Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1883-02-24
Unfolding Frauds.

The just expectation of the people
that Massey would beat Wise in the
Fall election was founded upon their
estimate OF the votes that would be
fa5rly cast. Honest men cannot count
any other way. The people knew of
course the hypocrisy of the blatant
shriekers for free ballot and fair
count" but they did not know, be-
cause it was new experience in Vir-
ginia elections, of the ingenious meth
DDS by which wholesale frauds were to
be perpetrated, The testimony now
being taken in the Massey-Wise con-
test is turning the full light upon these
deeds of darkness.
Let us take only a few samples of
the evidence In Alexandria over
six hundred fraudulent votes were
proved, by showing the names of that
number of voters who were not even
assessed for taxation. The Malone
collectors issued to them paid-up tax
bills whenever it was known that they
would vote for Wise, and the Malone
election judges let them vote. In AL
bemarle county the Malone collector
admitted that he had issued four hun
bred and thirty. one tax receipts to
persons who had not paid dollar,
and excused himself by saying that he
did not know it was against the law
The Malone judge let him off with
$4,000 fine.
In Pittsylvania county we cannot
put it better than the witness himself
does in his deposition. He says: /
was appointed by the Auditor collec-
tor of delinquent oapitation taxes for
this county. Soon after my appoint
ment was approached by the chair
man of the Readjuster Congressional
Committee for the Fifth district, who
informed me that it was the desire OF
the party managers that l should issue
receipts for the capitation taxes Of
such Of the delinquents as were sup
porters of Wise and that to secure
the payment of the same draft drawn
by G. G. Clarke ON Petersburg bank
for an amount large enough to cover
the probable number Of receipts to be
received would be deposited with me
that he desired that all receipts which
were issued, but which should be re-
turned, should go as credit upon the
gross amount due for said receipts.
informed him il Gen. Malone would
endorse the draft would accept it in
payment of said taxes, but that in no
event would | consent to take receipts
back after the day of election. I was
then informed that they would com
municate my reply to Gen. Malone,
and in a day or two | received tele-
gram from the Auditor of Public Ac-
counts removing me from my position
as Collector" A more plant tool was
of course appointed, and Mahone's
fraudulent scheme was carried out
In that county there were two thous-
and delinquent colored men.
These are samples, and it is idle to
cite them further, especially when we
had right here at home an instance of
the most glazing kind, although on a
much smaller scale The thing is cas-
lily managed. Mahones county judges
appoint the judges of election The
United States Judge appointed the
bull-dozing marshals to stand at the
polls, and Mahone's Auditor appoint
ed the collectors who issued fraudu-
lent receipts to all who would vote for
Wise. Meanwhile every Democrat
had in fact to pay or have his capita
ton tax paid, or else he was excluded
from voting.
The returns, even with all this fraud,
made about 100000 votes for Wise
and about $4,000 votes for Massey
Had only legal votes been counted,
Massey would have been elected by at
least $4,000 majority. A Democratic
Congress will now have to pass on this
fraud, and in the interest of free
ballot and fair count" will sit down
on Mr. Johnny Wise.