The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-12
REPUBLICAN ELECTION FRAUDS.
Sham Elections and Train
ing Repeaters.
Intimidation Of Whites and Government
Bacon fer the Negroes.
REMARKABLE TESTIMONY.

formed one Or the most perfect machines Tor fraud
thai have ever heard OF II is amazing 70 me
that the decent people of the state Of both parties
al not unanimously and loudly protest against
them long ago.
now TREY REGISTERED VOTERS.
complete registration Of the state was made
IN 1880 The hsts then made were, by law,
placed in charge Or the Probate Judges in the
counties and these were Obliged tnenceforth to
place every ones name Oh the registry who
applied for the purpose and took oath
that be was a citizen Of the state and
county ana had the requisite qualifications; ana
euch application might he made at any time
No provision was maze for any revision Of these
registration lists, 10 strike on the names Of
voters who had diad or remoyed new
names were added nom year to year,
or rather from day 70 day; II was possible
even fer man TO register under several different
names. Moreover, lest any voter should neglect
registration, it was provided that an Inspector Or
election must register him, il required, the
day OF election, and the names 50 registered were
afterwards sent to the Probate Judge. II Is easy
enough 70 see that registration lists sopreparei
and never revised were mere instruments To con-
Ceal fraud.
now THEY HELD Az ELECTION.
That ia TO say they would nave been the cloak
for frauds az election, lit were not snst these reg
they might, under some conceivable CIR
cumstance. be used to detect fraudulent
voting, an amendment to the Registration act,
passed ~ tie Legislature, March 3 Js7o, eaacts
this astounding provision, "Tnat IL Is The intent
and meaning Of this act namely the Registra-
ton act that no registration lists sna lie used By
any inspector or other oGlcer Of election On the
day Of election for the purpose Or determining
VINO mag or who may not vote; ard any person
attempting to interfere IN any manner with any
other person VINO may desire 70 vote shan be
deemed guilty Of . mlsdemeanoT and punished ii
The same manner as now provided FOR in tRe Elec-
ton laws Lest you should think, az ! confess
ala that THIS was only bad Joke or q Ulunder Or
the legislature show you here that il was a law
actually obeyed. Tue Clerk o. the Circuit Court or
WILCOX county, one or three officers wa0 oticicly
count the vote oil the county and make tue
certificates or election 70 the Secretary or state,
Tas asked few weeks ago, AS Supervisor or
Elections would you count vote tlat y5u knew
was not properly registered (" and answered,
without any further knowledge OF ne law tAan
] now have would.n Lga,n, Are tie names
appearing IN the poll Isis daily regk tered accord
ing to law Z" lie replied, y 20 not know"
Another returning oaicer of the same county
being asked how long It would take TO compare
the poll lists or the county tn the regis tratlon
lists thought IL would take az least six months.
.'Pon lstsn were lists made at TIC polls o. the
names or those who had vcted. Now mara, The
voter in Alabama could, unril the present year.
vote at any poll 10 MS county. As ne vas not re-
CURED 70 show registration certificate, a. il was
impossible to tel whether or not haG registered
o. an act Of the Legislature expressly prohibited
any one from preventing BIZ voting, even II ne
was not registered, and a. he might vote AZ any
or q score or polling places in the couHty AMI EVIL
dentiy under any name he chose to give, Ii Il
qUte clear that the Election law was great 4
sham a. the Registration law. The whole taing
was simply huge practical Joke, OF would nave
been had not the consequences been too serious.
! can imagine warmoih, Packard ana tie other
louisiana worthless gTi,tlag their teeth az the
thought that they were no. uP to sucn a trick a.
TINS.
VOTE EARLY AND VOTE OFTEN.
or course "Fepeating1 vas carried On On a scale
which would make evea q New YORK political
manager blush. Ia the Congressional dissric.
which Includes Mobile and Selma an investigation
1as been golna On FOR some time into Frauds
which involve the seat il Congress claimed by
y. q. Bromberg, against 4 C0lorca man jeremiah
HARRISON. such an Investigation l. q formal
Rralr. Due notice Is given 81 the witnesses 20
be heard ~ each eide, each candidate Is repre-
EenIed By counsel, and tie witnesses are subjected
20 q severe cross-examlnaiion. Haralson had for
b
Genera II the state, on able lawyer. The test.-
rony vii be lald before Congress Nov, then,
since nc recent democratic success in ihis state
sn1mber 81 the republican leaders ana managers
lave qaancied among themselves, ana some o,
lne=a Lave, 50 e sneak, iagnel states evidence.
suAM yYFC7rc-Es-DRfLLrSG RErEArFns.
lraong othera, one sGGJes, political manager
In Mobile was brough, AZ, and under oath, test.
ned that he was Chairman 81 the Republican Union
Cmb in Mobile; The CLUB met almost every night
for some time before the election; i hal about
20 membars. ITS obeet,' 10 testified, "wa1
20 Increase the republican vote q tie county
nrst, ~ eollng themselves; second. BIZ nducin~
their friends to votes fnlrj, ~ voting =. -
sent friends, those Who 80 oea1 arr otners rso
he.F't-, mad arr existence The club was divided
INTO squads OF ten men, Tor each % which rusty
leader vas selected. They were regularly In
ftructad how - evade the Election Laws: Eek
plantations were giysn bow persons who repeated
could ESCAPE the consequence Finally, slam
elections we're actually hei1 IA ne club room, "in
when, said tlia witness, VINO was confirmed, ~
the way, 81 other witnesses, members we're
drled ID he actual business Or election day;
toma we're Judges 81 elections, some inspectors,
others deputy saorGs snd deputy marshas. lie
members we're aivided into ne crowds represent
ing republicans anu democrats some were quiet
cluzens, standing arouad ne polls; others we're
noty and dserdery ana we're arrested others,
yet, were quietly putting in their work. They
would come up vote, pass away, reure, change
inoir clothes, return ana vote again" Observe,
all this was not Teal; It vas sham eiection-a
training school Tor repeating, and an quoting
sworn testimony, All the essential points q which
rest "a the independent ewdsace oi several peg-
cons.
SCHOOL OF FEAUr.
i-f nan was challenged and objected - ana
was fearful OF arrest he would retire without
voting snd forthwith assume some other And
better disguise. Each crowd was shown how
they might deceive the members o. the other ~
pretending that they we're voting tickets when 10
Ieanty they we're not, For instance, republicans
would receive their tickets from those represent
ing democratic, and wnnc pretending TO deposit