Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-09-30
ANINFAMoUS PLOT EXPOSED,
How Cameron Proposes to Carry Ohio
and Indiana.
New YoRK. Sent. q.

New York, Sept. q.
No election infamy ever devised
equals in internal ingenuity the plot of
Cameron henehmen, Mackey, Mann,
and kemble, to defraud the voters of
Ohio and Indiana ut the approaching
election. The scheme is known in all
its details, and We do not say a word
about 1T which cannot be proven be-
yond a doubt. The conspiracy is
marked by such diabolical ingenuity
that it seems at first glance like Wis
ionary romance, but careful examina-
ton will convince any one that unless
previously exposed, it was so cunning
ly contrived as almost to defy detec-
ton. Like all great works of art, it is
marked by simplicity. and ell who
know anything Of the history Of Penn
sylvania know that Mackey. Mann,
and kemble are masters in the art of
fraud.
Failing in his plan to dragoon the
South, Cameron determined to have
Indiana and Ohio at all hazards. He
needed for the job, no ordinary work
men, or prentice hands, but the most
skiltul in the black art of cheatery; men
who he knew, on whose boldness and
dash 10 villainy he could rely, and who
as yet had never failed. So he summon
ed his old and trusty pals-his fellow
pupils under his father-and, with his
counsel, the infamous scheme was per-
fected, and put into operation. Itwas
agreed that not a word should be writ
/ ten, so that no evidence might remain.
| The lesson of the Addition, Division
and Silence" letter was not forgotten.
Twenty men were picked out,
supposed to be the most reliable for
such work in the whole State of Penn
sylvania. Each man was given his in
structions separately, so that no one
might know the destination of another,
or the details of his mission. Two
chiefs were chosen, each to communi-
cate with a selected member of the
State Committee Of Ohio and Indiana.
Under the orders of these chiefs each
| subordinate was to take charge of a
designated district, and select the judge
or inspector of election to carry out
the scheme in each. The scheme. in
detail, is {: The selected judge or in
spector. after or during the voting,
drops given number of radical bal
lots in the lot to be counted.
The count disclosing by comparison
with the total of the poll-list an ex-
cess of ballots over lawful voters, the
question arises what to do with the de-
fciency. After hesitation, the Repub-
lican election officer will propose, with
apparent fairness, to settle the excess
by withdrawing an equal number Of
votes from each side For example,
the excess being ten, to throw off five
Democratic and Ave Republican bal
lots. This proposition seems, on its
face, fair, and the Democratic inspec-
tor, unless unusually suspicious or
keen, is very likely, in the hurry and
excitement of canvassing the votes, to
agree to the request rather than vitiate
the poll or confess that fraud has
been committed through his neg
lect. So the ten votes are with
drawn, five on each side, but the ten
votes fraudulently introduced still re-
main in the count An average change
of ten votes in each of the 582 polling
precincts of Indiana would make a
a fraud of $500 votes, and the same
operation in each of the 1 300 precincts
of Ohio would make change of Is,
600 votes. Of course wherever the
! Ring Agent found dishonest or stu
pid Democratic official, many more
than ten votes would be introduced.
In some places the scheme would fail
altogether But the conspirators are
counting on an average fraud by this
plan of ten votes at each poll, or 49,
200 votes in the two States. This is
their exact calculation. 1t does not
matter whether the votes are dumped
from the boxes before counting, OF
each vote be taken from the box sing
4 ly, there will be in either case ample
opportunity during the day to introduce
the fraudulent excess. Neither does
it matter whether the votes are with
drawn by equal selection, or by chance.
ing of the ballot, or in fG7GS 1f eRRtFuffqel di
paper, will enable the instructed ex-
pert to withdraw none of the fraudu-
lent ballots Even if number be
Withdrawn fairly and unfortunately.
there will be naturally as manyin pro-
portion of Democratic as Republican
votes withdrawn, and the votes fraud
ulently introduced will always tell in
! the count.
The scheme of fraud is at once sim
pie and effective. It's apparent sim
plicity marks the devish ingenuity OF
the design. 1t will not do to despise
or underrate it, for it is by precisely
such plots that the vote of Pennsylva-
MIA has been falsiied for many years
by the very men who are in this con-
spiracy now. 1t is not confined to
Ohio and Indiana; but extends to all
the October States.
To defeat it be sure of your Inspec-
tors, appoint the best men in the pre-
cinct watchers at the poll, and watch
carefully the doings and record of
every suspicious stranger
This is not the only scheme of fraud.
but only one sample of many.
There is nothing that trained cum
ming can devise which will not be re-
sorted to by the Radicals in their des-
perate effort to retain power, and cheat
the country into voting for them in
November by classifying the results in
in loFohar