The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-05-25
Mackey-Dibble Contest.

Mackey-Dibble Contest.
The Democrats in Congress could not have
chosen more transparent fraud for an excuse
to fillibuster than that OF the contested seat of
Mr.. Dibble, of South Carolina. 1t is as clear
as mathematical demonstration that Mackey,
Republican, the contestant. was elected in
1880 over O'Connor, Democrat, by nearly
10000 legal votes. Even according to the re-
turns made by the precinct managers, ma
jority of whom in every case were Democrats,
the returns show that Mackey was elected by
over 800 majority But the State canvassers
determined that the Republicans should be de-
frauded out of the seat and the Democrats
awarded it, if it required the most barefaced
frauds ever perpetrated in any district or
State The facts given in the report OF the
Committee on Elections, make this very
plain. There are over sixty voting places
in the three counties constituting the dis
trict, but in only twelve of them was there
controversy. In the county of Claren-
don deliberate. System of Oallot-box stuff
ing was practiced by or with the knowledge
and assert of the managers of the election of
said precincts, all of whom, without single
exception, were of the same political faith
as MIR. O'Ccnnor, and in every instance his
political partizans and supporters; that by
reason thereof the vote actually cast for
Mackey,was larger, and the vote actually cast
for O'Conner was smaller, than appears on
the face of the returns made by the managers
of the elections at the precincts aforesaid !;
that the difference between the vote as actual
ly cast and the vote as returned by the mana
gers arises from the fact that at each of the
aforesaid polls numerous ballots bearing Mr..
O'Connor's name for Congress, were fraudu-
lently placed in the ballot-box for the purpose
of creating an excess of votes over voters and
thereby compelling the managers to draw out
and destroy the excess of ballots thus created in
order to reduce the number of the ballots in
the box to the number of names on the
poll-list; tina; in drawing out of the box
at each poll, the excess of ballots fraudulently
created as aforesaid. numerous sballets bear
ing Mr.. Mackey's name for Congress. and
which had been legally voted, were thrown
out and destroyed, and in their place were
counted corresponding number of ballots
with Mr.. C'Connor's name for Congress
thereon which had not been legally voted"
These fraudulent methods practiced in the
other two counties. as well, brought cut ma
jority for Mr.. O'Connor of about 5000, when
the actual and well established facts were that
Mr. Mackey had been elected by OTIS votes.
The contest is waged as to the vote between
Mr. Mackey and Mr.. O'Connor, notwithstand-
| ing that Mr.. O'COnnOr died after the election
and before the assembling of Congress, for the
reason that Mackey claimed the seat as right
fully his, and therefore the death OF MIR.
O'Conner did not change his relation to the
matter. The Governor issued proclamation
commanding new election to fill the unex-
pired term of O'Conner, but the Republicans
did not contest this election for the reason
that there was no vacancy, Mr.. O'Connor
holding the certificate for seat in Congress
which rightfuly belonged to Mackey. At this
election Mr.. Dibble was the Democratic can
didate, receiving about 900 votes where Mr..
OConner had received over IL, 900.
The evidence shows that at some precincts
there were more ballots in the box for O'Con-
nor than there were registered voters at the
precinct, and that large tickets were folded,
with from five to ten, and in some instances
fifteen smaller ballots enclosed, printed on It's
sue paper, all of them with Mr.. OConner's
name printed on them. In drawing out the
excess of ballots over the registered list, the
large tickets cast for Mackey were extracted,
and all the tissue tickets left in and counted
by the managers for O'Conner.
These are simply specimens of the frauds
committed to defeat the will of the people,
and place in Congress man whom the legal
voters had not elected. The history Of the
case is interesting as well as startling, show
ing the utter disregard of law and justice and
exposing the methods by which Democratic
Congressman are manufactured in Republican
districts in the South. Yet with this giarlng
fact before them the Democrats in Congress
are arresting legislation, prolonging the SEES
sion. and outraging popular elections, for the
purpose of depriying the men the people have
elected of their seats. We hope, however, it
will be in vain, and that Mr.. Mackey will be
given the seat now held by Mr.: Dibble.