New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-02
WON BY FRAUD AND THEFT.
HOW CLEVELAND CARRIED VIRGINIA.


THE LAw-RnGrsTRARs WHO ARE COR.
RUpT-TnINGs FOR HONEST vIR'
GINIANs TO CONSIDER
rsY rELroRAfI 10 TIE TRIBUNE
Richmond, Va, Dec. Tho Republicans OF Viz
gnia assert that the electoral vote oil INC s's'e was
counted for Cleveland b. means OF fraud ana 'hey
are now engaged In systematic efforts to obtain evil
dencc TO show the truth Of tha; assertion ii IL DC
true the country ought to know II, and 'irS'mahs
cannot be indifferent 70 II
II the election was fairly and honestly conducted
that fact ought 10 be recognized The burden oi
proof rests on the Republicans Vague charges Oh
fraud and intimidation unsupported by evil
dence will not answer. but legal proof
n offered ought TO be accepted as we'll In virginia
as in Massachusetts or Michigan This is not sec
tonal mattcr-the whole country is deeply interested
IN IT, To expose frauds, If they were committed 10
Virginia Ia not attack upon the South any more
than an exposure of frauds in New-Jersey or Ohio
would be an attack upon the North The nvesu'
ration in the one ought 10 be conducted In the
Same shirt in the other In this spirit the CORE
spondent OF The Tribune submits herewith certain iacs
bearing the recent campaign and election in THIS
State
ma hundred counties in Virginia, siNiyone contain
mora white voters than coOrcd voters; that thirteen
counties are about evenly divided and 'hat only
twenty six counties contain prepondcrance Oh cooico
voters. In only county does the percentage VI
white voters fall low as thrtytwo ana III oniy
nine counties is 1t less than forty. In inc o'nef
seventeen 9blacks cou ties the percentage OF whte
voters varies from forty TO foltynine On the otne
hand IN thirty four sof the seventy-iour white
counties the percentage Of colored voters Is less Una"
dirty; in twenty three counties 1t is less than twenty
and IN a round dozen of the counties IL ials ocio"
ten. Now, speaking generally, all the alleged Demo
cratic gains I'm the election were IN the black
Penn
counties Now Of the colored voters In Virginia, at
least ninety-nn in every hundred are Republicans
and vote the Republican ticket whenever they nave
an opportunity 10 do So and they are more anxious
TO deposit their ballots in National election than at
any other time Virginia Democrats when at nome
admit this. whs'ever they may say abroad
As to the methods OF fraud and evidences OF II.
Right here let IL he said that the correspondents
statements depend not upon rumors or the loose
assertions of excited psrtisans but upon the official
reports of sworn officers Of the law and other tesu
mony which would be admtted by any court
THE WORK OF CORRUPT REGISTRARS.
Registrars and judges Of election in Virginia arc
appointed by county or city boards of three members
each. who chosen by the Legislature Win
single exception, iar as can be asccrtaned every
member of every board is Democrat, and every one
of the l,12o precinct registrars in the State is
Democrat, and overwhelming majority OF them
Is composed Of the reckless and active parsars
to be found. one is type Of many. He Is regis
trar in Petersburg on the day before election he
went 10 the County roaI and asked what was expected
Of him. and how much h. would be paid for doing it,
The registrars have plenaIy powers, and virtually
there can appeal from their judgment until TOO
late. The reports aud other testimony show that
the registrars of many precincts made new books on
various pretexis and that the names Of many legal
voters-invariably the names Of Hepubcans-werc
omitted from the copies which were in the hands of
I'm fnf
Lynchburg a vote was challenged because his name
lid appear the book lie declared that ii was
on the original, and he obtained and produced the
latter. His rane was found and he was permitted
10 vote. A few minutes later a Republican, an Old
man and peced citizen, applied 20 vote in the same
precinct, of which lie had been for many years
resident lie, too, was challenged On the Sane
ground and he, to- appealed 20 the original record
1t was not 10 be found in the short space be-
tween time it produced and the Offering of the
ballot the book had been spirited away and the man
lost his Not only Ire but others were deprived
Of their votes by the theft of that record.
In many counties lie names Of Republican voters
we're arbitrarily and illegally stricken from the regis
tration lists. Thai can be legally done
only upon fi;eeE days public notice
given by FIVE qualified voters of the precinct;
pending which h- voter thus challenged may demand
hearing and submit proof TO show that he Is entitled
10 registration In scores OF cases no such notice wa
given In many hundred cases this thing happened.
temporarily
ing on railroads or other public WORKS u @laren,,
counties precincts or IN adjoining states returned
home election day 10 Vote and found their names
stricken from the lists They denied the right
10 vote, If Republicans There IS indnbilaDle prof.
naass oi the stst Were IhT 'rvented from casting
their ballots In county 400 qualified voters u
Is said, thus disfrauchscd. and in another
county. al precincts, scyenty-two electors were
deprived Of their right IN the same manner
,peciaed. abundant legal proof viii be Forthcoming
The law provides that when an electoI removes from
Of transfer from the registrar In many cases such
certificates were obtained without authority, in the
case a Republican authorized friend. who is a Demo
erat TO obtain such transfer On election day tao
vote At many precincts transfer certificates
regularly issued not recognized or admitted by the
Al one precinct in a single county sixtyour voters,
and at another precinct in an adjoining county forty
ballots.
poyed by Democratic registrars, but those mentioned
are the only ones of which legal proof has been thu
far obtained.
FRAUDS AT THE POLLS.
An examination of tho official reports and other
data already mentioned shows that the means used
to cheat Republicans at the ballot box multi
faFous. In a number of the cities and larger towns
favorite plan was 10 obstuct voters by challenges
on various fimsy pretexts prctext at all, and
by compelling voters TO answer scores of Irrelevant
and frivolous questions BY such more than
200 Republicans deprived of their votes in a
single ward In this city. In one precinct Of that
ward, which contains nearly thousand voters, the
polls closed while hundreds of Republicans stand
Ing in limo, they had stood all day. vainy waiting
for opportunity to deposit their ballots. At a
whiter precinct In adjoining ward the judges
ceved nearly 1000 ballots and the polls were clear
long before the time OF closing.
Following is the substance Of the examination OF a
eoloed Republican voter by of the election judges
What Is your name 2"
/ "John Thompson, sir.'
q Just John-no middle names
= 70, sir no middle name"
Well, let's see II your name IS In the book"
After slowly reading all the names, the official
6fts his head and says:
aYou say your name is John Thompson -
yes. sir. John Thompson"
well, II isn't in this book
Yves. sir, 1t is, SIR live at and the gives
bis number and street.
Oh, you're that John Thompson
Yes. sir, / am the man
"WeI John. how long have you lived there's
The quesIlOn Is sMolsd.