Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-12-08

decision.
FLORIDA.
At the meeting of the Board Of Can.
vassers on the 29th there were present
for the Republicans, Barlow Of New
York, Ampt and Noyes of Ohio, Wallace
and Brady of Indiana, Chandler of New
Hampshire, and several local politicians;
for the Democrats, Marble of New
York, G.. W. Biddle, d. w. Sellers, Read,
Thompson, Hay and Guthrie of Penn
sylvania, Wooley Of Ohio, Saltonstall of
Massachusetts, Coyle of Washington,
Gibson of Missouri, Perry Smith of
Illinois, Brown and Young of Georgia,
with several local politicians. Gen.
Brannon, U. s. Army, had a seat
inside the railing with the board. The
Secretary at once began the opening Of
the scaled packages of votes. AS the
reading proceeded the Republicans gave
notice that they would contest the re-
turns in nineteen counties, and the
Democrats gave notice of contest in
nine counties. This included all the
counties except Dade, the returns for
which had not been received. The re-
suit of the electoral vote as read from
the face of the returns was; Total Re-
publican majorities 2, AGO; total Demo-
cratic maiorities 7,41S. The Democrats
claim twenty y-three omitted votes in Clay
County which are not added in the general
result because it is not in evidence that
the inspectors and clerk were sworn. Two
returns were received from Baker County
-one signed by the County Clerk and
Justice, giving a Democratic majority of
u. ..I L., I'll 81 ..1 A,,N 4,
Judge and Sheriff, giving Republican
majority of forty-one. With the first re-
turn admitted the Tilden electors have
1876 majority; with both returns, held
subject to future decision, the Dem
ocrats have two electors by five majority,
one by three majority, and the Republi-
cans have one elector by one majority.
At the meeting of the Board of Canvass.
ers on the Both ult. the Democratic man
ayers called attention to the fact that
the second returns from Baker County
were signed by a Justice of the Peace
appointed since the election and that the
official precinct returns were omitted
and false result reached. In the Ala.
chua County case testimony was presented
that the alleged affidavit from Moore,
purporting to deny certain facts in an
other affidavit he had made, was dated
and executed on the goth, while the affi-
davit he proposed to retract and correct
was dated and executed on the 23d.
Moore testified that he was an in
spector at Archer and 316 votes only were
cast or counted; that he signed the cleo
tion certificate in blank; that he was
paid 800 to sign a paper to which he
did not swear. This was the counter
affidavit. Dukes, another inspector at
the same precinct, testified that only 316
votes were cast; that he never signed a
paper saying 535 votes were cast, al
though offered $25 to do so. Attention
was also called to the fact that in the
affidavits of persons that they voted in
Archer precinct eleven names APP
pear in two places, two names
of men who were dead appear,
etc. The Republicans submitted objec-
tiOns to two precincts in Columbia Coun-
ty, alleging that the Democratic Inspect
or changed the ballots when they were
handed to him, and that negroes were
taken by Democrats into q swamp week
before the election and, after various
outrages, were made to swear on their
knees that they would vote the Demo-
cratic ticket.
At the meeting of the Board of Can
vassers on the Goth, the Democrats in
troduced objections to a precinct in
AlaChua County, reciting that the returns
had been raised 219 votes over the true
polls cast, and presented affidavits to
that effect from two inspectors, two
members of the County Board of Can
vassers, Circuit Judge, and others.
The two inspectors who made affidavits
and the two members of the Canvassing
Board are Republicans. The Republic
ans introduced counter affiCavits from
Moore and Dukes, the two inspectors,
and Belton and Webster, the two members
of the Canvassing Board referred to, all
of whom swore that their former affldavits
were made under duress, fear or misap.
prehcnson, and were false. The Dem
ocrats introduced third affidavit from
Bolton, who swore that if he gave any
second affidavit he was not responsible
or in his true mind when he did so, and
reaffirmed the assertions made IN his first
one. An affidavit of the Clerk of the
Court in Baker County was presented,
certifying that the returns which give
the Democrats 95 majority was the true
and only return from that county Ger
tilted copies of each of the precinct re.
turns in Baker County, signed by pre-
cinct inspectors, which footed up the re-
suit that was recited in the Clerks re-
turns, were also presented.
At the meeting of the Board of Can
vassers on the 1st, Vance, clerk at Archer
Precinct, Alachua County, swore that the
election was fair and regular, and 535
were cast and the certificates were signed
by Moore and Dukes; the ballot-box was
kept in witness house election night; did
not know what became of the tally-sheet.
Black, inspector at Archer, testified that
535 votes were cast, counted and put in
the certificate. The Democrats filed OBJ
jections to the Duval County vote on
the ground that non-registered men
voted, others voted twice, and men
under penal conviction and also inmates
of the Jail voted. The Republicans OBJ
jected to twenty nine votes in Nassau
and twenty three in Duval on the ground
that railroad paymasters threatened to
discharge negro employees unless they
voted the Democratic ticket; also tc
jackson County on the charge of intimi
dation, violence and fraud. Exon
gresham Walls testified that he did moi
offer Dukes twenty-five dollars to sigr
the affidavit introduced by the Repub
licans, as he swore. McCone swor6
that he saw Dukes put his mark to the
affidavit.
The Board of Canvassers were in ses
sion on the I'd. Each side filed specifica
tions of contest in several counties Re
turns from Dade County were received
giving Hayes four majority. In Msnatet
County the registering clerk resigned I
week before the election. The deputy
clerk refused to register the names o
citizens. An election was held, las
years registry being used, each vote
taking the registry oath before justice
of the Peace. The county returned
Democratic majority. The Republican,
ask that the county be thrown out, a
their voters, not believing an election
would be held without clerk, did no
go to the polls.