The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-03-21
Elections in the souIh.

derstand how elections in the South are
conducted, under the system forced up
on that section by the Radicals, they
can do SO by watching the Democratic
pspers, and reading letters published in
their columns upon this subject. The
Cincinnati Enquirer recently contained
a letter from Memphis, Tennessee,
which narrated at length the history
OF the late election in that city for mu-
n;cipal officers. and the facts stated are
we'll worth the consideration of those
who look upon the elective franchise
as the foundation of a republican
form of government. According to the
letter in question, the writer of
which was on the spot, and put
dOwn what he saw, negroes from all
sections of the country, including Ar
Kansas and Mississippi, focked to
Memphis in droves to vote the Radical
ticket. A previous registration, upon
which Conservative triumph had been
gained, was declared null and void, by
the orders Of BrownlOw, and list OF
names prepared upon which all the inn
ported tools and creatures of tAe Radi-
Gals could vote. Negroes were made
drunk at the League rooms and the
Radical headquarters, and sent from
poll to poll to vote as often as they
could, and also drive off other negroes
who were known to be Conservative in
their notions, and inclined to vote that
ticket. In particular wards negroes
took entire possession Of the polls, and
in one place crowd of half-crazed ne
groes swore that DO Conservative should
vote there; that the Government belonged
to them, and they intended to run it.
In the same letter the following addi-
tional facts are presented.
As some of the instances, | will men
tion that negro named Smith present.
ed his ticket, and when questioned said
that he pds uOting for a sick man. de
was afterward arrested, but his uOte 'cGs
taken, Another negro was arrested for
playing some gambling game near the
polls, and on his person was found four
certificates of registration. One Con-
servative negro was almost beaten to
death for merely expressing his opin-
ion. A Catholic priest, passing the
polls civilly, like gentleman, was as
saulted by the rabble and driven by
them until, by some fortunate chance,
he escaped from the black tatterdema-
lions. All this, and much more, oc-
Cured in my own ward, the Seventh.
What took place in the others is equally
as bad, aud in some instances worse. |
heard of many disturbances, out have
not learned the particulars.
Hundreds of imported negroes pre-
sented certificates and asked TO vote.
There were fifteen hundred more GER
tifcates issued to blacks than to whites.
A great many have lived here only a
few weeks, being brought here by the
Radical leaders in view of this election.
On election day they were piled with
whisky, became saucy, and made it o
pleasant pastime to elbow white folks
on the pavements, and consequently n
few knock-downs occurred. Their pres
ence here will also account for the
many petty robberies and garrotings
that have occurred here for the last
few weeks, and made it dangerous to
be upon the remote streets at night.
A planter from New Madrid, No.,
who had been down the river to secure
negro laborers, landed here on election
morning with forty of them. The boat
was to leave at noon, and when the
plant looked about for his hands, not
a woolly head was to be found. They
had all got registration papers, and n
dollar in city scrip in their pockets,
and quart of mean whisky in their
heads, and were ranging about the polls
exercising the rights of citizenship.
and helping on the Internal saturnalia
of Radical deviltry. An application
had been made by the Mayor Of the
city the day previous, to the military
commander of the post, to guard against
this very emergency. But the easy
going commander replied that there
was no danger.
AS for the Conservative Thite people here,
il uGS rorh a mans conscience 10 get re-
gistrdtiOR papers, and pOrth his head to
attempt to rOte. Old citizens are almost
universally disfranchised; and the Con-
servative vote consists principally @f
those who have emigrated here since
the war. They are compelled to pre-
sent certificates of loyalty, ,vsuching that
they never gave aid to nor had sym
pathy with the rebellion, and then take
an iron clad oath that makes man an
automaton, instead of an independent
free-thinker. Although a sativc of the
very loyal State of Ohio, | could not
stultify my convictions of patriotism by
swallowing the oath, negro and all.
If the present registration law was
properly construed there would not be a
score of white voters in the State, with
the exception of those few who have
come to the North since the close of the
war. So until this abominable act is
repealed, we can have no hope of re-
lease from black domination. Brown
lows registration officers make the law
apply only to Conservatives, and so,
where is the help for poor old Teunes-
see?