The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1872-11-01
eRANTIsM IN ARKANSAS.
Radical Registrars at Work Dis.
ffanchising White Citizens.
How Men are Robbed OF the Right 10
yOte-Upward Of Thirty Thou.
sand Whites DISTINGUISHED.


II may interest many OF your readers h
know how registration is managed In thi
down-trodden State, and how every means i
brought to bear to make the State cast ID
vote for Grant and his representative carpet
baggers at the ensuing election. Registration
In this county commenced last week, and thu
writer being appointed United States Super
visor of Election, attended the registration Al
the two voting places in his township. wai
appointed to represent the interests OF the
Conservatives, and on the 18th attended the
registry held at my own place OF residence
TO say that was surprised at what was done
would express in no respect my feelings.
had no idea that open fraud would be SO un.
blushingly practiced, and that question sfte,
question, for none of which was there any
authority Of law, would be asked Of men who
would either have to perjure themselves OF
be denied the dearest right OF freemen. The
questions, as well as l recollect, we're as fol.
lows:
/. Did You ever hold any civil oIfice before
the war, such as magistrate, road overseer,
captain Of patrol. &C.!
q Did you ever belong to an organization
known as "The Knights Of the White Came
lia," or to the 'Ku-Klux Klan?"
s. Did you vote for or against the ordinance
Of secession?
4. Did you voluntarily furnish supplies,
arms or ammunition to the Confederacyi"
8. Did yOu vote for or against the ratifca-
ton OF the Constitution OF 1867?
6. Did you, during the Rebellion. belong to
any independent military command?
The answer to all these questions had TO be
satisfactory to the registrar or the applicant
was denied registration. In consequence OF
the answer made to the first question: many
of our best citizens were not allowed to regis
ter, for every one of us that lived in the State
before the war. and that was of any standing
in society, filed some one of the numerous
mad hnu Z,
particularly grievous, for il was an unthank-
full Office and which could not be declined
except by the payment OF q heavy fine. The
answers to the second question DISTINGUISHED
even more than those to the first. for IN this
section "The Knights OF the White Cameiia"
had large lodge. What the organization
was, know not, but, judging from the men
that belonged to it-for its existence ceased
several years ago-I do not think that it could
"have tended, in the language of the regis
trar, ito the subversion OF law and order"
The answers to the remaining questions were
bv no means explicit. Men could not remem-
Der. and, as one of them said, II have no
not swear to the facts" Our people are very
much enraged, yet hey are a law-abding
people, and will not do anything that may be
construed into violation Of the law Of the
land. We suffer enough, day after day, in
seeing the corruption and piundering that is
openly carried on; but when election APP
proaches, and We see little carpet-bagger
sent around among us-one that has no in
terest in common with the people-and at his
arbitrary will our best citizens are refused
registration, the load becomes almost teo
heavy to bear. Two years ago, ia the adjoin-
ing coun y fellow Of the same stamp was
sent around as registrar, and when the law
was about to take hold Of HIM under the pro-
visions OF the Enforcement act, he packed his
and left for parts unknown. IT
looks as II the same game is to be played in
this county, for those appointed first as
registrars, having property in the county not
easily convertible into cash, prevailed on Z.
c. Woodford, the present registrar, to UNDER |
take the duty.
Those whose right to vote, in our opinion, |
is undoubted, will vote on afiidavits under the |
late act Of Congress, and we hope by shat |
means we NAV be able to change the state of |
affairs, and even compel some of the scvun. |
dres to answer at the bar OF justice for their |
frauds. At our precinct. out of 81 whites, 10
we're denied registration; at the adjoining |
precinct, out OF l22 whites. 81 were refused. |
In conclusion, as representing the people, for |
have been requested TO write you, say that |
We look to the sound common sense conserv- |
atsm of the North for our help. We can do |
nothing Of ourselves. but accepting the issue |
Of the war and the amendments to the Con. |
stitution in good faith, we only demand |
the law" even il they we're SO unfortunate as |
TO have formerly been rebels.
THE FRAUDS OF 1S70-TuousANDs OF NAMES |
SECRETLY STRICKEN FROM THE REGISTRY |
LISTS AZ, 900 CITIZENS DENIED THE BALLOT. |
To the Editor OF the Tribune:
SIR: Our attention has just been called to |
an article copied from the New York Times,
in which it Is stated that no man is pre-
vented now from voting anywhere in the
United States on account OF having taken
part in the rebellion" In denying this
the Tribuns has not stated the
case as strongly as the facts warrant. We
not informed as they should be (and both the
above statement and it's denial would seem to
Indicate this) in regard to this most interest
ing scrap of American history. Permit the |
of all political parties, to call
four attention to the following facts.
The late census Of the United States shows
hat there are in Arkansas 102, 900 Ground
numbers) males over the age OF II years.
The Secretary Of state reports that in regis
enng these in 1870, 81 900 we're excluded,
While only $4,000 were permitted to vote.
The whole number of dffranchised was,
therefore,, $4,000, nearly one-balf of the vot-
ng population.
In this county, out of 400 Ground num-
'ers) voters, only 1882 were permitted to
'oset stricken of several hundred names
whom they had permitted to register. and
without notice, until election day. These
scratched" voters, OH csming to the polls
o vote, were told. for the first time, that they
we're stricken of the list. Thus il was that
,nly IL 900 were registered in the State out
u 100000, and only $4,000 were permitted to
ote. No one estimates the number really
sfranchised by the Constitution at more
nan II, 900 most Of whom did not apply to
egister-the other 30, 200 were " scratched"
y arbitrarily refused, as provided in the law.
lou Will understand, from the above figures,
WY it was that the Senate Committee who
Investigated the "Clayton frauds" sat with
losed doo"s, and have not yet furnished the
,nblic with the testimony taken before them.
y hat have the people of Arkansas to hope
rom an Administration which sustains such