The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-13
Florida FOR TTLDEN.
A Fair md Impartial Account Of the Frauds
Of the Returning Board.

conscientious. conservative man, Of high social
standing. who h never taken any active part
in politics The letter was not written for pub
licltion, but for the Information Of personal
friends who had asked Tor the facts about the
Florida election. II contains concise aud ac-
curatc account Of the mems employed to cheat
Mr.. fidcn ont Of four electoral votes:
My DEAR -: have just finished reading
the Hon. Levefett $ ltonstall's dcscription, to
the citizens Of Is ston. OF the Florida election
frauds. You. OF course. know that he Is one Of
those persons who was sen, here to see an " non
est count" H. was urged to come down. not
only 10y MIR. Hewitt. Cnai-m Of the National
Demo ratio Central Committee. but also by MIR.
John Welsh and OtEer pro uineut Republicans.
knowing hi- Character for fairness and honesty
MIR. Saltonslll was member OF Congress from
Slem, Mass. some years ago was AN old limo
WING. and Is now looked upon IA New Ensl,nd
as a gen leman Of the " old school, and 4 man
OF solid warts. lie gives the trIe character OF
the ciruet-bagger' here, from Gov Slearns down
to his lowest strikers. Wtro you to know
them AS they really are. YOU would not be sur
uri-ed at their rctpetrtting any kind OF fraud
and rascallty t. secIro bower and plumber.
tue scene OF action that It il difllcrlt TO n AXE
them u9derst IN the count of a Local preclnct.
or to take AN Interest since the fepelltOn) In tho
white man Of the South II has seemed To me
that they have been more prone to listen to and
believe all the " bloody shirt stories that arc
concOc,cd tlan to see that an honest govern
mcnt II pr lperlv admni stcred Su,ith. II /.
notorious fac that AZ present the blacks OF ST.
Augustine NE organizing and drilling at nght,
hut were the whites to do the same It would be
proclaimed throughout the United States ~
done Tor intimidatiug, oulldOzing, Or ku-kux
proposes.
The Presidential election Of the 7th Of Novem
her I 81 WAS a very quiet one In this state. The
number of votes cast for President was 4s1l1,
lllden and hendricks receiving A.i2s, HAYES aud
Nueeier 49,. Governor. M ubef u votes cast,
fsO,s; Drew tDemocfaD receiving "l0D; Stearns
ttepnblic. ~ 2iO6s The above gives the whole
nun Der Of woes cast IN tho thrty.niue counties
OF Florida when includo al the c9utested
counties and precincts Of both sides. You will
perceive by the foregoing that the democratic
IN Jointly for President Is 10 tn the majority
for the Democratic Governor is 81. The carpets
oaEgets discovered that II would not do to let the
returns 20 before the returning Board IN that
shape with the face II the returns against tn I'm.
~ II i contendcd 10y the Democrats and by
| clothed with ministerial powers Ihey certainly
| do not have the power To throw out returns of
Wi counties and precincts, whoa should be
referred To the proper Judicial tribunals. Their
duty Is - present true history Of the canvass.
40 that II any candidate are injured they may
contest the case before competent tribunal.
| SO, before the board convened Gov. Stearns's
| minions commenced their work Of rascaliy bv
| making out another set OF returns for Baker
| county; Ihe true ana correct returns were
! those signed by the CLERK of the county AMI
justice OF the Peace jist after the election.
Inc second and false returns, dated NOV. 10,
| 1876. by the County Judge the Sheriff, AMI an
| other Justice Of the Peace, were irregular and
| fraudulent. The first and correct returns gave
| the Iildcn and Hendricks electors rs. and
HAYES aud Wheeler electors l4j. IN, second
| electur- 80 md Hayes aud Wheeler cleo ors 100
| the difference claimed Is lB votes. Both sets
q returns were sent To the SECRETARY OF state OF
| Florida, who IA Chairman OF the Returning
| 30 I'd. Republican. lie took his choice and
chose the second return to read TO the Return
| ing board Tor their count: and would not touch
| the fret one until compelled to do so. he first
returns gave the votes u all the precincts OF tue
| county while the second. a false return, omitted
| pnrposely, without cause, two precincts. Inc
| trst aud correct returns corresponded exactly
with the returns fled and recorded IN the ONCE
OF the clerk OF the court, as required by law. The
votes OF the precincts Ms forwarded and deiiv-
cred to the Clerk Of the Circuit Court, aud Nj d
IN his ONCE according to law. correspond ex-
actly with the true returns. ne second or false
returns are at variance with the precinct returns.
