The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-11-16
Special Dispatch to the New York Times
THE VICTORY In FLORIDA.

Special Dispatch TO the New 7 rk Times.
THE VICTORY In FLORIDA.
HOW THE DEMOCRATS TOOK THE ELECTIO,
| AT FIRST--THE SUDDEN AWAKENING
| PRODUCED BY MIR. HEWITT's TELEGRAM:
! LOUD CLAIMS INSTANTLY MADE THAT
! THE STATE HAD GONE FOR TILDEN--s
| REPUBLICAN VICTORY ASSURED BEYoNr
DOUBT.
| TALLAHASSEE. Nov 12.-Therc is now
no doubt that the Republicans have carried
Florida by majority Of from 1000 to l.S0(
votes. From the first they have claimed thu
State by much larger vote, and for twenty
| four hours after the election there was not q
well-informed Democrat here who was no.
willing to admit that their claim was a ius
one. This, however, was when they believed
that Tilden had been elected by so large
majority that he did not need the vote o
Florida. On Wednesday afternoon, how.
ever, Mr.. A. S. Hewitt the Chairman of the
Democratic National Committee. telegraph
| ed to the State Committee that Mr.. Tilden
was not elected if Florida had gone Repuhli
can. At the same time he telegraphed to Mr.
| Drew, the Democratic candidate for Govern
or, and to many other prominent Democrats.
begging them in the strongest terms to Sc
cure the votes of the State for Tilden. These
dispatches at once put new face on the sit
uation. Suddenly, without having received
any advices from the remote counties, they
reversed their former publicly expressed
opinions of the result, and loudly declaring
that 1t Tilden's election depended upon their
| vote he should have it, they stated that their
majority was at least 2.000 Then they set
about doctering the returns to make that ma
| jority. They are still engaged in the same
work.
| Oqc part OF the programme is to create an
limpyesson throughout the country that all
the haachinery is in the hands of the Rcpub-
| lcaus, and that they can count the vote to
suit themselves. This is false. absolutely.
and In every respect; indeed, the direct oppo
site is the the truth, for in about twenty
nine OUT Of the thirty nine counties in the
State. the polling places were controlled en-
tirely by Democrats. In order to make this
fully understood, 1 must state that Mr..
Steafns, the Republican Governor of Florida.
has, since the election, adopted the policy of
appointing Democrats to office in most of the
counties where the majority of the voters
wished such appointment mado. In purs,,-
ancelof this generous policy. he has in TWEEN
ty-nlnc counties selected Democrats to fill
the positions of Judge of the County Court
and Clerk ofthe Court. These twogentlemen.
together with one Justice of the Peace, Sc
lectell by them, constitute the Board of Coun-
ty Canyassers, and have full power to count
anu canvass the vote in their respe ctiye coln-
ties. But this is not the only power possess
ed by the Democrats. In the twenty-nine
counties to which 1 refer, they also had full
control OF the ballot-boXes on election dav.
This they obtained in the following manner:
All the County Commissioners are appointed
by the Governor, and, in accordance with the
iiberal policy already referred to, Mr.. Stearns
IN many Instances gave the positions named
10 democrats. The power Of appointing In
spectors OF Elections is vested in these Coun-
~ commissioners, and at the late elections
fhey appointed two Democrats and one Re-
publican to attend to each poll. Not content
with the almost absolute control thus obtain
ed, they succeeded in several cases. by the
pracuce OF the various tricks which are so
well known to all Southern Democrats, in
keeping the Republican Inspector from exer
cislng the duties OF his office. Immediately
after the election, however, they discovered
that IN spite of all their precautions the Re-
publlcans, who have large maiorties in, and
control of, the only thickly populated coun
ties IN The state, had elected their ticket. At
hrst as have already intimated, they ex-
pressed themselves perfectly satisfied with
tae result, and admitted that they had lost
the light. When they received Mr.. Hewitt's
alspatches however they made up their minds
to defeat the Republicans at all hazards, and
to this end they sent out men to all voting
districts under their control, with ;nstruc
TONS to make the vote in them as large rs
possible. This was on Wednesday af-
ternoon. On the same evening Governor
Stesrns sent out special train with q num-
Der OF Republicans OIL board, with ins.ruc-
tons to visit the precincts under Democratic
control and do all in their power to prevent
frauds. The Democrats heard Of this. and
four miles from Tallahassee the train was
run off the track and wrecked, and it was
discovered that one OF the rails ha 4 been torn
up. VI course, the Republicans were una
Die to proceed, and the Democratic emmissa
rles reached all the remote polling places
from twelve to twenty-four hours in advance
Ct them.
Since these transactions, twenty-five coun-
lies have been heard from, and from the most
reliable source, find that they give q net
Republican majority Of 1850. At the last
Gubernatorial election, in 1872, the same
counties gave net republican majority of
1851, and the Republicans carried the State
by majority of 500. At the Conyression-
al election held in 1874, the same counties
gave the Republicans q majority of 3,9O1.-
The fourteen counties which are vet to hear
from, in 1872 gave Democratic majority
OF $50. and in 1874 q Democratic majority
OF 1892. This year the Republicans got out
thelrful vLtc in these counties, and it is con-
tidently believed that the Democratic MAORI
ty was largely reduced. 1t was not possible to
increase it by any honest means; consequent
ly if the votes actually cast are fairly count
on rf,riftr tx,tn 10
1.200 to 1000. 1t cannot fall below 1000
votes.
Jnst here, however, arises the question
can fair count be had? And, fortunately,
it can be answered in the affirmative. The
Board OF State Canvassers is composed OF S.
B. McIlin, the Secretary Of State; C. A. Cow
gill, the Comptroller, and W. A. Cooke, the
Attorney General, is 4 Democrat, and
warm supporter of Tilden. The other two
gentlemen are Republicans. If the vote is
correctly returned by the County Canvas
sers, there is no doubt that it will be honest
ly and fairly counted. The only fear is that
tile returns may be falsfied by the Demo.
cratic County Canvassers already referred to.
These canvassers are required by law to make
their returns Tomorrow, and then the State
Canvassers have thirty days to make their
count. 1t will probably be two weeks before
the result is officially announced. In the
meantime prominent Democrats are hasten
ing here from all parts of the South, and
they have requested their National Commit
tee to send number Of representative Nor
thern men to Tallahassee. This afternoon
five companies Of United States troops came
in, and six companies more are expected to-
morrow. The whole force, amounting to
about four hundred men will be under the
command of General Ruger. Everything is
quiet, and it is believed that the presence OF
the troops will prevent any outbreak while
the vote is being canvassed.
Tie Right Spirit
The Petersburg index, of a recent date is