Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-05-31
REGISTRAR WILLIAMS
MS CONDUCT PRECEDING, DURING AND
SINCE THE ELECTION.
ssrees Of a Serious Character for VIII
liams to Answer.
The Negroes Favored With, and the Whites
Excluded From the Franchise.
1000 Negro Certificates issued and only
$500 Whites.
Facts and Figures.
CoMNrNICATED.

1isn,s ,ros on1ointed Commissioner of
Registration he declared that he would
on 70 each district and give the planters
smnle OpDOrtunitv TO register h
taking them from their business; that he
felt il his duty to do so. DE made many
PROMISES to go to Cuba, Raleigh and else
where. and finally allowed and consented
TO the duplication of appointments at
Cuba. Shelby Depot, Big Creek, Collier
vile, Germantown, Bartlett, ETC., but
when the time arrived, because Of some
fabricated protest, he failed to visit Cuba,
Big Creek and Shelby Depot, where humid
reds of citizens were waiting for their GER
tifcates, and fully entitled 10 the anne.
He went to Bartlett twice, because ne
knew that several hundre negroes WouI9
be there; and, furthermore, was assured
that a majority of the whites would vote
for Smith. During his two visits there,
he registered over three hundred negroes
and not q third of that number of whites.
He went to Germantown, but made a
very brief visit. He went to whites
Station. on the Mississippi and Tennessee
Railroad, first, because he knew large
number of negroes awaited him, n so
concealed his coming from the whites that
only two white persons were present,
whilst the negroes were secretly notlned
by special cOlOred messengers. he VISITED
Presidents Island to accommodate the
negroes, although there was no voting
precinct there. Healso visited White'sSta-
ton, on the NJ. and c. Railroad, but failed
TO carry with him more than a couple
dozen Of certificates for whites, whilst he
always had an unlimited number Of them
for colored. Many persons who applied
on that occasion failed to get their certlh-
Gates. although properly Vouched for. A
short time thereafter, with that mlshap
fresh in his mind, he visited Colheryilie
and failed to carry with him any certlh-
Gates at all for whites, Notwithstanding
his studious effort to prevent the citizens
of the country from getting their certih-
Gates, many of them anxious TO exercise
their birthright, came TO the city and
spent days, at a heavy expense, ana al
length obtained them. To accomplish,
thar which was his object from the begin
ming (viZ: to prevent the country districts
from having any voice IN the electonl ne
failed and refused 10 pupllsh ms llst OF
Judges. clerks and officers to holdthe cleo
ZION until Tuesday e~vening-the same
was published in the Post, which
is not read by planters in the country,
consequently but few land those accl-
IDENTIFY learned OF their appointment
until it was too late to act upon II, Tor the
instructions issued by him required the
officer to come to his office ana De by MN
sworn before he could discharge the duty
III ~ L. 49,
are from nine to twenty-three miles from
Memphis, distant from railroads or other
facilities for getting information, reeery-
ing their mails once q week, generally on
Saturdays.
This proves beyond question that il was
his original and persistent purpose TO de-
prive the country people from voting and
he thus f~raudulently and cOrruptly robbed
them of their Just rights n Will be held
TO a strict and fearful accountability.
Whilst he was here hid away in private
rooms. issuing in blank and otherwise,
thousands of certificates TO the ignorant
and deprsved negroes, because they were
Radicals, the honest yeomen OF the coun-
try We're denied the opportunity to ald IN
selecting their judicial officers, although
they labor to produce the revenue Whleh
goes to pay the salary Of h villain.
He and his party have shown consider
able shrewdness rs well as knavery-ln
that he issued 4 large number of certih-
Gates to persons presenting lists OF What
purported to be names OF colored men,
when in fact, and he knew It, there We're
no such persons IN existence: ne Hau d
two-fold purpose in this, and he and his
friends succeeded TO a lamentable extent.
He desired to place these certificates i the
hands of as many negroes as possible, and
enable them to vote three 10 i've times
under the various names, which was 10 2
great extent carried out, and would nave
been much more successful IN TINS Dut Tor
the fact that there were spies in their OWL
camD this time-the Hunter negroes kept
a close watch on them, hence the remark
ably small vote cast whilst over eleven
thousand certificates were issued by I IN.
He had another and deeper object in
view. and in this he was quite successful,
I am sorry to saw. He desired TO put III
the mouth of a large number OF
croakinE, quasi Democrats with many
of whom our party is cursed) that
cOwardly and abOminable expression
"nO chance This he accomplished by
showing over seven thousand colored
voters registered against some three
thousand seven hundred or three thou
sand eight hundred whites.
Many believed, therefore, that the race
between Smith and Hunter, and that
there was no chance for Caruthers, and
they chose between the two evils accord
ing to their conception of the men. This
defeated Caruthers, which was a shame
and an outrage upon the feelings and
labors of those who had for weeks and
months striven for the success Ofthe ticket
and the restoration of the Judicial ermlne
TO the custody Of honest, Just and capa-
BILE men. Many who are denied their
rights at the ballot box while Cufy
approaches with alacrity, contributed
not only their influence but their
money TO defeat the Democratic
ticket and to elect men who
for four years fired bullets al their
hearts, and for four moro years have shot
ballots at their rights, and are ~plundering
and.robbing men, women and children of
the South. This Is shameful.
Now since Williams has, with al his
rascality. succeeded in electing only one
his candidates on a count of the votes
-z..-,1l IL --rI-@ 20 v.1asNfvu1afa rho 20 ]
turns and so cast out wards and districts
as TO foist upon US others of his ticket
who stand ready TO snatch the certificate
of election, though it be reeking with
fraud and corruption, AS in the case of W.
j. Smith.
Williams, contrary to'the plainest ques-
ton of law, issued instructions 10 his
Judges 10 receive and count the votes of
all persons resident in the whole county
for Judge and Attorney General of the
Criminal Court of Memphis, and by
counting five or six hundred votes
cast BY persons living outside of
the jurisdiction Of the Court he
has figured up a majority of less than 200
for II. F.. Hudson against VIM. Wallace, /
and Gen. w. having, no confidence what
ever in the man, although he had posi-
lively promised to subtract or deduct the
votes Of those residing outside of the 9Th,
18th, l4th and 18th Civil Districts, and to
give him a certificate of election, applied
TO Judge Reeves, who, true 10 his natural
instincts of honesty, integrity and impair
granted a -B10RGamus RiSi, reQuir-
ing Williams 10 count only the votes cast
by citizens Of the 9Th, 18th, 18th and 18th
Civil Districts, and to issue Il certificate of
to whOmsoever received a major
ity thereof, or appear on the 9Th Of June
next and show cause, if any he has, why
the writ of ma7tddmUs shalt not be made
final and peremptOry.
The service Of this writ spread conster-
in the camp, and caused epithets of
abuse to be hurled at Judge Reeves be-
he had displayed what none 0 fthem
possess-honesty.
Hunter it.. is understood, is in the afi-
lavit business, getting additional proof to
show that the Smith party are capable of
oerpetrating any species of fraud and cor
-uption. He charges and makes protest
If the papers, that Williams issued hun
lreds of certificates signed in blank and
numbered, and that these were distrib-
lted among negroes, 70 be filled up and
voted. and that hundreds were voted for
that large numbers OF certificates
we're issued 4 parties, strangers, who
we're not vouehed for more than to be
pledged by the applicant that they would
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