The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-07-13
THE WAY 1T is DONE.

The Chicago Inter Ocean last SATURDAY.
contained letter from Mr.. w. II. Dink-
grave, native of Louisiana. and resi-
dent of that state until few weeks ago.
He gives some very startling revelations
regarding the conduct OF elections in
Louisiana and gives briefly some of the
facts concerning the election for state
officers in that state In April last. At
the time OF the election he was resi-
dent and voter OF the parish OF East
Carroll, which Is one of the large cotton
parishes lying on the Mississippi river.
The voting population consists of about
S., 900 negroes and $50 to 400 white men.
Like all the parishes of the state where
the negroes predominant, 1t is by right
largely Republican. Mr.. Dinkgrave
says he will assert without fear Of sue
cessful contradiction that the colored
voter is almost unanimously, by convic-
ton, by education. and by sentiment, a
Republican, and, if not prevented by
force or fraud, votes with that party. 1t
does not need much reasoning to under
stand this. He knows that il was the
Republican party that advocated and
gave him his freedom, and which favor
ed and passed the laws which at the
time were deemed sufficient to guaran-
tee and protect him in the exercise Of
that right, and he knows, too, that the
Democratic party has always, on every
occasion, opposed these measures.
The "plan of campaign" differed in
different parishes. In some, the ne
groes were permitted to 20 to the polls
and vote as they chose, and then the
ballot boxes were stuffed and substitute
ed, and the Republican votes counted
out, In others system of intimidation
was resorted to, prominent negroes
were driven from their homes by armed
men, and such reign of terror inaugur-
ated that the Republican voters would
not go to the polls at all, and in some
counties like Ouachita-the home of
Governor McEnery-they were actually
so completely terrorized and democrat
lied that they went to the polls and
voted the Democratic ticket.
Mr.. Dinkgrave gives number of spe-
cific places where frauds of the most
damnable character were perpetrated
and challenges refutation of his state
ments.
Taking East Carroll parish for exam
oft 70 of tho Gfofn hoA
publicly proclaimed that the 'slaw should
be suspended until the danger was
passed." and had issued his now notori-
ously official letter to the returning off,
GERS of the different parishes, to-wit:
"Warmoth is developing too much
strength; see to it that your parish is
returned strongly Democratic at all haz-
ards" No attempt even to conceal
their intention to count out and resort
to fraud was made; in fact it was boldly
admitted that they intended to resort
to such methods, and they did, by count
ing out the Republican majority of $500
and substituting one for the Democratic
ticket of some $500 majority. 1t was in
this parish that Judge E. j. Delany,
| lifelong Democrat, at the time district
Judge of the state court and an indepen-
dent candidate for reelection, gave as
founding evidence of the truth of what
l assert by issuing few days before
election letter under his signature, ad-
dressed to the colored voters, in which
he, an officer of the state, conservator
of the peace, makes the startling admis-
sion that he is convinced "that fair
and free election cannot be held; advis-
es the negroes to abstain from voting, as
their votes will not only not be counted
as cast, but be counted against them"
and frankly says "that while such con-
dition of affairs is to be deplored, he is
powerless to prevent it," stating further
"that he had even been warned that If
he persisted in running as an indepen-
dent he might jeopardiZe his life, and
announcing for these reasons his with
drawal as a candidate"
On the day of the election clergyman
of the county seat of my parish called on
at my ges h6f 6 90 sp PSe f pos friend
tempt to secure fair count,
saying that armed men were then being
their programme, "at all hazards" and
l would risk my life in any endeavor to
thwart their plans. The armed men did
come to this box-Benhams, East Carroll
and remained until the pretended
count was completed, and although at
this box there we're actually cast some
2S0 or 290 Republican votes, and but
about 10 Democratic ones, the vote as
returned gave the Republican ticket but
35 votes, and Democratic majority of
about 255l
An undeniable evidence of the frauds
perpetrated at this box was that the Re-
publican voted tickets printed on white
paper in red ink, and vet when the box
pretended to be the one In which the
votes were cast-was opened and count
ed, there was not one single red ticket
IN it, and the thirty-five Republican
votes found therein were all printed in
black ink-thus showing conclusively
that stuffed box had been substituted.
This was done in every ward of this
parish, and thus Republican majority
of $500 was converted into one for the
Democratic ticket of $500.
Here is the plain testimony of a man
who saw the frauds and knew of their
preparation. He gives dates, names
and places, and boldly signs his name to
his statements. There can be no doubt
of their truth, and vet the Democratic
papers cry "bloody shirt" when the
practices he exposes are condemned.
Are the people of the North going to sit
quietly by and assent to Senator Eustis'
reply that it is none of their business
Is it none of their business that the mil
lanc nf aif ~, fhncn
Southern States are deprived of the
right of free speech and suffrageH Is it
none of their business that through these
crimes the vote of Southern autocrat is
made to count eight or ten times as
much as Northerner's, thereby allow
ing criminal minority to override and
rule the country There are those who
believe it is some of their business and
tho f,p,a mill o,rnly onu,a M har 4 hot san