Morning journal and courier., 1884-11-15
Saturday, November IS, 1881
THE FRAUD vIRGINIA.

There has been good deal of wild talk by hot Democrats about Republican frauds in New York, but none have been discovered yet, and none will be. It might be well for honest patriots who are so afraid of fraud to turn their attention to some of the perform ances of the Democrats in the southern States, notably in Virginia.
 Hon. J. s. Clarkson of the Iowa State Regis. tel, who was in Virginia during the progress of the election, says the Democrats have stolen Virginia by series of frauds hitherto un- known outside the gulf States. Under the State law the county judges appoint the judges of election, three for each precinct. In the strong Republican counties of Charlotte and Halifax, the county judges elected by the re- adjuster legislature two years ago went with the Democrats and appointed two Democrat ic judges and one Republican for each pre- ciact. Under the law, each political party has to be given representation in each election board. But the Democratic county judges throughout the State invariably evad- ed this law by always appointing as the Re- publican member either a negro who could neither read nor write or else some
 
 bought. In this way partisan election boards were thrust upon the Republ- Hean counties ofCharlotte, Halifax and others. With these judges and by the device of tEsleeping'' ballot boxes in some precincts and tissue ballots in others, and by denying United States supervisors access to the poll ing rooms either daring the election, dux- ing the count afterwards, Halifax with 800 Republican majority was carried by 800 for the Democrats, and Charlotts with 600 Re- publican majority was carried by nearly 500 for the Democrats. The "sleeping" ballot box was one prepared beforehand, exactly like the one used during election day, and ballots put in it in such quantities as Demo crats desired This was kept concealed in valise in the poIling-ro and at night at the closing of polls was substituted for the bal lot box used during the election and the lat ter destroyed. In these and other counties the votes were received through windows so high that voters couldn't see the ballot box. By these bold and successful devices of ttsleeping' balot-boxes in most of the pre- eincts of these two counties and tissue bal lots in the others, Democrats gained over <, ,SO0 votes, over one-haH the so-called or manufactured majority in the State that they now claim.
 In many of the counties negroes were boldly intimidated and kept away from the polls by thousands Another method sue- cessfully employed was to delay the voters by many questions and prevent many ne groes from voting at all In the city of Rich mond in all the wards where there many negroes this plan was adopted and many Re publicans cheated out of their votes. In Jackson ward it was So successfully employ ed that when the polls closed 874 eolored men were in line with ballots in their hands ready to vote and others were disfranchised, They have all made afidavits to this effect, and the afHdavits are in the hands of United States Attorney Waddel1. Ky this method of delay over 5000 colored men throughout the State were deprived of their votes. l
 Notwithstanding all this work the State went Republican, and the Democrats had to 'Ffx things after the election. Perhaps after the Democrats get through talking about Re publican fraud in New York they would do well to pay little attention to the case of Virginia