National Republican., 1876-06-13
THE "DEvILTRIEs" OF THE VIRGINIA
DEMOCRACY.


emulous of the uneuviable notoriety of
being leaders in nefarious methods of de-
frauding Republicans of the results of their
votes, and in attempts at defeating the al
ready expressed will of the people. A few
days since we ventilated, at some length,
the fraud and violence that prevailed in
Petersburg at the last election, by which
city that contained registered Republican
majority of 500 was handed over to the
ex. Confederate Democracy, and now the
same party in Lynchburg puts in bid,
which, if successful, will entitle them to
be regarded as the champion frauds Of the
State.
1t will be remembered that at the NUM-
cipal election which occurred on the fourth
Thursday of May, the Republican candi-
dates for mayor, clerk of the corporation
court, commissioner Of the revenue, city
treasurer and sergeant were elected; the
first named by majority of more than tho
hundred, and the others by msjorities
ranging from 46 down to 8. Not content
with having been fairly beaten at the polls,
(as was admitted the day after the election
by the Star, Democratic paper,) these
defeated Democratic candidates, Gall OF
whom held the offices before and were
candidates for re elec'ion.) fearing to fol-
low the example set them in 1851 by
instituting q little civil war on their
own account, have had recourse to
the Democratic courts as means
of composing their ends. Wehave before
US the copy of document that was filed
in the clerks Office of that city on 5stur-
day week, contesting the right Of the csndi-
dates elected on the Republican ticket last
month to hold their several offices on &C.
count of alleged informalities in q ward
that gave Republican majority OF 236,
and when it is remembered that all three
of the commissioners of election were
straight-out Democrats, the public will be
able to see, in the event of these informal
tiles being established, how near the whole
thing came to being "put-up job" The
document to which reference has been
made charges that q Republican challenger
received ballots, put them in the box and
checked them off the registrars book, and
that one clerk, Democrat, acted as clerk
without appointment, and without having
taken the oath of office; that two other
Democrats, (who are named, who were
neither judges nor clerks. aided in counting
and stringing the ballots; and further. that
the Democratic registrar of the ward acted
as judge of the election. These are the
counts in their bill against receiving the
vote of the only clearly. pronounced Re-
publican ward in the city, and by throwing
out which they could count in the defeated
Democratic candidates, and as they are
known to have the courts on the side that
believes in the theory that Republicans
"have no rights that Democrats are bound
"to respect, they doubtless confidently
calculate on q bloodless victory, even
though it be obtained by infamous devices.
If the allegations of the contestants were
true, it is no more than has heretofore
happened in the Democratic wards Of
the same city, and, if it was illegal, why
did the judges of electioE-lll of whom
were Democrats-permit it! They were
sn intelligent men, and, having before
acted in the same capacity, were presumed
to know the election laws of their own
State. We don't profess to know what
will be proven on hearing of the case;
but if the facts be as charged it will look
decidedly bad for the Democratic judges
who permitted the violations of law in the
only Republican ward in the city, and the
only one in which violations Of law are
alleged to have occurred. Not because the
Democratic contestants do not feel assured
of success; for, with the courts organized
as they are in Virginia, there can be little
doubt of it, but evidently with view to
silence the objections that have been
raised at their course by the respectable
portion of the Democrats, the contestants
have engaged every lawyer of pronounced
ability in Lynchburg, with the single ex-
ceptlon of Hon. T. S. Babcock, (who sp-
pears for the defense,) to prosecute their
partisan suit, thinking, doubtless, that by
the special pleading of counsel "the worse
will be made to appear the better cause"
and the community thereby be kept from
openly denouncing them for their efforts
to foist themselves on a constituency that
had already repudiated them at the polls.
There is another feature of this fraud
ulent effort to deprive the majority of their
right to participation in,'the city govern
ment that will admit Of explanation. In
accordance with the law the ballots of the
three wards-there are but three wards in
the city--were separately sealed up by the
judges of election and deposited
with the clerk of the conrt, the latter of
whom was the defeated Democratic candi-
date for reelection. On the night after the
election the ballots Of the Third ward,
which had given the Republican candidate
for mayor a majority of two hundred and
thirty. six, together with the ballots from
the First ward, which had also given him
q majority of twenty four, were stolen, and
nothing has since been heard Of them.
Who did it, In whose interest was 1t done?
1t will not, perhaps, require a very great
amount OF astuteness on the part of the
reader TO place the responsibility of this
theft on the party in whose interest it was
evidently made. i. e., the Democracy. This
is very apparent, in view of the fact that
the ballots from the Democratic strong
hold, the Second ward, were left un-
touched. .-- ... .. -..r.. a..
There are the devices that are re-
sorted to in q country in which we are
wont to boast Of our freedom Of opin-
ion and liberty in expressing it at the bal
lot box. When stuffed ballots will not
as in Portsmouth, Va, violence
Is resorted to, as in Petersburg, Va. When
it is not safe to try that, the State courts,
organized by partisan Legislature. and
presided over. in the main, by partisan ]
judges. are used to compass the defeat of
the majority when that majority Is Repub-
lican in sentiment. Such trsYesties on lib