! II has been proved that the County Judge re-
| fused to meet the County Clerk at his office, az
| required by law. to make the canvass as did
also the Snerln. and therefore the second return.
made by the Judge. sheriff. aud Justice Of the
| Peace, was wholly without warrant OF Law IN
fact, II was made In secret. wss not
| left with the clerk OF the court for
record, lest its falsitv should be dis
covered and exposed before the board con-
vened. Until Its reading before the board its
existence wa, unknown. Tue Justice OF the
Peace who signed the false return was comm s.
stoned BY Gov. Stearns after the election and
was not known TO be Justice OF the Pc e, 1t
the time bv the Clerk Of the County nor by the
| community.
Biker county not being suinclent to alter the
| political complexion Of the returns by i've votes
they tnkered a. aud cooked up the returns Of
| other counties, before sending them - the seq
rotary of state. 80 that the face OF the whole re-
turns In the state gave the iyes and ,ro-
electors forty-o1e maj GRITTY. Iuus the Return.
lux DIard tesan Their count. aud with au AR oi
fdrness, COR ct-d h her cYuhy ~ counting Ia,
| first returns. and ma. my MINOR corrections iu
other counties. Iheu CON Ilencci the ~ ho.t
sale slaughter. la Mtnatee county they threw % q.
the whole return, wnlch was ~ Tor lilden aud
% for Hayes. Ia Hamilton county tne tru,
return, according TO the ceflIne copy
received oy tie bond, read GS for nj
III for Thdrn ana 81 Tor Have. nahinl
iiiien lose l'j votes ~ ths Aggregate, sin.
ply On the ground that IL re WAS some doub
attending the care and custody OF upAe-, nu
not establishing IA tals case the least shl'loN .
l.39. for Iilden nd Loo for Hayes. 1t WIS al
tered on the ground OF mere iTregularlty in thu
counting OF certli precincts. but on no suspl
eion Of fraud. T. 9jl for Iiil,n and LIS fO
Hayes, making Illden lose 40. Even some o
tue Republican ~ nasers looked WIN astonish
ment AT tons. In Monroe county the true re
turns were 1906 for TilleD and ~ FOR Have.
They threw out the Key West pieclnet. an'
making filden lose 3is votes. ms was tn
grossest fraud OF all 1t was so astounding "a
10 make the republican managers confess tina
II " gong little too far.
In Clay county they omitted a whole pre-
cinct, which returned ~ votes for Tnden an
for Hayes. for no assignaOle reason. OTaug
county was reduced Deinocfatc votes
Hsrnando o. and iranHlin H. making II
s S i9'i ,h to asSsd 81 4 yfs ia A S
| notwiths anding the ccrW,d cOpy Of tn
result Of the oallotting was declared at its clos
u he ilden l@)i, II ayes l,Ij9. IN Archer pre-
cinct No. =, they raised tie HAYES vote, /. a.
stuffed the baliot-oo1 II, swelling mis- vote Il
that county to l,poD votes. The certified poii lis
was destroyed; another one wa, man fac ture,
adding the II ttiOus names ~ 81 men, ana Pre-
, scented to the Heturning Board without Deiu
, certified to. Ihis fraud the keturning 80 al
, counted, aud Is ~ my calculation at tie agg q
gaze vote cast Ia the thirty nine counties VI IN
state.
The Democrats protested against the countin
, | Of the FL votes VI the Archer precinct /
4 | Aiachua county. They also protested again-
, counting - MEG votes cast ~ men ~ Duya
county VINO ntd already voted el-ewnere- r,
, | peaters, as they are lrOpcflY Ilcd Grimm u
. | who deserve aud who sho.ld receive Conuig
Z | punishment tor their misc IA luCt. There wcr
| Ii votes also Illegally cast III the same Duy.
county by men confined in AL for thai for Grim
, | nat offences, ana who were tuken from ths
l | places OF confinement anu brought up In bod
. | ty the SLern OF Duyai county to the polls /
a | Jacksonville TO vote for the Hayes and " heell
electors. These men were under the guHrdti II
snip Of the Sheriff and the action of that office
4 | Republican, was most Toprehensl bic,
/ thus suDvertng his position as cOnserv.
tor Of the public pc ace to irti>an cad
: The Democrats prOte. ed against the couutll
OF LIS illegal votes Ia this ODuydll county. liu
4 tho board counted them, jail bras and all. N
I letter Is getting 80 long that cannot enter int
>. the details Of fhe Republican frauds in Jener,o
, and Leon counties, but they urs on pr vii
o Duval aud Aachla, all counted and none throw
out.
Y There were no frauds nor intimidations
i any consequence on the ID mucTttic sid,
: not that think the party immaculate,
), they htd no power, l. e. Tools to wOf
q with 10 commit frauds. me GuyernOr h,
v tho appointment Of all the County ia igss, IL
;, CLERKS Of the courts, the Sherins, County con