Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-08-27
The Alabama Election Frauds.
CHEATING BY wHoLEsALE-AN ADDEEss fHd
THE ALABAMA REPUBLICANS,

the Democrats of that State in the recent
election. The address begins with review
of the condition of things al the time the
Democrats came into power in 1874, when
there was an election law in force which
made provisions for fair election. 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
had been found necessary to naugurate q
regin of terror throughout the entire interior
of the State Billings was waylaid and as
sassinated in Sumter county. Shortly there
after the mail train on the Alabama and
Chattanooga railroad was tagged in the
same county in open day by a band of armed
men. and NAL Agent Ivey was riddled with
bullets for having declared that the murder
ers nT Billings should be brought to justice
AT. ring Hill, Barbour county, the polling
rlac was broken into, the ballots destroyed
and a the attempt by the mob to shoot the
Rer blican supervisor, Judge keils, his lit
tie 4 year-old son was murdered. Armed
ban , of men rode through the streets of
Mobile during all of election day, assaulting
and numbering inoffensive colored men, and
later on the terror caused by these bands
was supplemented by military guards, the
bayoncts AMI uniforms of gray, at each of
the polling places. Notwithstanding these
acts and others of similar character which
could be enumerated, the Republicans,
white and black had rai1ied to the standard
of their party, and under the most adverse
circumstances had polled u vote OF 96, ,000-a
vote which was n standing menace to Demo-
cratic asccndancy. To do away with this
the Democrats proceeded to enact law re-
gsrding which the address says: The
statutes of the State cf 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 failed to provide safeguards
where safeguards were required, but it Great
| ed opportunities and Offered suggestions,
/ which the most dull-witted could not fail TO
/ comprehend" The law however. was found
/ to have one defect, from the Democratic
standpoint. In federal elections the federal
/ courts have jurisdiction of election offences,
and those courts, taking advantage of the
/ unsuspeCting 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 pro-
/ secution of indictments for election frauds.
/ An unsympathizing grand jury had found
| indictments on the evidence thus presented,
.
! 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 allen Government" and were made
/ 10 suffer the ignominy of imprisonment in
/ the common Jail and the hardship of restau-
rant fare paid for by q sympathizing and ad
miring people (Which afterward rewarded
many of them for their martyrdom with
offices of trust and profit. This obstacle in
the way OF fraud was overcome by an enact
ment doing away with the provision in the
then existing election law for numbering
ballots, which enabled voter 10 trace his
ballot or show its absence. The foregoing
constitute the chief alterations made in the
election law by the Democratic patty since
it acquired power in the State, although
there are minor changes, necessary 10 the
smooth and easy working of their scheme of
fraud, which point TO their determination to
disfranclIisc the black man as plainly as those
which have been indicted
EXAMPLES OF DANNIyG FRAUDS.
Noi only did the Democrats under tie
forms of law, thus put in operation machin-
cry designed 10 cheat the voters and mauip-
ulate the ballot as their own interests might
dictate, but laws were passed which prevent
ed Republican county and town officials
! from exerting any influence or control in
matters affecting the appointment of election
officers. The address proceeds to relate how
the Democrats carried out their plans. The
first instance Is that of McGehees Switch,
where, after the election had progressed, with
out one threatening incident, 20 its close, at
) o'clock, the Republican inspector, colored
man, demanded that the votes should be
Immediately counted, as the law directed,
but could not persuade the other inspectors
~ J~s l-s--- Souut, i---- oA,tisc
and then another being offered for the delay
About O'Clock military company from
Montgomery, the ''Grays," under command
OF tOl. Jones, commanding the second Ala
bama militia, appeared upon the grounds,
supported by an armed posse of about 80
citizens irOE Montgomery. The cause of
the delay then became apparent The
wretches who were housed inside, contemp-
lating the vilany they were about to per-
pctratc, became afraid of the Indignation and
wrath of the large number of colored men
who were quietly waiting on the ground to
hear the result of the election announced,
ana had sent report to the city that they
were threatened by the colorcd men and
that there was danger of collision. The
governor of the State had thrreupon ISSUED
his mandate, and mustered his bayonets and
dispatched them with all speed to the assist
ance Of his threatened compatriots The
soldiers took up their station and the count
proceeded
After counting lG6 Republican and 50
Democratic votes, the candle was accident
olly eytinguiShcd, the ballot box disappeared
from the table, rc-appcared, the candle was
rclightcd, the box discovered to be full of
/ tickets, where it had before been only parli-
ally full by reason of the diminution caused
by those already counted, and large num-
bers of Republican ballots we're scattered all
over the room. where before there had been
none The colorcd inspector, inexperienced
though he was, could not mistake the mean
ing of all his and timid as he was ineXpe-
ricnCed, he yet raised his voice in protest.
This was the point to which it had been de
sired To bring him. The other inspectors
and the clerks pretended TO be indignant at
an ''imputation upon their integrity" and
resented the same with language of such
force, accompanied by demonstrations of
such character, that the guilty individual
made haste to join his friends outside. After
being somewhat rc-assurcd by them he at
tempted 10 again enter the polling place
and resume hi. duties as inspector, lut was
met by the statement that as he had volun-
. AsalhN e'ih'fb'iIb ppSl III tpuIAl Hbb IL
sumo IL The inspectors then proceeded to
the count and made return giving the Re
publicans l}2 votes and the Democrats $40
votes.
There a!e two singular circumstances in
connection with the election nj this point,
which should b. marked down. The first
is that of the first 115 votes taken from the
box while the Republican inspector was
there, | IL were Republican vntes while Of
the 800 votes taken from the box after the
| Republican inspector had abandoned his
! duty, only IL were Republican votes. The
second is. how l33 cOlored men were en-
ablcd to terrorile 80 Democrats white and
/ black, at that place, and put them in such
deadly fright that they required n military
company, uniformed and armed with layo-
nets To- assist them in collecting thc votes
of the freeman who voted thrr' uu that
CAV
/ Similar though not So y. ld AMI desperate
/ means We're adoptcdtO overcome Republi
/ can ma iorities in other places in Montgom
cry county Al IT, beat Republi-
! can majority of ~ was reduced 10 49, the
only Republican majority allowed anywhere
! in The county At Robinson's cross roads,
/ $50 Republican and not over 80 Democratic
Notes were poli-lup - ) o'clock, when there
| was dsturhanc-. The polls were closed
and thr ballots carried off, and the latter
/ have moi since been se1d Of The same
thing occurred AT Peters beat, with the eN-
/ ccpiiOn that it wasn't 50 Boldly donr. There
was a known RepuhliCVp. majority OF $50.
/ The Republicans rrnaS i on the grounds
/ till the close of the p,>lls, and the Demo
{ cratic officials promised they should have
/ their votes fairly counted, hut the returns
/ were suppressed At Old Elam tally
| showed 200 Rcpuhlican and five Democratic
votes east out ni total voting population ot
Az Republicans und Ii Democrats At this
/ luncrrc the candle in the polling place was
put ont and then all the loose trash in the
room was dumped in bag and sent 10 the
sheriff "llicr ~ the return of the votes. OF
/ course the return was void and rejected.
/ At Union Academy anl Doolry's where
/ there are Republican majoriiics, Demo
/ cratic malnriilcs were returned The ad-
| dress sums up the frauds in the city and
/ county of Montgomery as follows
- IHE 'lTG ~ MONTGOMERY.
/ In The city OF Montgomery. where it was