Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-09-24
FRAUD AND VIOLENCE.

How Alabama Was Converted int0 n Stall
Frnud That is Absolutely Appalling IN Its
Magnitude,
The Republican State Committee Of Ala.
bnma have prepared the following startling
When the Democrats came into power IN
Alabama in 1874 they found an election law in
force which provided proper safeguards for
the ballot, and which was iust ana equitable
with respect to the rights OF the two political
parties The ballots were required TO be mum,
bered opposite the name Qithe voter ont the poll
list immediately after the close of the elec.
tion the DallBts were required 20 be counted
out and Il correct return thereof made, which
return, together with tho poll lists and the
original ballots, were required TO be for.
warded to the office of the Probate Judge of
the county and there filed as public recordsi
within short time thereafter the Probate
Judge sheriff, and Clerk of the Circuit Court,
who were constituted Board of Supervisors,
were required 70 again make count of the
votes and TO correct all errors omissions, or
frauds OF which the inspectors of the election
may have been guilty If, after the action of
the Supervisors, any suspicion that fraud had
been Committed, or error had been made, re-
mained in the mind of any person. the ballots
anu the accompanying, papers We're alWhys
forthcoming to answer for themselves in any
court where the question might be tried.
Those who desire the purity of elections
could ask for no better law. But the Demo-
cratic party was dissatisfied with it. IL had
Just triumphed, but by u meager majority. 1t
had been found necessary TO inaugurate
reign of terror throughout the entire interior
of the state. Billings was waylaid and assas,
train on the Alabama and Chattanooga Rail
road was tagged i'm the same county in open
day, by band of armed men, and Mail Agent
Ivey was riddled with bullets for having de-
clnred that the murderers OF Billings shOuldDe
brought to Justice At Spring Hill, Barbour
ballots destroyed, and in the attempt by the
mob to shoot the Republican Supervisor, Judge
Keils his little fourteen year. old son was
murdered The murderors have never
been punished or tried but more than one
of the persons, whose public reputation II is
to have been concerned In the murder nave
been honored by Democratic offices in the
Republican county thus made Democratic.
Armed bands OF men rode through the streets
ot Mobile during an OF the election DAY, as,
saulting and numbering inofensive colored
men, and later on the terror caused by these
bands was supplemented by military guard
with bayonets and uniforms of gray Mt each of
the polling places. Notwithstandtng these
facts, and others of a similar character
which could be truthfully enumerated, the
Republicans, white and black, had rallied to
the standardof their party, and under the
most adverse circumstances had poued
vote of 5000, a vote which was standing
menace to Democratic ascendeney.
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.
mained SO insecure, might be made easy, GER
tain and secure by fraud. The statutes OF the
States of the Union may be searched in vain
for parallel TO the election law which was
then framed and passed by the Democratic
Legislature of Alabama. 1t not only utterly
were required, but 1t created opportunities,
and offered suggestions, which the most dull
witted could not fail to comprehend It was
provided that the Inspectors, after having
counted out the votes, should indorse the re-
turns, with one poll list in one box, which
should be forwardedt to the Sheriff of the coun-
ty, and that the ballots, with the Otherpolllist,
should be retainedby one of the inspectors for
sixty days, and then destroyed, unless in the
meantime a contest should have been COM
menced. IL will be seen that all check upon
dishonest Inspectors is thus totally destroyed,
because their bare return is the only evidence
before the Board of Supervisors, and upon
which they are required to declare the result.
In the meantime the Inspectors have the evi-
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 II contest be Threatened. Or, as
has been alleged in some cases where the boxes
were required the houses of the inspectors
may be broken into and the boxes stolen, or
theymay be accidentally dropped into the fire
and burned; or the Inspectors, making mis-
take rs to the dates, may destroy the boxes q
few days before the law permits. For all OF
these Iuisdeeds of, and "mish0ps to Inspect
Ors, this "wise" election law provides no pen
nlties. Should these subtertuges fail, no great
harm is done anyway. The fraudulent return
has subserved its purpose by giving the certiti-
cate of election to the Democratic candidate
for in Democratic Alabama, no greater impos-
sibility could be conceived than for a Republi-
can to successfully contest in the courts the
right of Democratic candidates 70 othces 70
which theyhave been declared elected. The
law found to have one defect, however. In
Federal elections the Federal courts have jur'
VI
taking advantage of the unsuspecting election
managers, had reached forth their hands un'
expectedly, and by means Of their process
ballots, and held the same to be used as evil
dence in the prosecution of indictments foI
election frauds. An unsympathizing Grand
Jury had found indictments on the evidence
thus presented, and several hundreds OF
mour best citizens from the four quarters OF
the State were dragged from their homes to
the courts of Montgomery, Mobile ana Hunts
vile. Some even were convicted by these
"alien courts of an "alien Government
and were made to suffer the ignominy of i'm.
prisOnment in the common jail, and the hard
ship pOtrestaurant fare paid for by asympathiz'
ing and ndmiring people (Which ntterward re
wardod many OF them for their martyrdom
with unices OF trust and pronD;
How to remedy the defect which made this
Invasion of tho rights of the citizen possible
was the question which was presented at the
next session of the Legislature. IL was then
and there determined that the law which
provided for the numbering Of the ballots did
not eOmport with the theory of tho seeresy oi
the ballot and law was enacted that the
ballot should no longer be numbered. Lest
some vile and seditious wretch should still be
tempted 70 invade =" the sacred secresy OF the
ballot" by putting some mark or brand on
his ticket, by which means he might thereaf
ter identify II, or by showingits absence bring
the self sacIihcing gentlemen who acted as
election managers 70 grief, it was further pro
Vidcd that the ballots should be on platr
white paper, not shorter than i've inches, MOI
longer than seven, nor narrower than two
inches, nor wider than two and one half inch
os, and that 1t should have no mark or device
strictly TO these requirements were to be re
joctcd us void. The debate on this measure in
the State Senate and House of Representative
at the time of its passage would be interest
ing reading for the Northern people.
ROme timid souls there were who suggested
thai the law provided for an election by thj
INSPECTORS, and not by the people, but theI
were OVerbornc by the advocates OF the meas
urc, ahO declaimed about the sacred secresN
OF the ballot" and the outrage OF dragging in
nocont men away from their homes on tht
Testimony of ignorant and corrupt negroes
that they had voted contrary to the ballots n
the boxes purporting TO be theirs.
such tIavesty of law aud of government o
the people was never before presented.
Tie foregoing constitute tho, chief altera
lions made in the election laW by the Demo
cratic party since It acquired power in TIM
State, although there are innumorable mino
changes, necessary to the smooth and easy
working OF their scheme of fraud, which poln
TO their determination 60 disfranehise the
black man as plainly as those which nave
heretofore been indicated.
A few instances, not intended as an enum
Grafton, but as simple examples of that whief
occurred all over the State of Alabama at th'
election of the I'd of August will show that Gn'
spirit which actuated the Legislature ana tD'
Governor, in the passage OF these tnlquitoui
election laws, Is alive und active in all clasSes
OF theDemoorntfc party, and that there is nc
division in that party as 20 the prOpOsitlol
that the negro shall not be permitted 20 nave
voice I'm the governments OF the country
where he lives, although brief eXaminatioI
of tho late Democratic census returns VII
show that he is largely used 70 swell the DASH
OF representation.
Il should be promised that majority Of the
Republican county officers who have beer
elected at previous elections have beentoroeC
from their positions by the laws which re
quired them TO md bondsmen within the lin
it's of their own county, n law which was de
slgneu loI no otnSr pul pose tlsli @ Una! lliei ny,