, 599 votes. But, according to the census returns sf last June, there are only 132 whites living in the precinct over twenty-one years of age. Ada to tbe white the seven colored votes, and we have a total of 139 votes polled st this prednot, 460 leas than the official return. At Alleutown precinct two colored men voted. The Democrat* gave them selves 347 votes. The last census shows but sixty-two whites in the precinct over twentyone years of age. Total sixty-four votes, 283 less than the'bffiotal return. It waa tbe same at Pine Apple. In Bonham's Precinct the returns gave the Republicans twenty-two votes, and the Democrat 476. making the total vote 498, or 142 more males twenty-one years of age than reside in the precinct, according to the census. By such frauds as these thia strong Republican count}' for the first time since the war is made to return a Democratic majority of over 2,000. Lowndes county, which has a legitimate Repubhoen majority of 3,000. and which has always cast its vote for the Republicans, was this time atolen from them by a Democratic majority of 2,000. At all the polls list* of Republican voters were kept by intelligent men, each voter giving his name as he passed up to vote, ana an examination of those flats shows that the Republicans never voted more solidly. - In that county, which is entirely devoted to planting, the blacks outnumber the whites enormously. In Green county the Republican candidate for Probate Juage was elected by over 2,000 majority, but besides the same frauds committed as enumerated above, the office of the sheriff was broken into and a box with 420 Republican majority stolen, and then the Democratic candidate was declared elected by twentyseven majority. It would be possible to give a detailed account oftbefaude which occurred thiougbout the State at this election, which would occupy the entire pare of a dally newspaper, but it would be a mere repetition of what has already been given. It is s ufficient to say that In all cases where it was possible Republican majorities have been deliberately counted for the Democracy, or they have been nullified and destroyed by the action of tbe very men who were appointed to receive, record and preserve them. To-day Alabama is Republican by 20,000 majority, if the votes which are put in the ballotboxes were honestly counted. Tbe foregoing facts, which ore vouched for as' trne by men who were on tbe ground in each case, in some cases vouched for by affidavits, when considered in connection with the provisions of the election law and with the action of tbe officers under that law, establish beyond all doubt the purpose of the Democratic party of Alabama, at least, to ignore, disregard and nullify the last constitutional -amendments by dlsfreoebisinv tbe entire col med population of the Slate. The action of an entire community, in engaging in, accepting or Justifying frauds of the character which have been detailed, can not be Ascribed to depravity, because a whole community can not be morally depraved. The truth is, that the people are as much opposed to negro suffrage now as they ever were, and while professedly accepting the constitutional amendments, do not regard it as an offense morally to take advantage of the timidity and ignorance of the negro to nullify his vote. It is only upon this theory that participation of otherwise honorable men in these frauds, or acceptance of the results of tbe frauds by men of that character can be accounted for. While this view may lessen the turpitude of tbe acts committed, before their own consciences, it does not lessen the fear and distrust which the people of the Nation should feel at the domination of tbe country by people who can bring themselves td so feel and act.

An earnest and a manful struggle for a fair, full, and free election baa Just ended; tbe vote ot nearly 100,000 true aud loyal men has been overthrown by the bold and shameless frauds, that can and will be guarded against in November, or a few hundred election managers whose consciences and fears are hushed, and whose hopes are excited by the “wild, sweet music of tins rebel yell.” But “The mill can never grind with the water that has passed.” By order of the Republican State Committbb, of Alabama.