The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-02-17
THE RICHMOND ELECTION FRAUDS.
SENATOR cocHRAN.s VIEWS

| SENAIOR COCiRAN . VIEWS
On Saturday last, in the discussion of tie
knight-Johnson contested election case. in the
Senate, Senator Cochran, Of Augusta, severely
criticised the report of the comrnittec--seating
the fraudulent manner in whieiathe elections
in Richmond, particularly. have been conduct
cd. The following report of his speech is takeE
from the Wing Of Monday, and we commend
it to the careful perusal of our readers:
When the subject came mp Senator Cochran,
who was entitled to the floor. proceeded to de-
liver his views. He commenced by saving that
he should have given 4 silent vote had nc not
thought that the liberties Of the people he rep
resented. as well as the liberties OF the people
OF the whole State, were involved TN the issue
to be decided. Ii he had any personal bias, it
was for the sitting member, and he referred to
The manner in which the contest had been con-
Quoted as amounting almost to persecution.
He spoke of his personal relations with the
signers OF the majority report, attributing to
them the purest motives. What is the contest
The contestant alleges that the returns at the
First precinct Of Jefferson Ward are fraudulent
and fiaRdulently certified, and claims the seat
in consequence. Senator Cochran protested
against the iniquity of tying voters neck and
heels and turning them over to corrupt judges
Of election. He criticised the views of Senator
Claughton, as expressed in his report. as alto
gether untenable, They amounted to this
that fraud cannot be inquired into, cannot ba
uncaythed. He had always thought that when
fraud enters as an ingredient into an election,
it vftiated it as it sitiates everything else. The
current OF decisions in this country and Eng
land so runs. He pointed oRt the error of the
Senator from Campbell in his Interpretation Of
certain decisions Oh the subject. Tie made the
distinction between irregularities and frauds
committed with fraudulent intent, contcnding
that when fraudulent intent is carried home to
the managers of elections it vitates everything
He understood the Senator from Campbell to
hold that there was no fraud, but if there had
been he has eliminated it. He considered the
various kinds of Fraud and the question as to
which party the burden of proof is on. The
fraud in this case was proclaimed from the
house-tops. Go where you may in this city,
You will hear the friends Of Gen. johnson ac-
knowledge that there was fragrant fraud, and
that the bailoi@box had been stuffed. 1t was a
ease Of fraud per Sc, snd really does not re-
quire proof. He, however, made q summary
OF the evidence establishing fraud. lie refer
red to it as having been overwhelmingly de-
monstrated by the testimony of eiehty-one wit
nesses, and protested eloquently against cover
ing it up He would tell the gentleman from
Campbell that the rights of Il great constitu-
ency had been murdered, and, like Banqno's
ghost, they would not down at his bidding.
He maintained that it was Cply by excluding
evidence of fraud that the sitting member can
have the senblanee Of a claim to his seat, and
said that on mere technical grounds votes are
claimed for him that should clearly be counted
or Knight. He said that the report had taken
hold of Vaiden's coat-iai 10 elude fraud. He
considered the question as to how fraud car be
eliminated, and the effect upon poll OF limit
ed and of wholesale fraud. He made an anal
ysis of the facts and figures developed in the
testimony to show that this is not a case OF
limited fraud. 1t was a case OF thorough.
wholesale fraud, most ngeniouslv planned and
executed. The report in favor of Gen. john
son proceeded upon the hypothesis that he is
entitled to his seat and to that assumption it
makes everything yield. He said that it SEEM
ed to be claimedfor the sitting member that all
the doubts in the case Should be resolvedin his
favor, and none in favor Of the contestant.
This he protested against, claiming that the
contestant was as much entitled TO doubtful
votes as the contestee. Hearsay testimony was
much relied upon for the contestee, but such
testimony was ruled out when in favorcf the
Ieontestant.. In his remarks on The exclusion of
ballots Of illiteratc voters, Oh the gEoHnd that
they had not been read to .lem before Being
placed in the box. he said it was based on a
principle which. if carried oat, would disfran-
chise large majority Of the colored voters.
He held that all legal Prescriptions we've in
favor Of the correctness OF the ballot rs all eX-
| preston Of the Intention of tie voter. Sena-
tor Cochran frequently had portions of the
testimony read by tile clerk, in order to COM
ment upon them. IIe said that in dealing
with this matter of excluding ballots we are
treadins OH delicate ground. He did not mean
to say that some authority might not be cited
for some Of the nice distinctions that had been
made, but substantial justice should not be de-
feated by mere teclsncaliteS. The whole sub
ject was envelopcd i'll DOUBTS. SO one hosy-
eyer he thought, would doubt that there had
been grt IS frauds. The way to resolve all
doubts was to refer the election back to the
pcople--the people who are the cor. er-stonc of
the citadel OF liberty. Senator Cochran S anal
ysis of the evidence Was minute and searching.
He displayed much acumen in sitting it. In
his comments upon it and upon the majority
report. and the speech Of Senator Daniel, he
displayed high orderof ability. But the sub
ject being chiefly one Of facts, figures and dry
details, he had little scope for indulgence in
figures of speech and flights of fancy. 1t was
evident that he went more for work than for
show. However, as he approached his conclu-
sion he greatly impressed his hearers by some
fine rhetoric. He said it was the lnouEnful his
tory of free counties that they had gone Gown
in double quick time as soon as the ballot be-
came polluted He spoke of the greatness and
grandeur of Rome until the majesty OF the
ballot gave way to the eorrupting influences OF
money. When that occurred she slipped back
from republic into an empire, and from that
into anarchy. Speaking Of the Conservative
patty, he said it was its duty 10 discountcnance
election frauds, and to see that the purity of
the ballot is preserved. That party, now iii
the ascendency in Virginia, cannot afford to
tolerate such frauds as had been committed in
this case. The Senate, as representing that
party, cannot pack on all these frauds and ex-
pect the party to hold together. Political power
shifts about like a kaleidoscope We are in
4. the ascendency now, and if we prove ourselves
to be unworthy TO rule, another party may
coHle up, and what then would be our fate !?
Let us 10 right, purge the ballot-box, show
that we are honest. and commend ourselves to
all good men, That's the way to keep together
and succeed. This election was talked about
all over the State. He lad heard as good Con-
servatives as any in the State declare with en-
phasis that such frauds as lad been committed
ought not to be tolerated. end that they would
act With 10 party that eoit;ltenanced and up
held them. Senator Cochran occupied two
hours in the delivery Of his mastery argument
Letter from Hon. W. Il. Fl. Stewen