National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-02-19

age of twenty-one years. Judge Poland
says that from 1870 up to 1874 ''all con.
"ceded there had been steady annual in
crease, but not rapid" The difference
between the number of electors reported
by the United States census and the num-
Der of persons reported by the county as
SCISSORS shows an increase in the voting
population of 3,454 in the three years.
Therefore we may safely start with the
proposition that the number of persons re-
turned by the assessors as subject to poll
tax cannot be far wrong. Admitting it to
be substantially correct, there were but
103, S57 electors in the State of Arkansas at
the October election. Now, what proper
ton or per cent. of these ordinarily attend
the electionH Missouri lies north of Ar
kansas, Tennessee and Mississippi on the
east, and Louisiana and Texas on the south,
and the population of these States is not
unlike that of Arkansas. 1t is fair to as
sumo that an average rate per cent of the
electors attending the elections in these
States ought to furnish fair ratio for the
State of Arkansas. At the elections in 1872
less than eighty per cent Of the electors in
those States participated in the election, as
will be seen by comparison of the voters
with the vote reported. The largest vote
reported, in proportion to the electors, is
that of Kings county, New York, where it
runs up to nearly eighty-fv per cent
Now, let US take the largest vote reported
anywhere, and give the Garland constitu-
ton the benefit of it, and see what will be
the result. Eighty-five per cent. of
1O3,8 57 is $500. But the returns
show that instead of SO. 220 votes being
cast, vote of 103, 5O4 is reported, which is
10, 2S4 more than eighty-five per cent, and
within 1853 of the whole number of electors
in the State. By simply deducting fifteen
per cent for ''stay at homes" we find a
self.evident fraud of Is, 2S4 votes reported
as having been cast at an election held for
the ratification of the constitution, and in
which the Republicans by the action of q
State convention were advised not to par
ticIpate, and in which they did not partici-
pate to any considerable extent. But the
fraud does not stop here. 1t appears when
you come to analyze the vote of the coun-
ties, and compare the vote cast with the
number of male persons in those counties
over the age of twenty-one years, that in
twenty mine counties 1905 votes more
were reported than there were male per-
sons over the age of twentY-one years in
these counties. Now by adding the 1905
to 1924 it will give us 24,189, which
amount represents the sum total of self
evident fraud. Now deduct this "a, 189
from 103, $50, and it shows that but 70, sos
votes could legally and reasonably have
been cast by the voting population o. Ar
kansas.
But it may be said, admitting II to be
true that "a, 1S9 votes are reported more
than should have been, and that this num-
Der was counted ''for the constitution, +"
that the constitution yet had majority in
its favor. It is true the returns would show
this to be true, but we have already shown
q fraud in these returns of over "a, 900 votes
and having done this, we assert that the pre-
sumptions are not in favor of the returns.
The election was conducted by persons
who were not responsible to the law or the
courts for the manner in which they dis
charged their duty. The only thing fixing
a penalty on the election officers for a cor.
rupt performance of their duties was a sec.
ton in the ordinance of the convention, and
Judge Poland says the ordinance did not
and could not have the effect and force ola
law. The election officers who held the
October elections were all advised, and the
matter was publicly discussed by the press
of the State, that they could not be subjected
to indictment and prosecution before the
State courts for making false returns of the
election. As the result of advice and IN
we find "a, 1S9 votes returned
more than should have been, and at time
when the Republicans of the State, who
were over 10000 strong, were not partici-
pating in the election, but before Judge
Poland says "a, 807 votes were reported as
against the constitution, and he infers these
votes must have been cast by Republicans.
The judges of election and the Garland
ties knew long before the election that the
Republicans had publicly resolved not to
participate in the election. They knew
then, as well as now, that the eye of Con-
gress was on them. They knew that if the
returns showed non-participation in the
election by one political party. Congress
would not allow a constitution to be
put in force that the people of the State had
abstained from voting upon, on the ground
that it was Illegally submitted and that the
election was being held in violation of the
constitution and laws of the State; and,
knowing this, was it not just as easy to
make the returns show vote of "a, 6f
votes against the constitution as to make
them show "a, 189 votes more than should
have been returned, and thus make
up priH1G taeie case that the election was
participated in generally by the electors
without distinction of partyR