The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-06-08
Petersburg Outrage.


to by the Conservative party for the purpos
of overcoming the registered Republican ma
| jority. The Republicans have clear maJorit
of 500in that city, if a fair election could be had
Two years agothis decided preponderance wa
overcome and a proclaimed majority OF about70
! for the Conservatives given to the country. A
the election on the 25th ult., the same RepuIli
can majority was converted ntoa Conservativ
majority of 900, that party filling every munich
pal office. The manner in which this resul
was consummated is an Outrage upon law, IN
dividual right and republican institutions. IL
secure fair election, and prevent the fraud
that had heretofore been perpetrated by stutfet
tickets, the tally sy stem was adopted by the
Republicans. The Washington Republican ex
plains this as follows:
"Threats are being freely uttered against thu
author of the tally system You will see that ever
BY the vanished account OF the Ind.1-AppeaI, il
which they tacitly approve the violence OF the
roughs what an uneXampled outrage has been per
petrated on the Republicans 1t is enough to sick
en- craven image. In the Fifth ward the roughs
had been organized into regular company, and. at
ter marching about the Republican Headquarters
for while, made regular charge on the building
shouting and firing pistols, two men being shot al
the first fire They then demanded the tally books
which were refused, but after determined resis
lance the few colored men having charge OF them
were oyerpowered and the books seized, and sup
pose have ere this been destroyed Afterwards the
! mayor made his appearance with some police and
the erson accused of shooting one of the victims
was arrested and after released on $500 bail
(He was afterwards diScharged-ED9 The same
company above referred to were formed into line In
amid the quiet though, I believe general approval
OF the people, for heard one OF the first and ap-
parently most amiabe OF their party say that any
means were pardonable that would protect them
from negro or Radical rule. Isn't 1t Klu-kluxlsm
with a vengeance! Poor Marble, one OF the most
inoffensive amiabe and quietly-disposed men in
the community, was arrested for inciting riot He
was confined in Jail until u o'clock. when he was
leased bail, no one a2opearng against HAM, What
a travesty on justice!
lin the First ward there vas a company organic
ed the same as in the Fifth. They 1rst demanded
the tally books and when refused advanced, broke
down the doors of the house where the books had
been concealed beat a poor, paralytlc colored man
nearly to death, and marched of with part OF the
book. AS you will see by the Democratic paper
send you, there is no disapproval OF these unexa-
awlessness of the Klu Klux but on the other hand.
they receive at least tacit approval from what is
community These roughs feel that they are pro-
tected in whatever they do II they get Into diicul,
ty the best counsel in the community Is provided
for them, and they are sure to be cleared In my
opinion no Republicans life is safe who takes an
active interest in tkepotics of his party; We have
taken the names of 1856 who voted the straight
Republican ticket, besides many others who voted
without giving their names, certainly 2ooO in ALL
votes; so to say the least, we have been swindled
out of $40 votes, which would have given US the
the latter part of the afternoon, aided by Of the
police, drove off colored voters while IN the Fifth
ward many Republicans feared to go to the polls
of the roughs congregated there Is it not possible
to have some sort of protection from the General
Government
Following this, the Republican furnishes the
statement given below, from source entirely
worthy of credit:
In order to correct understanding of what is
lminary explanation are necessary. AT the mun1-
cipal election in Petersburg two years ago, when
if not larger than at this time, the democracy car.
ried the city by means OF stuffed ballots that is
by ncloSng in an ordinary sized ballot OF three by
four inches large number Of diminutve tickets
of about half inch in their dimension and on very
thin paper. When therefore the box shaken
by the Democratic Judges these bogus tickets came
out and upon counting the vote it was, OF course,
found that the tickets in the box greatly exceeded
the list of voters kept by the clerks. 1t became
therefore, in conformity with the law to
draw out until the number was reduced to CORE
Spond with the clerks books. The matter having
all been previously arranged. of course none We're
drawn but the larger ballots, thus the smaller OF
bogus tickets. which were all put n by Democrats,
being left, they were counted as genuine, and the
Democratic candidates declared elected With q
view of rendering such fraudulent devices abortve
at the late election the Republicans inaugurated the
plan OF placing two three of the members OF their
party at each OF the polling places Win tlckeas ar
When voter obtained ticket from one of these
men, and voted 1t, his name and residence was put
down on the stub; so that it would be an easy mat
ter as will be seen to prove by multitude OF wit,
nesses in the event of effort to deprive them OF
their rights, just how many Republican ballots were
cast and who deposited them This was called the
tally system
In order to counterfeit the effect of this out
proceeding, the report comes on the
29th that mob of negroes, numbering some
one hundred. had assembled at Pocahontas to
attack some white people in or about the city.
1t so happened that there was no collision-no
white gatherlng-but the arrest of number
of negroes was the result. There is no cause
of difficulty given in the report, no occasion
announced for the alleged gathering, and the
fair presumption is that it was only asensation
gotten up to draw attention from the wrongs
perpetrated and rights invaded on the day Of
election.