New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-02-21
CLEVER FRAUDS DESCRIBED.

CRATIC BALLOTS SUBSTITUTED FOR IHfObLdCAN'
lFRoM SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBUNE!
NORFOLK Va. Feb. 1.-THE Democrats OF
Virginia must he credited with having de-
,-ised and put into operation the neatest
and most effective of all the inventions yet brought
20 light for deprVing the colored man OF his VOTE
The captatOn tax law. providing for the temporary
disfranchisement of those who do not pay ther
taxes before certain time each year, proves to be
susceptible of the most elastic interpretations ana
whom administered b. Democratic officials whose
hearts are In their work, a. they generally are
may be made to produce almost any desired result III
the country precincts / hear of frauds under 1t
everywhere. bat have given no time TO their IN
ye,tiysou. aud will therefore only briefly show It's
broad p,,sibilitleA Tho provision which requires
ayof-r 10 produce his tax-recoipt on election day
FOR tbo scrutiny Of tho judges Of election,
that which most gaddeus the Democratic heart
40 especial form OF receipt IS prescribed DY tne
aw, which omission may be lberauY interpreted 10
mean that anything which shows tre payment Vi
he tax shall be taken as evidence. lfIS not so IN
.erpyeted however, and votes IN large numbers
were refused from Republicans mt the last elecf@h
FOR the most trivial omissions or variations. INT
,hango or omission Of an initial III the name
II voter; the neglect to fill In the
last figure in the date Of printed receipt the
Aubrey ation of a given name. as " Zach" Tor
s.Zlchari3h" were all made tho grounds OF dls-
franchiscmeut for Republicans. Receipts IN due
form, but written IN pencil aud recoip's uPo"
white paper instead of upon printed FORMS were
pronounced invalid As a majority Of the country
negroes cannot read. they were placed ~ course
At the mercy of the official TO whom they paid their
taxes who might purposely make them irregular
or Of the judges of Election, who TO have had
discretionary powers sufficient to pronounce any
form Of receipt irregular where party eNigencies
r.J .,
thai not IN the country, but in Norfolk. n re-
outab]. white Republican heard. about o'clock on
lec,iou day, of irregularities of tins kind az one OF
the vIds in the city, and went there TO investigate
Them He found a doz,u colored men. with TAX re-
GENTS in their hands. who bad been refused
,,,ro,i..i,o to vote ON account OF some IT.
regularity in the name OF the voter by
which il was made to differ II some respect
from the mans "a found on the register lhls
gentleman caused tho negroes to tender ther paI
lots again when he himself challenged them and
thon Ly another provision Of law thew were made 10
swear That they had complied with all legal require
Ypcur,. and reluctantly the judges received Their
votes. some twenty or moro had been rejected at
that cuerol earlier in the day. and had gone away.
lam Cad to say that the story Of Virginia frauds
differs ia one essential particular from those III Nontb
Carolina and other Southern states, and VIII tler'-
for. Lo "a this cxtont relieved Of the monotony
which has come to characterize the telling oi SuoH
II events. Iiorc the frauds were probably uhHeooe-
ANY, This fact was not assured IN advance now
ever. aud the tax law beng new, was not worked
up TO it's full capacity, leaving quite margin OF
doubt AZ an incentive to Democratic ingenuity IN
other directions.
have before mo two Democratic ballots. One
the regular tcket-mC3sures 3i2 inches IN leng'h
and il inches wide Ii bears upon Its face IN hon
cst black lotters. "For the XLVlth Con-
Greg. Of the United States. John Goode."
When folded twice this measures hches
by about Z of an inch Tho other ballot Is Oh
issue p1prr of the South Carolina quality hnt loI
economic Dimensions putting those used ID the
b,ttcr state away ont of comparison. II measures
Exactly one and fve-eghth- inches in length by
.brce.ouarters Of an inch in width and fits snugly
nto the folds of the larger ballot, for which pur-
opse il was invented
How many of these little fellows were counted for
John Goods no Republican is permitted to Know
nor where they were gotten up. Perhaps tn" Dehe-
iciary Of the fraud can throw some light upon us
origin If ho is so disposed That they were used the
Democrats themselves admit. One leading man.
with whom have cOnver5Od, SAID IN reply 1" my
guestion that ho supposed several hundred OF lheh
were used but he added Il estimate that VII. HoOoe
was clecIod, nevertheless, hy about 2OOo majority
The Republican estimate y4iIts from ho'h!hE "P "
three or four hundred.
Al yaverjey Precinct Sussex County. in this Dis
trjct peter Robinson, colAed. appointed
limited States Supervisor bf Elections. Peter is
repr.,cuted a. good fellow aud IN honest
one. Faithfully he sat ali day from the
opening Of the polls until the closing
thereof. and watched over the interests
of the Government aud the Republican party. which
he considered identical Peter was catcd by his
elevation and basked exultingly in the presence OF
the Democratic officials who treated him WIN con-
spiclous Difference. At night the latter said to him.
Wen, Mr.. Robinson, y0u have watched t9lthlulIy
and done your work creditably. You have seen that
everything is right and now YOU can 60, We viii do
the rest" But" replied Peter, " must SEQ the
votcs counted" "Oh that would never do, Peter
.ad the others; eve are tho judges Of Election
We'll. then" pleaded Peter, If can't come IN as
Snperyisor. can | not as a representative OF
my fellow Repubcansf' That would be
Illegal" replied the Democrats you can't
hold two Offices. You cannOt he an ofhcer
Of tho United States Government and
still represent the Republican party. Git"
Potter Robinson got and heavy Republican pre-
oinct wa, quietly turned in with a rOuslng major
ity FOE tho Democrats. The Democratic judges are
now under indictment before tho United states
Grand jury for fraudulent counting.
A white Republican, who does not wish me 10
prnt lis name, hut who will swear TO the facts II
he ever gets u chance, was appointed Supervisor at
a precinct in Nansemond County. His reception by
the Democrats was squally.' and he was glad to
accept Il position III the room where the election
was held, but at considerable distance from the
box h,iweeu which and himself a crowd Of
men usually stood. He used his eyes T. good
purpose. however, and during the day made
out their little game. Democratic ballots were
scattered over the table and when those Of Repub-
Ham ,,.r. raceiv.d they were laid Oh the table