The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-02-15
Segar VS.. Goode.

Jr., Of his purpose to contest the seat i'll Con-
gress awarded to Goode from the Norfolk
District. IL is direct and specific iii its charges
OF fraud upon the part OF Goode and his
friends, and fully establishes that Col. Sc
gar should occupy the seat Which Mr.. Gooac
will hold after the 4ih Of March. No one
who will read the protest could arrive AZ any
other conclusion than that Col. Scgar was
elected and that the frauds committed to
deprive him OF the certificate, are brazen and
unblushing. without a parallel certainly. in
the political history of Virginia, outside of
the .econd and Fourth Congressional Dis
tricts. That a large nuc,ber Of votes were
counted and awarded to Goode by the Judges
of election which were cast for Segar, is un-
questionable--that Segar should have had
the return of election thete can be no doubt.
We have not the space TO carefully coilate
and weigh all the evidences OF fraud present.
ed in the notice, bat will give sufficient Of
the facts to carry conviction to any unprei-
utliced mind of the justice OF our conclusion.
In the First Ward OF the city OF Ports
mouth, at the close of the polls, there were
found SCI names on the poll-books as having
voted at the election on the Tth of November.
Upon counting the ballots there were found
Clio ballots in the box, an excess Of 4G over
the number of names OIL the poll-booh. -
The Democratic ballots were very small,
one inch by one inch and IL half, of pecu-
liar paper, so that they could be distin-
guislied by the touch from the Republican
ballots. and thus enable the Judge to pull
out the the Republican tickets to the number
of the excess OF the ballots in the box. In
| the Second Ward. at the close of the polls
| there we're found 162 nimcs on the poll
book as being voted. and there were found
l,0J4 ballots III the boH-an excess of
292. In the Third Ward there We're 42l names
found Oh the pol-books as voting, and 457
ballots in the baliot-boxeS. In the Fourth
Ward there were 592 names recorded as be.
| ing voted. and there were Oh ballots found
| in the boN-an excess CT ballots and votes ac-
tually cast OF 3i9 In each case the paper
and size of the bal,ot could be easily distin-
guished by feeling from the Republican tick
cts. in consequence OF which, when the Judge
proceeded to purge the ballot-hoX of the ex-
cess, he accidemly took o1r all Republican
! tickets.
| The same system OF fraud was adopted in
Norfolk city, and nearly every precinct in
the District. 1t was ascertaine1 that rolls OF
these small s.Sugar Kiss" ballots, called
''sleepers'' were placed in the ballot-boxes
before the polls were opened. They were
found rolled together, and sometimes en-
closed in one of the usual sized ballots. 1t is
| further established that large numbers OF Re-
publicans were prevented from voting by
Democratic crowds hanging around the vot
ing places and preventing them coming to-
the polls. In the Fourth Ward of Norfolk
there were 213 men with tickets in their
| hands who went to the polls to vote for Segar,
who were prevented from so doing, in the
manner above stated. The names of these
persons are given in the notice before US, and
the fact is established beyond question, that
it was preconccrted plan to prevent them
from voting.
| We mention these features only Us a part
OF the general system and details of the I'M
blushing frauds by which John Goode, Jr.,
holds his seat in Congress. How any
man can quietly sit in tile Legislative
Halls OF the nation, knowing tIias his cer
| tifica.c of election was secured by such
astounding crimes we are utterly unable to
comprehend. Yet Mr.. Goode does this very
thing, and even more, he will rise i'll his seat
and with an affected indignation denounce
| imaginary Republican frauds in other States,
while his certificate OF election is covered all
over with the blacklist colorins of political
| crime.
| With the citation Of Colonel Segar to well
known facts, connected with the election and
determining the certificate, justified as they
will be by abundant and uninpeachable tes-
| timony, we cannot entertain q doubt that he
will be awarded the seat now so unjustly
and fraudulently held by Mr.. Goode
1t is about time that some rebtlke were adj
ministered from high places to the deliber-
ate and preconcerted frauds prf.cticed by the
Democratic party in the South. The Flee
ton Committee of the present Congress. al
though Democratic, reported that Mr.. Goo lie
was not entitled to the seat lie now occupies,
and that Col. J. II. Platte was. A partzan
Congress reckless OF justice and right, decided
against the report, and seated Guode. 1t re-
mains to be seen whether similar outrage
upon our political institutions will be perpe-
trated in the coming congress BY endorsing the
numerous and unquestioned frauds by which
| Goode claims his election. We can hardly
| think it possible that such will be the case
that men for little brief party advantage,
will so disregard their oath OF Office and bold
ly stultify themselves, as to sanction the pre-
tensions of Goode. Col. Segar iii entitled
to the seat, and should have it. OF this there
can be no question. Whether he will get it,
will depend upon the moral development Of
the members of the next House of Reprenta-
tiyes.
1t should be borne in mind while considering
tho ma tt,r hofora rho Elootar,i c;ou