The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-08-24
To THE COUNTRY :
WI ~

respect to the rights of the two political parties
Inc ballots were required to be numbered to
| correspond with the number opposite the name
OF the voter on the poll-list; Immediately after
| the close OF the election the ballots were re-
| CURED to be counted and correct return there
OF made, which return, together with the poll
lists and the original ballots, were required to
De forwarded to the office of the probate Judge
of the county, and there filed as public records;
within short time thereafter the probate
| Judge, sheriff and clerk of the circuit court,
who constituted board of supervisors, were
| required to again make o count of the votes
and to correct all errors, omissions or frauds OF
which the inspectors Of the elections might
have been guilty. If, after the action of the
supervisors, auy suspicion that fraud had been
committed or errors had been made remain
ed in the mind of any person, the ballots
and the accompanying papers were
always forthcoming to answer for them
selves in any court where the question might
be tried. Those who desire the purity of
elections could ask for no better law. But the
Democratic party was dissatisfied with it, 1t
had Just triumphed, but by meagre majority.
1t has been necessary to inaugurate reign Of
terror throughout the entire interior OF the
State. Billings was waylaid and assassined i'm
Sumpter county. Shortly thereafter the mail
train on the Alabama and Chattanooga Railroad
was tagged in the same county in open day by
band of armed men: and, Mail Agent 1vey
was riddled with bullets, for having declared
that the murderers of Billings should be
brought to justice. At Spring Hill, Barbour
county, the polling place was broken into. the
ballots destroyed and in the attempt by the
mob to shoot the Republican supervisor, Judge
kells, his little fourtee -year-old son was muir
dered. The murderers have never been pun
ished or tried, but more than one OF the per-
sons whose public reputation it is to have been
concerned in the murder have been honored
by Democratic offices in the Republican coun-
ty thus made Democratic. Armed bands Of
men rode through the streets of Mobile during
all OF election day, assaulting and numbering
lnoifensive colored men, and later on the ter
ror caused by these bands was supplemented
by military guards, with bayonets and uni
forms OF gray, at each of the polling-places.
Notwithstanding these acts and others of a
similar character which could be truthfully
enumerated, the Republicans, white and black
had rallied to the standard Of their party, and
under the most diverse circumstances had
polled vote of 96,000-a vote which was q
standing menace to Democratic ascendancy.
DEMOCRATS "REFoRM" THE ELECTION LAW,
1t was the consciousness of this fact that
caused the Democratic party to enter upon
reform" OF the election law, to the end that
that which they had accomplished with so
much difficulty by violence, and which re-
manned so insecure might be made easy certain
and secure by fraud. The statutes of the states
OF the Union may be searched in vain for a
parallel to the election law which was then
framed and passed by the Democratic legisla-
ture of Alabama. 1t not only utterly failed
to provide safeguards where safeguards
were required, but it created opportunities
and offered suggestions which sthe most dull
witted could not fail to comprehend. 1t was
provided that the inspectors, after having
counted out the votes, should inclose the re-
turn with one poll-list, in one box, which
should be forwarded to the sheriff of the coun-
ty; and that the ballots, with the other poll
list, should be retained by one of the inspect
ors for sixty days and then destroyed, unless in
the meantime contest should have been COM
menced. 1t will be seen that all check upon
dishonest inspectors is thus totally destroyed,
because their bare return is all the evidence
before the board OF supervisors, and upon
which they are required to declare the result.
In the meantime the inspectors have the evil
dence of their fraud in their own possession,
and have ample time to make the votes in the
box conform to the return which they have
made, should contest be threatened. Or, as
has been alleged, in some cases where the
boxes were required, the houses of the inspect
ors may be broken into and the boxes stolen;
or they may be accidentally" dropped into
the fire and burned; or the inspectors, maxi
ing a mistake as to dates may destroy the
boxes few days before the law permits. For
all these misdeeds of and "mishaps" to in
spectors, this ''wise" election law provides no
penalties. Should these subterfuges fail, no
great harm is done any way. The fraudulent
return has subserved its purpose by giving
the certificates of election to the Democratic
candidate; for in Democratic Alabama no
greater impossibility could be conceived than
for Republican to successfully contest in the
courts the right of Democratic candidates to
offices to which they have been declared
elected. a
ONE POINT, UNCOVERED, SPEEDILY ATTENDED
''l TO.
