The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-05-04
Radical Tactics in the District of Co.
Iumbia,

The recent triumph of the radicals in
the first election held under the new ter
ritorial government for the District was u
surprise to the Democrats everywhere.
A majority of 1000 in a locality supposed
to be pretty nearly evenly divided, might
well excite inquiry into the cause of the
remarkable growth Of voters. The cause
of the unexpected result may be classed
under two heads. First, the fraudulent
negro vote; I'd the equally fraudulent
vote Of the department clerks. Nearly
one half the voters of the District are
negroes, whose similarity of appearance
favors greatly the dodge of repeating at
the polls. Virginia and Maryland are
conveniently at hand, from whence to
draw material to answerto fictitious names
on the voting lists, and who can presume
to say whether any given Sambo presented
at the polls, pertains to Columbia OF Vir-
ginia9 Then the clerks in the Depart
ments, poor devils who live on the smiles
tant homes in the States at every election
and will continue to-were forced to com,
NIT the crime Of fraudulently voting ut
Washington, or lose their places. And
thus was the result achieved, disgraceful
tC the dominant party, and q burning
shame in the sight Of every honest man.
1t is gratifying to know that radical
triumphs are obtained only by such means,
and in localities notorious rs being the
very hot-bed of all vice. But in States
like New Hampshire, the abode of free
men, a sturdy rural population, who stand
on their own soil, live by their own in
dustry, and call no man master-men
who are shaken neither by force, OF fraud,
or intimidation-it is there, thank Heaven,
that Democratic victories are achieved
The following extract from the Wash
ington Patriot, of the day after election,
throws 4 flood of light on the means by
which the result was attained
''The Radical ticket is elected. For days
past this result was foreshadowed, from the
course pursued by the administration and the
INSCRIPTIONS means used by corrupt ring
both being equally interested in carrying the
election under the new territorial government.
For the first time in our history, the whole
power Of the President and Cabinet was openly
cXerted TO coerce and intimdate the public
employees into submission to their authority.
Every clerk, without exception, received a for
nal notice from the chief of his bureau requir-
ing him to report and to register as a voter
and yesterday the departments were all vacated
at an early hour in order that this command
might be obeyed, Hundreds of men who have
no color to legal residence in Washington and
who had regularly voted in the States, were
forced to commit moral perjury for fear of los
ing their offices. 1t is estimated that nearly
2000 votes We're furnished from this class for
the Radical candidates. There is not a particle
of doubt that the success of our opponents is
due exclusively TO the alien vote in the depart
ments and to the frauds in the negro vote,
which we fully exposed in the false registration
before the elections. 1t was then shown that
was 2G 1-6 per cent, while the white registry
was only 10 10 per cent, with extraordinary
efforts on both sides This vast disproprotion
cannot be explained except upon the pre-
sumption of frauds. But there is anot her and
still more conclusive fact. to which we now beg
to invite attention, as it furnishes the proof of
guilt beyond the possibility of controversy.
The census of the district was taken only 4 few
months ago, and there has been no accession of
population since the census. The white male
population of 81 years old and over is Officially
returned at 23.113 OF this number, 1,746
were registered, which is Il very large percent
age of the aggregate, and exhibits unusual eff
fort to bring out a full vote. The colored male
population of u years old and over is officially
returned at 1918, while there were 1914
names registered, or G25 more than the entire
population. This is palpable and irresistible
proof of daring and extensive fraud. 1t is
thus established by two modes, either of which
is unanswerable, that the black vote was SWELL
ed several thousand by Il corrupt conspiracy.
Adapting the basis of white percentage of regis
try to the whole population, viz: 10 - per
cent, and the colored registry exceeds in pro-
portion by 2S42. Upon the basis Of white regis
tration to white males over 81 years of age, the
coored registry exceeds its proportion by 23tS.
SO that either way great fraud is transparent
far more than sufficient to have determined
the result For several days past multitudcs
of negroes We're brought to the city from the
ncighboring counties of Virginia and Mary
land, and from the fisheries on the Potomac,
who voted upon the registration that had been
prepared for their advent by black repeaters,
trained by the skilful knaves whose former eX
perience had made them adopts in this infamous
work. We give n telegram, illustration: 'The
negroes from Alexandria are being sent up by
every boat TO vote the Radical ticket. Get
Alexandria men to watch the boats, and follow
negroes to the polls"