Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-08-23


Madison county there was, perhaps, more
OF the spirit of liberation than anywhere
else in the State, but, this is owing to the
fact that there is large number of Northern
men residing here, and they act politically
as they please and, possessing means, they
can defy the Bourbons who control the ma
chinery of prescription and social oStracism
In South Alabama, and especially in the
''black belt" however, Northern men are as
scarce as hens teeth, nearly all of
the many hundreds who settled there
at the close Of the war having
been either killed or driven away. In that
portion of the State the Republicans have
large majoritics in number of counties, and
in the late canvass they had tickets in the
field for members of the General Assembly
In Montgomery county the Republican ma
jority is about 4 200, in Dallas county it is
about 5000, in Macon county it il about
1000, in Barbour county it is about 2 300,
in Russell county it is about 800, in Bull
lock county it is about 800, in Perry coun-
ty it is about 500, in Hale county it is
about 200, in Greene county it is about
200, in Wilcox county it is about 500, in
Sumter county it is about 1900. and in
LOwndes cOanty it Is about 1000. These
counties compose the "black belt,' and vet
the Republicans on Monday were allowed to
elect their ticket IN only one Of these coun-
ties-Lowndes. The reason of this is be-
cause the leading Democrats of that county
are on the bonds of Republican county Off
GERS, with whom they divide receipts, and it
is to their interest to keep the county In
Republican hands. In tie other counties
named the frauds perpetratcd by the De-
mocracy excel in magnitude and unblushing
efirontery all that the Tweed Ring ever did
in its palmiest days.
BALLOT-Box sTUFTING AND MICRO INTIMIpA-
TIoN.
In order to elect their legislative tickets
IN these Republican counties. the Democrat
ic managers openly stuffed the hallot-bo1es.
and challenged Republicans to help them
selves. They were principally aided, how
,, ever, by the Infamous Boards of Revenue
law enacted by the last General Assembly
si.non-purc Bourbon Democratic body,
which deliberately violated the Constitution
they themselves made and forced the people
to adopt, last year. This BOards-Oi-Revenue
law was made to apply only to Re
publican counties In each Of these
counties the Democratic Governor
was authorized 70 appoint five Demo-
cratic citizens to constitute a Board of Reye-
nues which should control the funds of the
county, remodel the beats, provide the poll
ing places, and in all matters to uSurp the
powers and duties conferred upon the Board
Of County Commissioners. the latter being a
constitutional body. la ali the Republican
counties in the g black belt these Boards of
Revenue have changed tie beat lines and
abolished numerous polling places for the
sole purpose of confusing and swindling
Republican voters. Heretofore in those cOun-
ties large number OF polling places were
necessary, in order that the people might be
enabled to cast their ballots; but on Mon
day. the election machinery being entirely
in the hands of Democratic politicians, not
more than onc-third Of the culGrcd voters
were able to cast their ballots They found
that where there had heretofore i,ccn three
or four polling places, only ono was opened.
Around this polling piace swarms Of Demc-
cratic challengers were buSily engaged in
their work of cheating. To approach these
polling places, two ways were kept cren-
one for white voters, the other for eOlOred
voters. The white citizen went up unmO-
Tested and cast his ballot; but every eolorcd
voter who attempted to do 50 was chal-
lenged. 1t made no difference how we'll
known the colored voter was. nor that his
name appeared properly on he registration
list, he was confused and hiuderti to such
an extent that it was utterly impossible fer
the cOlored voters 10 exercise the right of
suffrage. When cOlOred voter was cbal-
lenged and called attention to his name on
Il. 4 l.
must get two citizens to identify him when
he brought up two cOloTed men to do so, he
was met with the further remark that neither
himself hOr the two persons he had brOught
to identify him were known to the challen-
ger. What could he DO in the face of this
Nothing but retire, hcartsick, To his home.
In the City Of Montgomery the culored
voters were 50 publicly cheated and swim
died that, discovering in the afternoon OF
Monday that not more than one-third of
them had east their ballots, they cOngregated
in front Of the United States Court building
appealing to the Federal officers to know il
there was not some mode OF repararion for
the great wrongs they had suffered. and for
the infamous decentions which had been
practiccd upon them, And when the polls
were closed on that day. no more giganti or
infamous fraud had ever lccn pcrpcrrated in
this country than the >o-callcd election in
this State.
HOW THE "sOLID sOU1n PROPOSES To SECURE
CONTROL or THE GOVERNMENT.
1t is by such means As this that the 'solid
South" proposes to secure control OF the Ma
tiOnal Government. One OF the results of
the Infamous frauds porpetrated in Alabama
on Monday will be the election of Bourbon
Democrat to succeed Spencer in the nited
States Senate. At the November election
eight members Of Congress are TO he elected
from this State, and the Democratic leaders
will not hesitate to stuff blllot-boxcs or to do
ary act, no matter how infamous, in order to
return every one Of these eight members.
Ard the election in this State Is hut an ex-
ample of what will follow in every one of
the Southern States. Nothing but the strong
arm OF the Government can insure iaif and
honest elections in the ''s0lid South. The
people of the North know nothing of the
crueltics which white Republicans daily en-
duTe in tins State, and unless some sort Of
protection is afforded them, there will not be
a white man in this State who will lie a Re
publican in another year. They can no
longer have their families shut ont from So
ciety, from schools, from the church, and
from all earthly pleasures, simply to he
called Republicans.