Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-01-19
THE DESPERATE DEMOCRACY
NASHVILLE, Tenn, Jan. Is


1t now appears as if the develop
ments in the Stewart-Fout case are
destined to show that Democratic
rascality is not confined to the State
of Louisiana. Ten days ago the en-
terprising Nashville correspondent
of the Louisville Commercial made
copies of all the material papers in
this case from the records before the
supreme court. Among these papers
was copy of the certificate of the
judges and clerks of the election
held in the second civil district of
Polk county, dated November 8, in
which it appears that Stewart received
143 votes for joint representative
and Fout 81 votes. Nothing is said
in this certificate about an illegal
vote. The sheriff made his return
to Nashville, evidently under in,
structions, TO the effect that Stewart
had received so many votes in Polk
county, and Fout so many sand one
illegal vote" How did he know there
was an Illegal vote cast for Fout?
He certified that it so appeared from
the certificate of the sjudges, in
spectors and clerks holding the cleo
ton in the second civil district of
Polk county. But this did not so
appear. It was false. But on the
25th day of December, Al days after
the judges and clerks had made
their certificate, in which moth
ing was said about an illegal
vote, two of the judges, Blanken-
ship and Bryan, made affidavit that
one illegal vote had been cast for
Eout.
| This was done after the returns
had been sent to the State capitol.
It was an after thought, suggested
| from Nashville no doubt, after it had
been ascertained that the house was
very close, and that the vote of
Bradley and Polk might determine
the political complexion of that body.
The sheriff of Polk county was evil
| IDENTIFY induced to make this false
certificate by prominent democrats
in Nashville. He evidently did not
make his certificate until about
the 25th day of Deem
Der. or thereabouts, but dated
| it back so as to make the false
impression that the judges and
clerks of the election had Ger flied
that Fout had received one illegal
vote. But by an oversight on the
part of those engaged in perpetrat-
ing the fraud, the affidavit of the two
Judges who were willing to lend
themselves to it's contamination, was
given its proper date, December 25th
But here was a fatal discrepancy
The sherif's false certificate was
made in November. The affidavit
which was to bolster up his illegai
return, was dated more than month
afterwards. This discrepancy was
never discovered perhaps until dis
covered by Mr.. Baker, the CORE
spondent of the Commercial.
| How to get around that was the
question. 1t would never do let il
| go before the legislature and the
country in that shape. What was
to be done! What has been done
was reported in a special dispatch
published in the CHRONICLE of Sun.
day morning. The record in The
case has been mutilated. The GER
tiicate Of the sheriff above men
toned, together with the affidavit O
two of the judges, the one dated
November s, based upon the Other
dated December rs, were writer
! upon sheet Of legal-cap paper and
pasted on to the other papers.
have Just examined the file Of papers
in the case, and where the sheet con
tsining the certificate and the aft
; davit has been torn of Is plain te
be seen. Judge Harrison, the chair