The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1868-07-22
[Fr"m the Milwaukee News, 2oth.l
How Elections are Carried In the South
An Authentic Statement.

How Elections are Carried IN the South
An Authentic Statement.
We received a call yesterday from
a gentleman direct from Arkansas,
who went to that State in january,
1867, as Northern Radical Republi-
can, and who was appointed to OFF,
ciate there under ihe reconstruction
laws as Chairman Of the Board OF
Registry in the county where he lived.
His opportunities for Information
were therefore unsurpassed and he
makes to US this plain statement of
facts within his his peraoRal knowl-
edge:
The elections held there were an
utter farce throughout. In making
the registry, the registers were expec-
ted to reject white men at option, and
to enrol every negro who presented
himself, After the first registry the
lists were revised and as many names
stricken off as it was thought necessa-
/ ry to secure Radical success in the
State. or for individual Radical can
didates. There were three registers
on every board, all of whom subse-
! quently acted as judges at the election
and all of them, who desired to be-
come so, were candidates for Office
The election judges travelled about the
country taking the votes, and were
occupied seven days in the business.
No man could vote whose ballot the
I judges thought proper to reject. Our
informant states it to be known to
), himself and to be a notorious fact that
where the success of the Radical can
didates was doubtful, through other
frauds of the character mentioned,
negroes were imported from another
Jurisdiction in sufficient numbers to
supply the deficiency. While the ne
gro vote was thus doubled in many
cases, the total number of white votes
distranchised in the State were teni
of thousands. In electing them
selves or other Radical candidates II
Office, the registers were amenable Il
no authority that would recognize the
fact of fraud, In brief, the work o
carrying the election, regardless o
the will of the voters, was deemed by
the registers a part of their officia
duty and a proof of loyalty to Con
gress and the military authoritie
, present, and any other course woulC
a have subjected the registry officers Il
suspicion and prescription. In th
, division of offices, candidates wer
elected to. the Legislature who neve
, saw the counties whence they wer
, chosen except as members of the reg
lstry board, who will never return +
the counties they represent. and VIII
, do not know a white man amoni
. the mass OF them took no actual par
IN the elections but to deposit tn
n votes furnished them by their whit
q Radical leaders. ...... ............
; Our informant is a graduate of Ge
d neva College, n gentleman of recoe
c niZed probity and intelligence, an
e was always a Republican until drive
e from the party by sheer disgust at tn
n mockery he was compelled to witnes
It as one of its agents in the reconstruC
IS tiOn scheme. His name will be ful
o Dished to any one who is curious O
n that point. He tells US that he US
l. offered the position Of State Senate
a and that he would have divided III
). spoils with others, whs seem To reIis
Is the proceedings and do not besitat
e to partake of the fruits of moeker
r, and fraud but he preferred to liz
and die an honest man to the accel
tance Of honors and 6molHmen
which he can but regard rs the priC
of absolute crime against God an
man. He naturally wonders at Il
Is stupidity Of those Northern Republ
IF cans who seem to believe that thei
?, proceedings have any other obje
Il than the government OF the Sout
and the nation also, by n regularl
Is organized system of fraud and fore
1t If it Is the intent of Northern Repu
: licahs to assist in degrading rapubl
70 can institutions asd obliterating po
piar rights, their ambition ought
e be satisfied; but otherwise they a
wofully blind to pSssIng events al
the depOraliEatiRn of the Institution
q under which they live.