National Republican., 1876-05-29
FRAUD AND VIOLENCE IN VIRGINIA

| party, says anything in reprobacy of the
vile arts by which elections are controlled
at the South in the interest of the Democ-
racy, they are accused by the Southern De-
mocracy of 'haunting the bloody shirt
for party purposes, and the most vehement
asseverations of the untruthfulness of the
allegations are urged by those in whose in
terest these outrages are committed. 1t has
been reserved. however, for Virginia in her
late election to add another to the already
overwhelming evidences of violence meted
out to Republicans in the South.
The city of Petersburg in that State pos
sesses registered Republican majority Of
five hundred, and yet in the face of
this great numerical superiority the Demo
Gratis allege that they carried it on Thurs
day last by a majority of more than nine
hundred. The public are naturally
disposed to know the causes that have led
to this condition of ofsffairs, and in the inter
est of justice and humanity we propose to
enlighten them, that they may know,
comprehend more fully than they do, the
character Of the enemy with which Repub
licans have to deal in the once-proud
Commonwealth of Virginia. To this end
we append an extract, which we have
been permitted to make, from a private
letter TO distinguished gentleman now in
Washington. The writer of the letter is
citizen of Petersburg man Of charac
ter and unblemtshed reputation, thIt
will compare fayorably with that of
any man in that city. even though the
comparison should be instituted with the
\ saffron hued individual of the Inder Ap-
| peal, whose bilious temperament of mind
and body has given to his facial appendage
the hue of an unhealthy pumpkin. In
order to q correct understanding of what
is meant by the "tally system" few
words of preliminary explanation are ne
cessary. At the municipal election in Pc.
tersburg two years ago, when the registered
Republican majority was quite as large, if
not larger, than at this time, the Democracy
carried the city by means of stuffed ballots;
that is, by inclosiug in an ordinary sized
ballot of three by four inches a large NUN.
Der of diminutive tickets, Of about half
inch in their dimensions and on very thin
paper. When, therefore, the box was shaken
by the Democratic judges these bogus tick
cts came out and upon counting the vote it
was, of course, found that the tickets in the
box greatly exceeded the list of voters as
kept by the clerks. 1t became necessary,
therefore, in conformity with the law, to
draw out until the number was reduced to
correspond with the clerks books. The
matter having all been previously arranged,
of course none were drawn but the larger
ballots, thus the smaller. or bogus tickets,
which were all put in by Democrats, being
left, they were counted as asgenuine, and the
Democratic candidates declared elected.
With view Of rendering such fraudulent
devices abortive at the late election the Re-
publicans inaugurated the plan of placing
two or three of the members of their party
at each of the polling places with tickets
arranged somewhat in the form of bank
check books. When a voter obtained
ticket from one of these men, and voted it,
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 witnesses, in the event OF an effort to
deprive them of their rights, just how many
Republican ballots were cast and who de-
posted them. This was called the tally
system" II is not to be wondered at,
therefore, that these Democratic villains
determined to possess themselves of these
books at all hazards, even though house
breaking and murder were necessary to
compass their nelarious ends. But to the
letter, which is dated the Goth:
"Threats are being freely uttered against
the author of the tally system. You will see
that even by the vanished account of the
htder-ADpeGl, in which they tacitly approve
the violence of the roughs, what an uneX-
ampled outrage las been perpetrated Oh the
Republicans. 1t is enough TO sicken craven
image. In the Filth ward the roughs had
been organized into 3 regular company, aud,
after marching about the Republican head
qusrters for q while, made a regular charge
on the building, shouting and firing pistols,
two men being shot at the first fire. They
then demanded the tally books, which were
refused, but, after a determined resistance,
the few colored men having charge of them,
were overpowered and the books seized, and, |
l suppose, have ere this been destroyed. |
Afterwards the mayor made his appearance |
with some police, and the person accused of |
shooting one of the victims was arrested, and ]
soon after released on $500 bail. Gle was af- |
forwards discharged-ED.) The same COM |
pany above referred to were formed into line |
in the very courtroom and marched down the |
street, amid the quiet, though, l believe, 1
general approval of the people, for heard one |
of the first and apparently most amiable of |
their party say that amy means were pardon |
able that would protect them from negro or |
Radical rule Isn't It Ku-Kluxism with q
vengeance Poor Marble, one of the most in
offensive, amiable and quietly disposed men in |
the community, was arrested for 'inciting |
riot He was confined in jail until IL O'Clock, /
when he was released on bail, no one appear
ing against him. What travesty on Justice ! |
SIN the First ward there was a company Or
ganized the same as in the Fifth. They first |
demanded the tally-books, and when refused |
advanced, broke down the doors of the house
where the books had been concealed, beat a
poor, paralytic colored man nearly to death,
and marched off with part of the book. As |
you will see by the Democratic paper I send
you, there is no disspproval of these unexam-
Piled outrages, that are Of the same character
as the lawlessness of the Ku-Klux; but, on the
other hand, they receive at least q tacit ap-
proyal from what 10 regarded as the better |
class of the Democrats in the community.
These roughs feel that they are pro-
tected in whatever they do. II they |
get into difficulty, the best counsel |
in the community is provided for them, and |
they are sure TO be cleared. In my opin- |
Ion, no RepuOllcans life Is safe who |
takes an active interest in the politics of his |
party. We have taken the names of 1855 |
men who voted the straight Republican ticket, |
besides many others who voted without Civ |
ing their names, certainly 1000 in all. We |
are, however, reported as casting only / ,434 |
votes; go to say the least, we have been |
swiniled out of 500 votes, which would have |
given US the election. Besides, in the First |
ward, the roughs, in the latter part of the |
afternoon, aided By some Of the police, drove off
colored voters. While in the Fifth ward, |
many Republicans feared to 60 to the polls |
after the enlute and in face of the threatening |
looks of the roughs congregated there. Is it |
not possible to have some sort of protection |
from the General Government"
As was said at the outset, it has been the |
custom of the Democracy to brand
all such statements as those above false |
hoods, but in view of the following |
from the Petersburg IHdez-AppedI |
of Friday, we scarcely think they will at |