Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-02-28
Alabama.

How is that Alabama which voted for
State Convention by large majority, now
rejects the constitution formed by that con-
yention? In other words. with majority
IN favor of reconstruction on n loyal basis,
how is it that the State now In effect decides
10 remain unreconstructed and under militia
~ government? The special correspondent
of the " \. Tribune gives an explanation.
He writes from Montgomery Feb. llth, as
follows
The returns of the election in Alabama come
in very slowly, but enough is known to make it
tolerably certain that the number of votes al
lowed to be put into the boxes will lack some
5000 or I 900 of majority of all those borne
on the registration lists. In many counties the
deep mud and snow prevented voters from get
ting tp the polls, but the chief cause of the small
vote is to be found in the fierce denunciation of
all who dared to openly support the Constitution.
At nearly every poll in the State men stood as in
1860, armed to the teeth, jeering, hOOting, ours
ing and threatening all white men who voted
and when intimidation failed to keep away COL
ored men, their votes would be challenged, the
voter sworn, cautioned at great length against
false swearing, and badgered with all manner
Of irrelevant questions to consume the time,
while hundreds in the rain and cold waited for
their turn. The printed lists Of voters were
miserably defective, and it can hardly be sup
posed that the proofs were ever corrected. Every
name wrongly printed was rejected, and many
votes were thus lost in every county. Where
ever new registers had been appointed by the
,ro,apt hasd Of ti,a raoisfratio Office man hos
tile to reconstruction we're installed as officers of
the election, and every obstacle that could be
devised was thrown in the way Of the ratihca-
ton of the Constitution. At Livingston, in Sum-
ter County, the polls are said to have been brok-
en- open, the balot-box destroyed, and the tick
cts lost In Lowndes County, which, on a fair
ballot, would cast 3, 500 votes for the Constitu-
ton, but one was opened during the first four
days of the election and voters had to swim the
waters of Big Swamp to get to the voting place.
Many did actually swim through the icy water,
and one man was drowned. On the last day a
box was carried across these waters, and Sec
ond poll opened, but when the election closed the
Sheriff took the ballot-boxes, and allowed them
| to be stolen from his possession. In Montgome-
ry County, every white man who dared to vote
was ieered, threatened, and cursed by the rough
necks who surrounded the polls. This county
was unfortunate IN hBVlng nad last summer u
register who is partially deaf, and he wrote down
the names of voters as he heard them, making
many errors, such as Watson for Watts
Bunch for Burch, Lings for Sings, &c
All these votes were lost In many hundreds oi
cases the names given by the voters when they
came to register were translated by those whC
wrote them down, and when the voter gave hi
name as Sy, it was likely to be Cyrus, or Isaiah
or Josiah on the list, and his vote was lost. Ii
this county alone we lost not less than 200 vo
tiers in this way, the polls closing on Saturda.
night with hundreds Of voters waiting their turl
to get to the boxes, many Of whom had beel
waiting five days for that purpose.
Such an unfair election could not be equale'
anywhere, and it is not to be wondered at tina
the results fall short of our expectations Their
is no doubt in the minds of any fair men, ths
there is to-day in Alabama majority Of 900
registered voters in favor Of the Constitution. A
, present the case stands thus: A Convention
: elected under the Reconstruction acts, has mad
: a Constitution, which has been submitted to
popular vote. Seventy thousand and upward
l vote. have been cast for it, and none against
= Under ordinary circumstances, it would be d
= clared ratified, and the Union men OF the Sta
e claim that il is so ratified now