The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-11-12
TIE OLD STORT
OF Dlsfranchl$ s,lrnt In thu SDuih-yptcs
stolen In Virginia. I.I '

'ttF
stolen In Virginia. TO-.
Hon. J. S. Clarkson, member Of the Re-
publican National Committee from Iowa,
returned 10 New York, Saturday, from
Petersburg, Va, where he went on last
Tuesday to watch the election. He has
sent II letter to the hWa Slute Register, in
which he says:
The Democrats have stolen Virginia BY
aseries OF frlnds heretofore unknown ont
side Of the Guli States. Under the State
law the County Judges appointthe Judges
OF Election, three for each precinct. In
the, strong Republican counties of Char.
lotto and Halifax, the County judges elect
Cd by the Read rLegisiaturc Two Years
ago, went with the Democrats and an
pointed two Democratic Judges and one
Republican ior each precinct. Under the
law, each political party has to be given
representation in each election board. But
the Democratic County Judges throughout
tho State invariably eyade this law by
always appointing MS the Republican mem
Der, either II negro who coutd neither read
nor write or else some hybrid Republican
who could be bought. lii lmndrcdsoi dis
tricts .'slcepins ballot boxes" were used.
These were exactly like those used during
election day, and were stuffed witt, ballots
beforehand. They were kept concealed
in the polling-ron,n, and Mt night at the
closing OF the polls were substituted for the
ballot boxes used during the election and
the hitter destroyed. In these and other
counties the votes were received through
the windows SO high that voters could not
see the ballot box. By these means Hal
fax county, with 500 Republican majority,
was carried by 800 for the Democrats, and
Charlotte, with 600 Republican majority,
was carried By nearly 500 for the Demo
Gratis. 5ir-4 5rgF|
SEGEoE KEPT FEoM TIE POLLS. gt
In many OF the counties NEGROES were
boldly inundated and KEEP: away from
the polls by thousands. Another method
successfully employed was to delay the
voter by. many questions and SO prevent
many negroes from voting ut all. In the
city Of Richmond in ill the wards whore
there are many negroes this plan wasl
adopted and many Republicans cheated
out OF Their votes. In Jackson ward it was
so successfully employed that when the
polls closed 81 clored men were in line
with ballots in their hands ready to vote.
and others were disiranchised. They have
all made nlidavits to this effect, and the
at!idhvits arc in tho hands Of United
States Attorney Wathleil. By this method
OF delay over 5000 colored mon through
out the State were deprived OF their votes.
Over 5000 other negroes were disiran-
chlsed by their namcs being stricken from
tho registry list, and no lists of these bel
ing posted, as the law requires, they did
not know it until election day and could
not vote. 7."H
Notwithstanding these frauds, the Re.
pubiicans won. Democrats, conceded il,
No Republican doubted it. But on Wed.
neSday couriers were dispatched to the
counties which could be manipulated, with
orders to stuff 5000 or 1000 votes into the
returns. Tho boidcst resort to fraud be.
fore and during the election would not and
did not give the Democrats SUCCESS. The
Republicans still had won. The AFTER
election frauds had to be appoaled to, and
by this desperate method they gain what
they call a majority for Cleveland. 1t is
the burglary OF 4 State, and tho thieves
propose to 90 and offer the stolen goods to
the Electoral College, expect to have them
received, md with them to help make
Cleveland %presidcntoi tho United States,
Tho irards have been 50 plain that Inc
vote should never pe accepted in the Elcc.
toral College. The Democrats in tic State
arc iubilant over the thought that they
have elected Cleveland and are very in.
tolerant in their actions. MANY of them
are saying that Appomattox has been ro.
yersed and that the Grays are on deck
once more to stay.