The law was found to have one defect how
ever. In federal elections the federal courts
have jurisdiction Of election offences, and those
Oh Of a upc
election managers, had reached forth their
hands unexpectedly, and by means of their
process taken possession of the ballot boxes
with the ballots, and held the same to be used
as evidence in the prosecution OF indictments
for election frauds. An unsympathizing grand
iury had found indictments on the evidence
fhus presented, and several hundreds of "our
hest citizens" from the four quarters of the
State were dragged from their homes to the
courts at Montgomery, Mobile and Huntsville.
some even were convicted by these "alien
courts of an "alien government and were
made to suffer the ignominy OF Imprisonment
in the common Jail, and the hardship OF res
taurant fare paid for by sympathizing and ad-
miring people (Which afterward rewarded
many Of them for their martyrdom with offices
Of trust aud profit. How to remedy the de-
feet which made this invasion of the rights OF
tbe citizen possible was the question which
was presented at the next session OF the legis-
lature. 1t was then and there determined that
the law which pfOVlu6u hulAOCAihS VI
the ballots did not comport with the theory OF
the secrecy of the ballot, and law was enact
ed that the ballots should no longer be num-
bered. Lest some vile and seditious wretch
should still be tempted to invade the sacred
secrecy of the ballot, by putting some mark or
brand on his ticket, by which means he might
thereafter identify it, or, by showing its alb
sence. bring the self-sacriticiDg gentlemen who
acted as election managers to grief, 1t was FUR
ther provided that the ballot should be on
plain white paper, not shorter than nve inches
nor longer than seven, not narrower than two
inches nor wider than two and one-half inch
es. and that it should have no marx or device
whatever on it, All ballots not conforming
strictly to these requirements were to be re-
iected as void. The debate on this measure in
State senate and House Of Representatives. at
fine time of its passage would be interesting
reading for the Northern people. Some timid
souls there were who suggested that the law
for an election by the inspectors and
not by the people, but they were overoorne
by the advocates of the measure, who de-
claimed about the sacred secrecy" of the bal
lot and the outrage of dragging innocent men
away from their homes on the testimony OF ig-
norant and corrupt negroes that they had voted
contrary to the ballots IN the boxes purpor1ng
TO he theirs. Such travesty OF Flaw and OF
government by the people never was before
1resented The foregoing constitute the chief
alterations made in the election law by the
Democratic party since it acquired power in
this State. although tubro dTo luhuihcIdDlo
minor changes necessary to the smooth and
easy working of their scheme OF fraud, which
point to their determination to disfranchise tho
black man a. plainly as those which have
heretofore been indicated.
EXAMPLES OF pAMNING FRAUD.
A few instances, not intended as an enumer-
alton. but as simple examples Of that which
all over the State at the election OF
the second of the present month, will show
that the spirit which actuated the Legislature
and the governor in the passage OF these IN
iauitous election laws is alive and active IN all
classes of the Democratic party, and that there
is no division in that party upon the PROPOSE
tion that the negro shall not be permltted 10
have a voice in the government Oh the coun-
try where he lives, although brie1 exaMlna-
tion of the late Democratic caucus returns
will show that he is largely used 70 SVEN tue
basis of representation. 1t should oe pre-
missed that majority of the Republican coun-
tv officers who have been elected at previous
i eiact;ons have been forced from their positions
bv a law which required them to find bonds
men M within the limits Of their own county-a
law which was designed for no other purpose
than that which it accomplished No good
reason can be given why officers should not be
to make their bonds, in whole or IN
part, anywhere within the limits OF the state,
except that by confning them to as smaIi ,ai an