The bee., 1882-06-10

glorious triumph. But we knew no
the methods at that time of the Dsmo
cratic Lightning Committee" but We
were soon to learn to our regret that
all our labors were to he turned tC
naught. The day for the election ar
rived; tickets for our candidate came
the night before; at early dawn we were
on the alert; hour arrived for opening
the polls; the Republicans we're pre-
pared; we had table, paper and pen.
ellis on hand. as near the voting place
as the Jaw Of that State allows any
person to be when not voting,
the Republicans came to us and got
their tickets. voted them open in full
view and at the same time proclaimed
their votes Uira uoce as they had been in.
structed by us, 81 vote for Jere Harral-
son." and returned to the table from
whence they had received their ballots;
had their names registered as having
voted: this was done by every Repub-
lican who voIed there on that day.
After the poles were closed we count
ed the names on our list and found
thereon as having voted 5S7 names OF
Republicans who had cast their votes
for Hon. Jere Harralson. the Republican
candidate for Congress. Seeing the
clerk of the court come away from
where the boxes were, we asked him
the whole number of votes cast, Demo
cratic and Republican, and he informed
us 760. Now subtract 5SZ from 760 and
the remainder will be 173. We ascer-
tanned that of the 173 votes cast, Dr..
Henry received two votes, the remain
der III, were the number of votes cast
for General Shelley, at Greensboro, on
the 2nd of November 1873.
Now for the way they do it. After
dark lsrge number of men, Demo.
orats and Republicans awaited near the
court house for the managers of the
election to announce the result on all
sides it was conceded that the Republi-
cans had carried the day by a hand
some majority. We were feeling our
oats and awaited for the managers to
make the announcement, with we imag-
inc, the same feelings of exultation that
a conquering general experiences when
awaiting for conquered foe to come
out of his entertainments to ground
arms and surrender. 8, 10, IL o'clock
lat night and no report yet. We began
to feel little uneasy on account of this
unlocked for delay. At last at about
a quarter to twelve, Tom Cowin, we
believe, is the name of the man, one of
the managers, came to where the crowd
were in waiting, Atkinson's drug store,
aud announced the vote. Here is what
this sooorn official announced General
Shelley, 4S4 votes; Jere Harralson, 201
votes, and DR.. Henry, 81 votes" We
disputed the correctness of the vote as
announced, whereupon o sudden change
took place, those who had been most
forward in showing Us courtesies, threat
ened our life il we didn't "dry up," and
the Sheriff, Knight, made the attempt
TO force MS to give up the list of names
we had in our possession, but by the
timely interposition Of our Republican
friends we were forced out of the drug
store with the much wanted list in our
possession. After We had been at our
room for a short while n colored man
vas sent to US with a proposition from
The sheriff and his co-adiutors that if
we would give up our list AID agree to
sign a certificate that all things went
right there that day, they would give us
ave hundred dollars. We declined the
proposition, vhercupon the envoy, who
was q particular friend OF ours, advised
us TO get away as soon as possible, for
the Democrats were determined TO have
us agree to their proposition or die
We took our friends advice AM lett the
town, and stayed with an old gentleman
some two miles in the country until
about an hour before day, when we
made our escape by jumping on the
cars at the depot, about a mile from
where we staid, after the mob had left
who had been searching the cars for US.
We arrived in Selma the same day,
bringing the much-coveted list Of Re-
publicans who had voted for Harralson
the day previous. The list is still in
our poss ession.
BY this imperfectly written statement
it will be seen that the Fourth Congress
sional District is based on color, Is ,473, |
I; vet the Democrats of that
district, by methods hitherto unknown
10 outsiders, have sent General Shelley
20 Congress as the legally elected rep
,esentative from that overwhelmingly
District
In conclusion we have known the
,olored men of the Fourth District of
ever since the reconstruction
is true Republicans, and We are bold to
Issert that, with the exception of few
broken down black political hacks who
would sell their souls to the devil for a
ew dollars, they are as true to-day as
hey have ever been, and if their votes are
'ounted as they cast them, the Demo