The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-07
Some of the Tricks and Devices by Which
COlored Men in Virginia and North Caro-
lima Are Deprived Of the Suffrage.
The Reasons Why It Is Impossible to
Secure the Full Republican Vote.
General Rosecrans Seriously Troubled by the
Buzzing of the Presidential Bee-Ap-
pointments Yesterday-NOtes.
SURPRISING CoLORED VOTES.
How 1t Is Accomplished by the Democracy in
North Carolina.


WASHINGTON, Nov. 6.-''The Republican SEN
ators should receive no man into the Senate
from Virginia at the expiration of Mr.. Mahone's
term, except he be Republican. To permit
Democrat to succeed Senator Malone would be
an outrage"
The above sentiment was expressed to-day by
Major Powers, one of the best-known Repub-
lican statesmen of North Carolina. 1t fell so
forcibly upon the Journal correspondents ears
that he Immediately inquired what was meant
by it.
II mean," replied Major Powers "that Vir-
ginia has elected Republican legislature or, if
she has not elected it, she had the votes to do so,
and was only deprived of it by the most out
rageous frauds imaginable A great deal has
been said in the North about the corruption per-
petrated by the Democrats in the South, but it
has never yet been made clear to Northerners
how this rape of the ballot-box is brought about.
1 will tell you how the Democrats control the
elections in North Carolina, my own State, and
l may add that the same state of affairs exists
in Virginia. By the most audacious frauds
which have ever been perpetrated in the South,
a constitutional convention was elected, about
ten years ago, which changed the Constitution so
as to make these frauds easy, and ever. since
that change of the Constitution, or, may say,
since new Constitution was made for the State,
so as to put the politics into the hands of those
controlling at that time it has been
just as impossible for the Repub-
licans to get fair elections and
for colored man to vote as it has been for the
people to take wings and fy away. 1t was un-
- Lof, ~ 4lc4
the delegates chosen were to make Constitu-
ton of the kind now on the statute books, and
the State was in turmoil of excitement for
some time. Although the most desperate in
timidation and corrupt uss of money was every
where seen, the Republicans actually elected
majority of two of the delegates. Before the re-
ports were sent in, however, the highest toned
Democratic members in Congress from North
Carolina at that time and 1 may say, at this
time, telegraphed to the managers of the De-
mccracy to hold back certain precincts and make
the returns Democratic, for the purpose Of saw
ing the State The convention was organized
by the Bourbons after deadlock of three or
four weeks, and there was so much excitement
and such prospects of riot, that the State militia
were called out and the Constitution under
i
only mention this disturbance in the election for
the constitutional convention, and the making of
the Constitution, to show that even in that the
Bourbons were desperate and resorted to the
most dabolical acts to carry out their purposes
THE Constitution provides that the Governor,
believe or the Legislature, shall choose the
commissioners of the several counties, and most
of the other officers elective in all States in the
North. believe in nearly every State throughout
the Union county commissioners elected the
same as other county officers, but our county
commissioners as soon as they are chosen by the
chief executive, meet on the first Monday in
August and choose auditors for the
several counties. These auditors levy
taxes and perform the same functions
that county commissioners do through the
North. The magistrates throughout the State,
or justices of the peace, as they are commonly
called, are appointed by the same power that
selects the county commissioners. The magis-
trates choose the election boards; so, you see
that the Governor controls all the machinery of
the elections Although our laws provide for the
selection of Republicans upon election boards,
such Republicans of no benefit to the par
ty are always selected The whole ballot-box
machinery and every thing that pertains to the
election is, therefore, in the direct control of the
Democracy"
:'Who directs the frauds at the hallot-boxes."
I inquired.
Custom is sufficient to direct the frauds"
quickly replied the Major. THE machinery is
so old and works so we'll that it almost goes
without saying that certain quantity of Re-
1.4..
of the ballot boxes, or, if cast, are not counted
The surest and most popular way in which the
negro vote is kept cut of the Republican score is
by the formation of the negro election precincts
1t is proverbial throughout North Carolina that
the negro precincts are from three to five times
as large as are the white precincts. Ny home is
in Newbern. There. as in all places through
out the State, the negroes are colonized in one
portion of the city. There is negro precinct,
l remember, at my home, in which are about $50
black votes and probably twenty-five or fifty
white votes. The other election precincts, in
which are white people mostly, run from 200
to 25O votes. Now, the Democrats on the morn
ing of the election 60 the polls in the negro pre-
cincts and cast their votes the first thing The
Democratic votes are in generally before the
forenoon is we'll worn. When the negroes come
up to vote they find a great crowd of white Dem
ocrats, and they have to withstand catechism
that almost invariably results in the defeat of
their ballot. The Democrats begin by challeng-
ing the colored voters. They then ask them all
kinds of idiotic questions such as what their re-
lgion is, where their children 60 to school,
what church they attend, how old they are, who
their forefathers were, who they work for how
many men are employed about them, and all