The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-05-02
DIscLosUREs OF THE LITTLE GIANT.

Washington, March %, 1871 have resided In
AllaChua county, Florida, since January 1856,
and was elected to the State Assembly in 1875, at
the same time Of the late Presidential election.
was at that time member Of the State Central
Committee Of the Republican party OF Florida,
and also Chairman Of the Republican Committee
Of AllachuR county. I was also President Of the
Board Of County Commissioners, or Commission.
ers Of Allachua county from 1873 to 1877 and was
familiar with the manner Of registration and the
m amer Of voting the location Of the polls and all
other election machinery.
As the President of said Board, and with the
consent of said Board, l located all the polling
places, appointed all the inspectors who conduct
ed the election, received and counted the ballots
and made and certified to the returns, Isppoint
ed as Inspectors Of the Archer precinct, box No,
O. Green R. Moore Floyd Duke and Richard H.
Black. Thomas D. Vance went at my request to
Archer precinct on the day previous to the elec-
ton and was appointed by the Inspectors Clerk Of
the Election al box No. 2, and served as such. I
was at Gainesville on the day of the election and
on that night and the day following my residence
was theheadquaIters of the Republican party and
during the night preceding the election, all the
information was brought to me there,
ARCHER PRECINCT FRAUDS.
Sometime after midnight of that night, Inspec.
tor Bl ack came TO my house and reported to me
that the result of the election at Box No. 2 for
Presidential electors was as follows: For Hayes
elec tors 1907 for Tilden electors, 1885, little la
ter, Vance Clerk atsaid box No. 2, came and made
the same report Subsequently both Black and
Vance came to me- and said they had returns from
Archer precinct, box No. 2, signed in blank by In
spectors and that they would make out the Ie'
turns 50 as to meet the expectations Of their own
party They retired 70 private room where they
re NAMED two or three hours, and then informed
me that they had added abouttwo hundred names
to the poll list as having voted and had increased
the Republican vote to that extent, and / alter
wards learned that they had added 2l9 names to
the DOLL list. entered the room while they were
employed there and saw them copying names
from the county registration list, upon which
those who had actually voted at Archer precinct
box No. 2 were checked off, and new names were
selected from names Of Republican voters who
had not already voted at that precinct After
completing the returns in this manner, they fled
them, with the bRllotbox, with the County
Clerk.
The County Commissioners met a few days after
the election. The Board, consisting of ]. E, Web
ster. Clerk of Court; W. H. Bolton, Justice Of the
Peace. and Louis A. Barnes, Sheriff. all Of whom
were Republicans. During the canvass Inspector
Moore appeared before the Board and submitted
an fidayit to the effect that returns from Archer
precinct No. were false and that true returns
should be Hayes electors, $50 votes, and Tilden
electors 1856 votes, but the Board decided they
could not hear evidence as to the truth or fasitY
of the returns, and upon the face Of the returns,
the vote of the county was as follows For Hayes
electors 1884; for Tilden electors, 1857 The re-
suit included the 2l9 votes fer Hayes electors,
which were added to the vote cast at the Archer
precinct, box No. Q, by Black and Vance.
These returns were sent to the Governor and
Secretary of State. After these returns were filed
the Secretary Of State, an effort was made to
inyalidate them so far as Archer precinct, box No.
2 was concerned.
AFF1DAvITs FILED STATING RETURNS TO BE FALSE.
Afidavits signed by Floyd Duke and Greene R.
Moore, and an official statement from Mr. Webster,
clerk, was fled with the State CsnVassing Board,
for the purpose of showing that returns from Ar
cher DR. recinct No. were false and fraudulent. It
also appeared that Mr. BeltOn Justice Of the Peace,
had not signed the return fled with the Secretary
of State and Governor. One Of the duplicate re-
turns we're sent back to Allachua county and Bel
TOMS signature was obtained, Moore was also in
duced to make a counter affidavit denying the
truth of his former affidavit. A counter amdaVB
was a. lso obtained from Fleyd Duke denying ms
former affidavit The Grand Jury Of Allachua
county investigated the Archer precinct matter,
bnt failed 10 find any fraud, and passed r5solu-
ton to that effect, Wbereupon Mr. WeDsler Wes
induced 10 withdraw his statement and make an
-. ~, hn MAJ cot nH
turn was ell right. Then The atiidaVits and state
ments were laid before the State CanvasSing
Board and the returns were counted. IhN result
gives the Hayes electors 2l9 votes more than were
cast for him ,,,,,.
ment, or given any evidence regarding the election
in AllRchua county. ~
ISignedl L. o. DkNNIS'
The above was sworn to In Florida before
Justice of the Peace and is certified to by the Sec
retary Of State,
New York, April 25.-FollowiDg is the text Of
the statement Of Judge MCLin regarding the can
vass of the vote in Florida for President, as pub
lish ed here in long special from Washington:
HIS ACTION AS A oANvAssER.
Asa member of the late State Board Of Canvass
ers of the State Of Florida, feel imIelled by
sense of duty to myself and justice to others, to
make the following statement. At the time the
conyass was made was not tst any time conscious
of acting otherwise than right and proper en-
tered upon the canvass the with con-
viction that 1t was my privilege and duty, in
political sense to give the benefit OF every doubt
In favor of the Republican party. Ifelt thatWhen
a question could be decided either way, without
doing violence to the public sense Of justice, 1t
was fairly allowable in politics that should al
WAYS lean TO my own party, and give my decision
In It's favor even atthe hazard OF strainiDg point
At no time did feel that occupied the position
Of judge charged with the duty OF Ia stllct sna
nice weighing and balancing OF all the eVluence
presented.
Looking back now to that time, felt there was
q combination of influences that must have oper-
ated most powerfully in binding my Judgment
and swaying my action. had been lor many
years, and was at the time Of the canvass, very
active partizan. thought that oul State, ana me
nation, would suffer irreparable injury II the
Democratic party were to obtain the Preslaehcy,
aud their policy of hatred to the negro ana NOSE
who had been fri nds Of negroes, should oDtaln
control at Washington. II was the common ana
nnaDim ous talk; also, that the very existence OF
The men who in the South had upheld tne Repub-
lican party dey ended upon the election o. Mr.,
Hayes; that Mr.. Hayes would sustain them
Throughout the South, while Mr.. Tilden would
crush them. was shown numerous telegTams
addressed to Governor Stearns and others, from
trusted leaders of the Republican party IN the
North insisted that the salvation Of the country
depeIded upon the vote Of Florida being cast for
b ayes. Those kilograms came from those 10 whom
had been accusit med 10 defer. The Chairman
If the National Committee, and the man who was
he nearest personal friend Of Mr.. Hayes, hau
conducted the canvass.
Monty AND TROOPS.
The telegrams alto gave assurance ofthe forth
coming Of money and troops II necessary, inse-
,urint a victory for Mr. Hayes. Following these
.lnnr,. mn trrnted Markham Rpnnhllcana nartH