Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1867-10-24
Going to Contest.

The Ironton Register says:-"The
chivalrous Onderdonk is going to
contest the election of Captain Jones
The latter's majority is about so, but
before Onderdonk gets through. il
will be quite 300. j. Hamilton,
Esq, is his Attorney for this connty.''
If there is to be contest. it is i'm
portant that all illegal voting should
be known. If, therefore, our friends
in any of the townships of this
county, knowof any illegal voting
In their respective townships, they
should send the intelligence to the
Central Committee of the county
Immediately. The democratic vote
of this county is largely in excess
of the falling off in the Union vote,
thus showing that their increased
vote did not come wholly from the
Union ranks, but from other sources.
We do know that they are all illegal,
but many of them undoubtedly are,
as in one. township, which gave 8
largely increased democratic major
ity, more votes were polled than
the Assessor, last spring, returned of
males above the age of twenty one
years, which return included eleven
blacks, as well as aliens, non-resi-
dents, DC. Of course, either the
vote is too large or the Assessors
return is false. We hope, therefore,
the voting lists will be overhauled by
some friend in each township, and
the illegal votes, if there are any,
made known. In this way, we be-
lieve Capt. JONES majority will be
increased rather than diminished.
An analysis of the vote in Lawrence
county shows either heavy illegal
vote or large increase in the voting
population since last year. The
Register says
"The vote of Lawrence county
last year was $3.50; this year it foots
up 4,269, making gain of 5l9
during the year. The Union party
cast last year 2,346 votes in the
county while the Democracy polled
1894. This year the vote stands,
Union, 2,009; Dem ocratic, 2,25S.-
The falling off on the Union ticket
is not to be referred, so much to the
"turning over" of men to the demo
cratic side as to their quietly remain
ing at home until the ''nigger breeze
should pass by. In fact, we hear
that in one township fifty Republi-
cans can be counted who didn't GO
to the polls. The leading Democrats
in the county are themselves much
astonished; they are bewildered; they
meet in secret conclave and open
their eyes at each other; they are in
undated with amazement. Why all
this? A gain of 5l9 votes in the
county! The like has never before
happened The theory for this phe
nomenon is simply this: that large
numbers voted which had no right
to vote. 1t is even thought by per
sons from the county that the entire
Democratic majority can be cut
down by illegal voting, We have
been informed of several instances
of this nature. In Union township
there was a gain of II votes, yet We
are positively apprised of the neglect
of at least fifty Union voters to cast
their ballots. From other townships
we are made acquainted with similar
facts. The truth of the matter is,
there has been large amount of il
legal voting. Lawrence county new
er did cast the vote it did this year,
not even in the important election
in 1864, when Mr.. Lincoln run against
General Mcclellan, and when the
fullest strength Of the county was
shown. This year hundreds of Re
publicans did not vote on account of
the, tender issues of the campaign,
and yet the number of ballots were
greater than ever before cast"