New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-09-21

IRON THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THB TRiBUSki
NORFOLK, Va, Sept. 9.-The Conservative
losses compared with the vote Of 1870 In the LIST congress
District Of North Carolina, at the late state election
turned the scale against MerimoD ana gave 10 Cau"e
the larger part OF his apparent majority tour through
the principal counties Of that district has furnshed me
the evidence that the of this change was caused by
illegal voting and by the open and unblushng cor
rupton Hundreds if not thousands of men in this dis
triet and believe oil over the State, voted WitnouV
being registered. The evidence OF this Is conclusive anu
the names of every one OF them be obtained by COM
pairing the pobooks of each precnctn the Sate WIN
the registration books Tho election law OF North Caro-
lima not only requires every man who votes TO previously
register but also makes 1t the duty of the officers OF cleo
tion TO record in o book furnished for that purpose
the name of every who votes If the name OF any
man appears the pOllbOok and not on the reglsta
tonboOk voted illegally is liable to be indicted ana
can be made TO testify how he voted The officers VINO
received such mans vote also guilty OF INSIDE
meanor and should punished In two or three coun-
ties which visited comparison Of the registration ana
pobOOs had been made, with tho most astonishing Ie
sus In Beaufort County 81 Names nearly all negroes
appear the latter and not on the former ana my o
mate is that in the 16 counties comprising the ISL DIS
trct at least such votes were cast In one township
in Martin County pOllbooks were kept during part
of election day. This omission manifestly Tor the
purpo,e of covering up fraud and should inyadae inc
election at that box.
! THE WORK MUST DIRECTED AT RALEIGH
In two or three counties OF the district the local CON-
mlees or tho defeated candidates nave maze inc COM
harrison above referred TO- hoping to obtain the evidence
M sufficient fraud TO give them ground TO contest; but
I'm most of the counties the Radical majority was so large
that the local committees have had no nducement to do
ANYTHING Of the kind, and will not be likely to furnish
Merrimon with any available facts They might Dc
aroused to this work il the Liberal and Conservative
committees at Raleigh would send some good man into
dfract he WOrk
small sum OF money TO pay for the necessary copying
know OF no way which the Conservative party could
obtain the positive evidence OF 80 many Illegal votes,
with so little expense and trouble, as this IL has been
suggested that those who voted without being reg
i5ered, having committed of6nse for which they
can be indicted will not be obliged to testify before
Legislative committee TO how they voted. The best
lawyers with whom have conversed say that this Is
mistake; the O5nse consisted, not in voting Tor par
ticular candidate but in voting at all; the pobooks
contain the evidence OF their guilt and no testimony
that they will be called upon TO give can increase it.
The only trouble anticipate in utilizing this evidence
would arise from the false swearing Of the negro voters
who am sorry to say, have generally very little idea
Of the obligations Of an oath. Many OF them, am
afraid would not hesitate that they voted for
Merrmon on the LIST of August when they voted for
Caldwell were they instructed to do The lawyers
have great trouble with them witnesses An attor-
ney in Beaufort County, who has larger practice than
any other told last week that when he inquired of
negro witness what he knew about any matter,
the most common reply was: "What do you
want me TO sweari just tell me and it will
be all right" Any boy Is years old who wishes
TO vote can trouble in getting witnesses to
that he of age was introduced to an old negro in
Beaufort County, reputed to be generally honest who,
at the last election volunteered to swear that boy who
was challenged % years old, and that he the wit
ness) was present at his BIRTH when on crossexamina
ton, it was found that the boy was born in Hyde
A. huH laaVt vii Ia Z
miles Of the place.
IMPORTING VOTERS
Many men in tho Ist District did not vote in the
townships counties where they lived This colonial
ton of voters from adjoining counties mainly in the
interest Of John Pool, whose sole object to get
Radical Legislature aud thus his reelection
and though did not affect the majority for the State
ticket except where the men voted In two Places the
ballots cast by such Illegally given and ought
TO be thrown out In only two counties which visited
had any effort been. made to ascertain how far this
colonization carried In Beaufort County, an in |
yestgaton made by Major Sparrow establishes the fact
leyOnd that at least so GO negroes allowed
TO vote In that county whose homes were In Craven
other adjoining counties and in Pitt County the
Of about half dozen such voters are in the hands Of
the County Committee. think 1t would well pay for |
the trouble and expense special investigation
70 be made in regard to colonization Of in all OF
tho eastern counties where the majority either way
small This also must be done under the direction OF
the State Committees, whose efforts will be promptly
seconded by the leading Conservatives in each county
have not sufficient data from which to estimate
the vote cast by non-resdents and boys under age.
but have no doubt that amounted TO several hundreds
heard great deal OF talk about the colonization OF
negroes from Virginia. but unable to find any proof
of it. though did not visit many counties bordering
either the Virginia South Carolina line. great
many votes secured 10 the Radicals in the list Dis
trct through the personal and in great corrupt
Tohn pooI hal | will
that direct bribery be proved against either Of these
men, for both are too sharp not to evade violating the
letter Of the law; but do know that large sums Of
money were in the district, of it lent without
security its return and without the expectation that
IL ever would be returned ana more OF IL dispensed
in other dark ana mysterious ways know that
County s. 500 placed by CarrOw In the hands OF
merchant with instructions TO lend 1t out in small sums
good and know that many men who are suspected OF
having received such loans and who have never been
ANYTHING Conservatives voted the Radical ticket at
the last election. 1 don't know how much OF this
species OF corruption can be proved but there Will be no
pensed the money; and legislative committee could
with H. and what the consideration was in each case
but fair TO say that the whole OF the Conservative
aud corruption. Carter, the Conservative candidate
for Congress, was about the most unpopular man
who could have been nominated he ran nearly 200
votes behind the rest Of the ticket besides dragging
that down IN every county. There Conservatives in
the district any one of whom believe, could have been
elected aud whose nomination would drawn the
support OF the Liberal ticket enough who were
ing have Overbalanced great portion OF the frauds
believe besides. that the Conservatives had also to
pay the penalty their njudcous action last year In
TO call a Constitutional Convention.
THE oNkr CURE FOR ILLEGAL voTISG-A SPECIMEN
JUDGE.
am convinced that the only for Illegal voting In
North Carolina is watchul scrutiny Of the registration
books before the election and Of the polls election
day. for until the Judiciary OF the State is reformed it
is almost impossible punish men for illegal voting pro-
vded they belong TO the Radical party Much OF Eastern
North Carolina is In the Judicial District presided over
LII. Alnnr ma WI dIsnnneaIy |