Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-11-17
Ironed Ballots.
A Democratic Trick That Counted.
How Indiana was Carried in 1876, and How
it was Lost in 1880 Through Phila-
delphia Statesmen.

One Of the Philadelphia statesmen
who visited Indiana IN October to aid
in carrying that State for the Republi-
cans tells an interesting story as to how
it was that the Democracy were de-
feated and how some of their schemes
were exposed. {" In 1876 We were
greatly surprised at the result of the
election" said the gentleman; we
could not tell how it was that the Dem
ocrats carried the State against US. We
thought that every precaution had been
taken to protect our cause. 1t was
concluded that there must be fraud in
the counting of the vote. At a con-
ference held in Indianapolis it was de-
cided to wait until the excitement sub
sided and then to send for some ballot
boxes and peep into them. A district
was selected where the Republicans
were credited with having cast one vote,
aud the Democrats were returned as
having 799 votes. We knew there was
something wrong there. The box was
opened and the ballots taken out. Here
is where we made most startling dis
covery which explained the whole secret
Of Democratic majorities. A ballot
that was rolled closely together and the
edges tightly folded was picked up.
When it was opened there was found in-
side of it two or three more tickets
printed on lighter-weigbt paper and
shorter ends. These tickets had been
placed inside the regular ticket, and
then the whole had been ironed together
so as to make it compact and give it the
outside appearance of being but one
ticket. Of course the election officer
knew what it was. He received it and
dropped it into the box. After the
polls closed, the Republican officers
would 60 to supper, and one of the
Democrats would take some Republi-
can tickets from the box and destroy
them. When the counting would com
mence the judge could tell by feeling
the tickets whether they were Republi-
can or the packed Democratic tickets.
He would take all Of the latter out of
the box and coun, them, until be reach
ed within a few of the whole number of
votes polled, when he would call off
Republican. Then he would quickly
threw all the tickets back into the box,
declare the result of the election, and
the work would be over.
"Now, l have been for twenty three
years in active politics, but the trick
beat me- No party can win with such
trick as that played on them. Last
summer friend of mine and myself
called upon AIR. Cessna at Bedford, and
offored to 60 to Indiana if our expenses
were paid. After our revelations it
was deemed important to send US, and
We took along nearly one hundred men
not to repeat but to watch for AID
prevent the tricks of 1876 being re-
pea;ed. Instructions we're issued to
Republican election officers not to leave
the room where the vote was received
until the ballots had been counted
" hen the men went in in the morning
the doors were locked, and there they
were kept until they announced the
result of the balioting. Eatables and
drinksbles we're handed in the windows
The United States Marshals protected
the polls. The result was We had
fair count, and Indiana declared for the
The Democrats were so
enraged that at one polling place they
cut out nearly the whole of the floor
from the cellar, so as to get into the
room where the vote was being counted
They came near dumping the entire
Election Board into the cellar. You
can. rely npon one fact-thare were DO
ironed ballots this time, and the judges
were compelled to turn the boxes up
side down before replacing the ballots
In them.
"And that's how we carried Indiana"
Record, Nor. 8, 1880.