Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-02-13
How a Southern Republican Was Cheat
ed Out of His Seat,

The story of Jere HARRISON, colored
member of the Forty-fourth Congress,
and who was a candidate on the Re-
publican ticket at the last election in
the Alabama District now represented
(O by the Confederate Brigadier
Shelly, who was never elected to his
seat, is one of the most forcible illus
trations yet furnished of the infamous
manner in which Republicans have
been cheated out of their rights in the
Solid South. His memorial to Congress
is the strongest document that has yet
been submitted, and the accompanying
proofs of outrage are so overwhelming
that the Confederate Brigadier should
be instantly expelled from the House.
Haralson shows in this memorial that
when the returns were counted large
number of votes were thrown out, so that
the record stood: Haralson Rep. u, $40;
Shelly (Dem. }, S,115; and Henry (Gr
314. The false character of the record is
shown on its face, since the registra-
ton of the district shows the whole
number Of white voters to be $500 and
of colored $4,000. Out of how many
votes Haralson was cheated it is impos-
sible to say without knowing the extent
to which Republican voters were bull
dozed out of the right of suffrage, but
it is evident that if there had been
fair election he would have received
majority of several thousand. This,
however, is of little consequence, for
Shelley appears with q majority 1875
larger than the entire registered white
vote, which of itself is an absurdity,
and shows that he was elected to the
seat he now occupies by theft and
swindling. The infamy did not stop
with fraudulent counting and destruc-
ton of votes. Shelley used money
in corrupt manner. After Haralson,
indignant at the infamous manner in
which he had been treated, filed a no.
tice of contest, no Justice of the Peace
would take the affidavits of his wit
nesses. When the Judge of the First
Judicial Circuit at last consented to act
in that capacity, Shelley had thrown
Haralson's witnesses into Jail, and pro-
cured an indictment against Haralson
himself upon a trumped-up charge. At
last, when the bulldozers found that he
was determined to pursue his rights,
they waited upon him with arms in
their hands and ordered him to leave
the State upon penalty of instant death,
whereupon he went to Washington.
He has heen cheated out of his election.
force. He has been deprived of all
lawful means of establishing his right
to his seat, and, as the freedmen have
been stripped of their civil and political
rights, it is impossible for him to get
their depostions. There was no re-
source left for him except to memorial
ize Congress to order an investigation
of all the circumstances of this infamy
in order that he might have the oppor-
tunity to prove his right to the seat,
and, had it not been for the sense of
fairness that characterized the rulings
of the Speaker, the memorial itself
would have been suppressed instead of
taking the usual form Of reference to
the Committee on Elections.
1t is, perhaps, too much to hope that
the committee will do justice to Mr..
Haralson in the premises; that even if
an investigation is made it will be any
thing more than a farce; or even that,
if the investigation should show that
Shelley had stolen his seat and was
never elected to it, Democratic House
would compel him to restore it to its
rightful owner; but the infamy remains
on record all the same. 1t is only one
more in the long list of Southern out
RACES for which future reckoning will
come. 1t is only one more argument
that will arouse the Northern people
next fall to the necessity of revenging
such infamy at the polls. Chicago
Tribune.