National Republican., 1876-02-23

| and there reCelVeu, at tne very leaSl, lOi
"yotes Of those polled, and you received
"but e46 legal votes Of those polled at
"that precinct" Knight then proceeds
as the record published by order Of the
Senate, and which is now before us, having
been procured with great difficulty, shows
TO prove his allegations by first publish
ing copy Of the poll. book for the precinct
which has been referred to, amounting TO
4O2 names. He then publishes list OF
forty-three white voters, embracing among
the number some of the most highly re-
spectacle residents of Richmond, and of
sixty colored voters who voted for him
| Knight Then follows the GSfd0rits of
these witnesses, and their cross-examina-
tion before counsel, which fully bear out
the allegations Of Col. Knight. The state
ment of contestant is further strengthened
by the proof Of at least two illegal votes,
and Of two who voted twice at this same
precious precinct, while IN the second
| precinct Of the same ward he proves
twentythrcc illegal votes, publishes their
names and clearly establishes the fact that
some of them voted twice, some three
times, and that others had not resided
in the city for more than year.
| While he was undoubtedly entitled
to the seat to which he } had been
fairly elected by the people, Col. Knight
did not demand it, but modestly asked that
the election be rcmandcd TO the people on
the ground that these "gross, glaring and
palpable frauds had yitiated the whole
election, and then, with..a sense Of fairness
that proved to have been utterly wasted
upon the body before whom it was made,
he makes this appeal for justice "If the
"whole election is not nullity, and the
d" vote at said precinct (irSp is not thrown
"out for fraud, then, al least, the Senate
"must correct the returns thcrefrom &C
"cording to the evidence which | shall
produce. whereby viii show, instead Of
"your (JohnsoDl having 4 majority OFFS
! " over me Knight at that precinct. you by
ono possibility had a majority exceeding
"109, which, being proved, would give
"me Knight a majority over you (John-
I" SOM in the district Of 100 votes. or there
abouts, and entities me Knight TO said
scat" knight did prove all these state
ments, and yet the election was neither
remanded to tho people. nor were the eicc-
tion returns corrected, hut johnson, by
vote of 81 TO H. was permitted 20 retain a
seat that had been obtained by and through
the connivancc Of corrupt Locofoco judges
and equally vcnal registrar of elections,
the latter Of whom. as was clearly ostab-
llshed. left the city to prevent the con-
tcstant from examining his registry, and
remained absent unit! the expiration of the
ten days allowed Knight by law wherein
to furnish his adversary with list of the
disputed votes.
One Of the more conservative Of the DEM
ocratic Senators who opposed Johnson's
claims said, in tie debate that occurred on
the question, That "it;,::was impossible TO
"fastcn the responsibility of the frauds
upon any one Of the judges, and there
fore nobody could be singled out for pun
"ishment that all were equally guilty,
land that the whole affair was disgraceful
"to the parties implicated. If this be so,
why were not all punished: That nobody
will be punished for the commission of
election frauds in Virginia is not to he ex-
pcctcd under the present regime with which
the old State is so sorcly afflicted. On the
other hand, the Democrat who can do the
most of this sort of nefariOus work is ac-
counted an efficient party man and worthy
Of all honor at the hands of the Virginia
Democracy. Punishment. Why they
would laugh in the face Of the individual
who had the temerity 10 suggest such a
thing. and end it, perhaps, by calling him
"R .dical." That such events as these,
which are becoming matters of almost daily
occurrence in Virginia and other of the
Southern States, under the domination OF
Locofoco rule, should go unwhippcd of
justice by State authority. is no more than
should be expected Of party that was
conceived in sin and brought forth in
"iniQuity :" but they should serve to show
the loyal North that the country is in i'm
mincnt danger of sacrificing the results of
the heroic efforts that for four wears were
put forth by an Imperfect nation to protect
Crery man in his rights as 4 citizen, not
only in the protection OF his life, but in the
full and free exercise of his liberties as a
voter. 1t should impress every mind with
the conviction that il the people should be-
come so dcmcntcl after the bitter lessons
of the past, as 10 permit the Democracy 10
again assume control Of the ,iencral Gov
crnment VIC may bid adicu 10 every hope
of constitutional government and submit
ourselves tothe mercy Of ballot box suffers,
81, Ii i
the latter cf whom, by changed condition
Of affairs. arc driven. in order to effect their
purposes and in lieu OF the lash, 10 the dia-
bolical cxptdicnts TO which we have ad-
vcrtcd.
In the particular case TO which we call
attention today We are not without hope
that the engineers may be hoist with their
own rctard." 1t so happens that large
number Of the more truly conservative
men OF the Democratic party in Richmond,
10 whom the carpet, bagger" johnson
was distasteful, if not odious, (we Use the
word carpet bagger' in the sense IN
which the Democracy are wont to apply it
when referring 10 Northern Republican
in the South, voted for Knight. Thatthcy
arc in rather an unamiablc mood over the
action Of the Senate appears from the fol-
lowing extract from letter of the Rich
mond correspondent of the Petersburg
Ncws (DemocraticD
''When the result was announced there was
no murmur of applause, nothing save an cx-
cited whispering when the crowd went out.
1t has been bad days work for the city of
Richmond, and sincerely hope that she NAV
rally from its effects. There is some comment
on the fact that NessrS. Gayle, Tanner and
Wortham voted for johnson, and considered
rather singular that Mr.. Tanner, who was in-
tercstcd in the same election and has his scat
contested, should have been allowed to vote.
Mr.. Gayle's case will come before the Senate
next time. Ii is poor victory, it., indeed. il
can be called by that name.
Tanner and Wortham were on the same
ticket with johnson, Richmond, together
with the county in which it is located,