The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1882-06-20

The following is copy of letter sent
by Capt. Pasco to the New York Tribune
in reply to the mendacious attack made
upon our people in connection with the
election of 1880, which appeared in that
paper May l6:
MONTICELLO, JEFFERSON Co, FLA,
June l4th, 1882.
Editors Of Neao York Tribune:
My attention was recently directed to an ar
ticle in your issue of May 10, headed Bourbon
Election Frauds-A Tale of Wrong from Flor
ida" &c. 1t purports TO be based upon state
ments made by one Witherspoon, who ran for Con-
gress in this District in $780, and who has grossly
imposed upon your correspondent some very
offensive and untrue statements are made about
myself individually and as Chairman OF the
Democratic State Executive Committee, and
claim the right to be heard in reply, and have de-
layed the reply till could investigate such mat
tiers as were not within my own knowledge
In the first place. the interviewed party is not
a Presiding Elder as alleged, nor was he tor ten
successive years a member of the Florida Legs
lature," and the records of the Suwannee Circuit
Court of May, 1873, time when his political
friends had unlimited power in the State, includ-
ing the appointment of judges and prosecuting
officers and the drawing of juries establish the
fact that he is not man "of unsullied charac-
ter"
have examined the records of Jefferson
county with reference to the alleged improper
removal of names from the registration list by
the County Commissioners during the year 1880.
Such a revision is necessary, among other rea-
sons, because OF the frequent change OF residence
among the labOring classes, and it should be
thorough and exact because all juries, under our
laws, are drawn from the registration list, and
legal registration is prerequisite for voting
The Statement that the Board met in August is
not correct. They net in October, the time fixed
by law for the discharge of this duty. Instead
of striking off 1923 names, your correspond
ent States 503 were stricken off and instead of
" less than 80 Democratic names, :" an actual ex-
animation of the list shows that about 100 of the
SOB were names of Democrats
An opportunity was given at a subsequent
meeting, under the law, 10 those complaining
that their names were improperly stricken to have
them restored upon proper proof; full hearing
was had, every complaint was listened to, and
most OF the few who complained had their names
restored.
Robert Grattan is the only c0lored man who
was in DIR. Bellngers employ at the time, and
The only person within range OF Witherspoon' s
description, but his name was not stricken off as
alleged, and you will see by the copy OF the aff-
| davt accompanying this that he pronounces
Witherspoons statement as 10 him utterly false.
AS to Hampton Williams he never built house
for me. The house in which | reside was prob
aUJ DullJ DelOIC lie anu L were DOTU. Ills Name
was not stricken off, but appeared on the list as
Hamilton Williams, AMI on the election day he
refused 10 vote in this name, and did not offer TO
swear in his vote he might have done under
the statute if legal voter provided he had been
properly registered. And WtherspoOn is en-
| tirely mistaken in saying that he spoke to me
| about Hampton Williams on the day of election,
or at any other time.
AS to the striking out of a large number of
names, there is a basis for such statement in the
action of the Board in 1878. When the Board,
| OF which DIR. Bellinger was Chairman, went into
| office, and which made up of men who
| would be looked up to and respected as upright
men in any community, they found registra-
| ton of about 1900, and our actual voting popu-
| lation was between $500 and 1900, according TO
the official census of tie county taken by the Re-
publican State authorities the year before this ex-
cessive registration. They were required by law
TO purge this list and in doing so they had TO
strike off large number OF names. | have not
verified the actual number, if it was only 1923
| they must have left many improper names there.
| This action of theirs was misrepresented at the
| time, and they were indicted before the United
| States Circuit Court AT jacksonville but after an
| examination of the evidence the District Attorney
never even brought their case to trial.
The tissue ballot was used at Precinct No. 2, at
| the late election, and | was aroused the next
morning little before day by one of the inspec-
tors, who came to seek my advice He told me
that the officers Of the election had been sur
/ prised at finding some very thin ballots in the
box after the close of the election. No such bal
lots had been publicly voted, and after discussing
their duty in the premises nearly all night, it was
agreed to refer the matter to me for legal advice.
| did not wait for news of the election but at
once told the inspector that ii was their bounden
| duty to eliminate all fraud and make the ballot
box speak the honest voice of the people. After
| he had gone it occurred to me that, for my pro-
lection, this advice should have been in writing,
and dressed and went to my office and as soon
as | could find the telegraph operator sent a
| telegram in the following words
MONTICELLO, Nov. 3, 1890
Inspectors Of Election, DrJton, Fla:
should not hesitate one moment TO make your
| box speak the honest voice of the people. II
| there are illegal ballots draw them out, no mat
ter whether Republican Democratic. Will
| write by train, S. FAsCO
The letter sent by train, nearly an hour later,
was as follows. These are both taken from my
letter press copies:
MONTICELLO, FLA, Nov. 8, 1880.
7. L. Bird, Esq, Drifton, Fla:
That there may be no mistake as to my advice,
with regard TO the illegal Democratic votes that
you found in your election box last night, l have
| telegraphed the same and now say to you and
the other officers OF your precinct that it is your
| duty TO make your box speak the honest voice OF
the people; that if ballots known as jokers are
illegally there, and if the inspectors saw none
| voted. and there is an excess of ballots, they are
manfestly illegal; draw them out. You can do
it by the forms of law for you can tell them by
their size, and you had better pursue that course
But think you would be justified in throwing
them out without regard to form.
Our duty as good citizens requires us to pre-
serve and protect the purity of the ballot and
the obligation is still greater upon all election
officers.
Read this TO the whole Board of Inspectors
Yours very truly s. PAsco.
Precinct No. is at Drifton, nearly four miles
from town. After breakfast il was rumored that
there was some excitement there, and at the re-
quest of many friends went down with 8. J
Turnbull, Esq, the Democratic candidate for the
State Senate On our way we met Witherspoon
with large crowd OF his friends, and we invited
him to accompany He did so, and when we
reached the precinct we were all three admitted
to the canvass, which was progressing with open
window in view of the voters 1t was nearly
finished. The tissue ballots had all been re-
moved from the box and entirely destroyed, and
a result reached under the advice had given
We remained AS silent spectators until this result
was nnounced-Republican ticket, 11S votes
Democratic, 49, | asked if all were satisfied tina
this was The honest vote and that the inspecto n
had done their duty, and Witherspnon and al
present said they were perfectly satisfied.
The Munchausen story about Broxey stand
ing guard over the box and the ballots snatched
from the flames is pure fabrication, as Broxey's
affidavit, a copy of which accompanies this, will
prove. Not one of these tissue ballots was left
The law required their destruction, and they
were all destroyed 1t has been charged publicly
in this county that they were used at this election