The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-08-06
THE ALABAMA ELECTION.
THE MONUMENTAL FRAUD OF THE
PRESENT AGE.
shrewd Work on the Part of tho LeEisIa /.
ture 10 Aid IN This RcsuIt-The sue
cessfuI Modus Operandi of
Counting out and Chang
Ing a Majority.

Ing a Majority.
NEW YoRE, August 5.-The Times has
the following special account OF the Ala
bama election:
MONTGOMERY, August GA most inia-
nous outrage, one which is a fit illustra-
tlon OF the hypocrisy Of the Democratic
platform, has been committed upon the
good people OF Alabama, and especially
upon those OF this county. II the read
ers Of the Times could be thoroughly cor
versant with the facts OF the so.called cleo
ton in this State Monday, they would be
satisfied, beyond all doubt, that 1t will not
do at present to intrust the Democratic
party with power.
In the counties Of the State where the
large Republican majorities lie the county
officers elected by Republicans at former
elections have been forced out Of office by
one means or another, the most effective
having been the passage OF r law by the
Legislature refusing to permit persons to
become sureties on official bonds who re-
side outside the limits ofthe county where
the duties Of the office were to be per-
formed. Then, by ostraCizing all Demo-
Gratis or Republicans who dared go on
Republican official bond, the displace-
ment was complete. The Importance OF
havin5 Democratic officers in these coun-
ties will be seen when II is understood
that the appointment OF election inspect
ors and the general control OF elections is
in their hands.
When the time came TO appoint inspeC-
tors for the last election, the persons
elected by the Republican committees to
represent the Republicans ut the several
polls in these counties were deliberately
set aside, and ignorant colored men, who
were unableto tell Republican from q
Democratic ballot, were arbitrarily selected
to represent the party. To render these
poor ACCOMPLISHMENTS even more help.
less, the Democratic Legislature at its last
session, provided that the ballot should be
on plain white paper, and should not be
counted II there was any device whatever
on 1t.
The result has been that while the Re-
publicans polled larger vote at this cleo
lion than at any election for years, they
were deliberately counted out by men oc-
cupying responsible positions in tho
world, who think it no oifsnce to steal a
vote OF negro or Republican.
The election Ia this cODMIy, which in
former years registered Republican ma
jorities ranging from ), 900 to 4 0O0, is a fair
sample OF the conduct OF the elec ion
elsewhere. AT McGhee's Switch, in this
county, the Republicans polled about 600
votes and The Democrats fifty. While the
votes were being counted the candle was
turned over and put out and the room left
in darkness for several minutes. When
the colored Republican inspector put out
his hand to preserve the ballot box, he
found that 1t was gone. Considerable
confusion ensued, aud on the candle
being relighted 1t was observed that
the box lad been filled up with
new tickets, and that the old ballots were
all over the floor. The coloTed man pro-
tested against the fraud, and was driven
from the room with curses, and was not
permitted again TO enter and observe the
count. The votes have been returned as
giving 450 Democratic majority. During
the count at this precinct a military conf
pany and large posse OF armed citizens,
under the command OF the Sheriff. ap-
peared at the polling place to protect the
inspectors, although no trouble or threats
Of trouble had occurred at the polls. They
were determined to force through their
nefarious scheme at all hazards, even to
have Democratic bayonets at the polls.
The above mentioned Republican color
ed inspectors made affidavit to these
facts.
At Kendall's Beat, where the proper
ton OF Republican and Democratic votes
was the same as at McGhee's, the iuspeC-
ton deliberately changed the votes in the
presence OF the ignorant, timid old color
ed man, who finally detected the inspec.
tor with large roll otbogus tickets. They
then tried TO bulldoze him into signing
the returns, but he would not doso.
might relate similar experience at
each polling place in this county, because
the history OF one is the history OF all.
But II would not add anything to the force
Of the statement. Five thousand Repub.
licAn votes in this county were deliberate
" counted for the Democratic nominees,
and to render their injury irreparable, the
Legislature at its last session provided
that the tickets should no longer be num-
bered. Thus all possibility OF tracing the
ballot OF the voter and Office, showing that
1t has been changed, Is taken away.
The monumental fraud OF the age was
the pretended election OF August ., 1880,
fraud the Democratic papers prepared
for weeks by parading in their columns
the lie that thousands OF negroes were
joining Democratic clubs. Here they
could not muster fifty colored Democrats
out OF S,l0O colored voters. This only
safeguard at Federal elections will he
United States Supervisors and Marslrals,