The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-11-18
TCommunicated,1-
Fraud VS.. Justice.

To the Editors Of the Natley Viratninn:
DANvILLE, VA, Nov. 8, 1880.
Messrs Editors, In reading your valuable paper of
the 4h nst see that is your city the citizens were
Flowed to vote as men and as Americans, and that
you all seemingly satisfied, nothing trans
pred that would materially change the result of the
siectton in your district or rather in town
exaggeratng, the facts are simply follows: In
this city we have no right that wealth and position
Ire bound to respect. 1t would have made your
leart bleed, to have witnessed the manner in which
Ohe colored men were treated In this city on the I'd
lay Of November. premedltated arrangement
vas planned and fixed by the democracy, some OF
whom are catalogued amongst good citizens,
Ind they failed not In carrying 1t out Its fullest
5Xtent. No redress whatever could be had. Might
,verpowered right, Justice took wings as it were
md He'd all applications to the authorities awaited
othing Our United States Supervisors we're In
suited at he polls, and at one time 1t seemed that
.iot was inevitable Here the trouble. The
republicans had organized for victory, and had de-
nOnstrated that fact two weeks before the election
~ having grand ratification meeting at which
lime they paraded the principal streets, having in
Inc over 1000 voters from different points in the
county, and bearing aloft suitable transparesctes
pdtenI torches procured by the Garfield and
.rthur Clubs for the occasion. This magnificent
display had Its effect here in two ways: first 1t COM
Jeteiy demoralized the democracy, and secondly 1t
rought out all OF the doubling Thomases in the Re-
publican party, and to their credit be 1t said al
though threat ,ned by their employers, they stood
solid pnaanx until the sun went down on the
lay Of electiol ny OF whom were discharged be-
nIgnt and others had their wages cut down to
Dcents per day at the factories. Anticipating this
Diet rmination Of the Republicans, the democracy
LQ6m
fthetr rights aud privileges, viz that
II removing the books from one precinct to another
liter procuring list OF all the white men 40 that
hey could vote whenever they presented them
selves But the colored men were sent to the other
precinct TO get certificate showing that they had
not voted at that ectnct when they knew that they
ould not vote there as they lived in the other sec
ton of the town, and would be challenged in one
minute. But it was only to allow the white men TO
vote whilst they were gone and to kill time at the
ther poll in writing certificates and Questioning
the voters TWAS cut and dried fraud unenuaIed
n history n a nm NOR AL ~
Old citizens to the manor DO n, who never have
5oted out OF their precinct, and who voted in Nav
last for municipal officers were refused and turned
back with their tax receipts In their hands, Their
plan was to open the polls as late possible Ona
opened at five minutes past seven and the other at
twenty minutes to eight. This was to keep the fac
tory hands from voting in the morning Then to
vote one man every minute would certainly accom-
plish everything If the other plans were but half
worked, and so they went on, until about midda y
when one Of the polls closed up for nearly As min
utes. This at the Court House, and when thar
reopened they had the steps on both sides Hned
With policemen, fresh recruits, to keep the negroes
back and the white men were allowed to 90 in nc
back way at both polls here In the city and vote
fter voting tn y we're requested to remain at the
polls to crowd out the negro, kill time bv
70 vote by unheard Of names whilst tho eolored nn