The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-09-16
The Alabama {" Fair Count.


which ought to engage the attention and
arose the apprehension ofcandid men Of
all parties. It is a plain, straightfor-
ward exposure of the gigantic and villain
Gus frauds prac0ced at the late election
in that State, and it is such direct re-
cital of facts as admits of a plain and
positive denial, if any denial were pos
sible. Every charge is accompanied
with abundant proof. and the whole is
an exposure Of series of the most
audacious frauds ever practiced in an
enlightened government. Passing
lightly over the assassinations of prom
inent Republicans perpetrated but a
few years since, the address exposes
the Democratic reforms" in the cleo
ton laws, by which such violent meas
ures might be dispensed with, and a
more easy and expeditions, but not less
effective mode of accomplishing their
fraudulent purposes might be put into
execution. The election law enacted by
the Democratic Legislature of Alabama
guards where safeguards were required.
suggestions which the most dull-witted
could not fail to comprehend, and
most vicious take advantage of.
1t destroyed all the checks upon dis
honest inspectors, gave them the am
plest opportunities to cover up their
pernicious frauds, and made it possible
for certificates of election to be issued
upon fraudulent returns, with no reme-
dy except an appeal to the partisan
State courts. Easy and ingenious
methods were enacted to evade prose-
cution under the Federal election laws,
and the whole was supplemented by in
Vulnerable minor changes. necessary to
the smooth and easy working of their
scheme of fraud, in despoiling the negro
voters of their right of franchise. The
modes of fraud specified in the address
show fertility of invention that would
do credit to the boldest intriguer. By
peculiar provisions of the law, making
it pext to impossible for Republican
county officers to procure bondsmen,
they were unable to take legal possess
sion of the offices to which they had
been elected, and the consequence was
that in all the strongest Republican
counties the officers charged with the
duty of appointing Election Boards
were Democrats. Their own plant
tools were of course appointed to
these important stations, and the
wholesale frauds which have sig
nalized the late election are the
result. In Montgomery, Autauga,
Lowndes, Wilcox and Madison
counties these frauds were conspicuous,
and amounted to an absolute reversal
of the popular choice. At one precinct
the Republicans polled 672 votes by ac-
tual count. which would give them q
large majority, but the counting pro-
cess of the Board reduced these votes
to 1872, and raised the Democratic vote
of SO to $40. At another, where there
were 544 Republican votes to 65 Demo-
cratic, the Republican majority was re-
duced to 46; at still another, Repub-
ican majority of $50 was absolutely
suppressed. By such frauds as these,
Montgomery County, which has been
strongly Republican ever since the war,
was made to show Democratic major
ity of over 1000. In Lowndes County
aggregate fraudulent change of 1884
votes. In Green County, where there
was an actual Republican majority of
over 1000, the Democratic candidate
for Judge of Probate was declared elect
ed by "a majority. The committee say
it would be impossible to give detailed
account of all the frauds perpetrated
throughout the State, but they believe
that to-day, Alabama is Republican by
20, 600 majority, if the votes which were
put into the ballot-box had been fair
ly counted. There was at the late cleo
ton manly struggle on the part of the
Republicans for q fair, full and free
election, but the votes of nearly 10O, 900
true and loyal men have been over
thrown by the bold and shameless
frauds of few hundred constituencies
political managers. The facts which
the committee have made public are
vouched for by true men who were upon
the ground and know whereof they
affirm The only possible pretense of
justification for these Infamous doingS,
which establish beyond all doubt the
purpose of the Democratic party, of
Alabama, at least, to ignore, disregard
and nullify the late Constitutional
amendments by disfranchising the en-
tire colored population of the State, is
thus stated by the committee: 1.-The
action of an entire community in en-
gaging in, accepting or justifying frauds
Of the character which have been
detailed, cannot be ascribed to deprav-
ity, because a whole community cannot
be morally depraved. The truth is that
the people are as much opposed to me-
gro suffrage now as they ever were,
and while professedly accepting the
Constitutional amendment, do not re-
gard it as an offense morally to take
advantage of the timidity and ignor-
ance of the negro to nullify his vote. 1t
is only upon this theory that participa-
ton of otherwise honorable men in
these frauds, or acceptance of the re-
suits of the frauds by men of that char
acter can be accounted for. While
this view may lessen the turpitude of
the acts committed before their own
consciences, it does not lessen the fear
and distrust which the people of the
Nation should feel at the domination of
the country by people who can bring
themselves to so feel and act. ."-Wis-
copsirs State Journal.
16-n severe and minute honesty in