Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-09-27
THE ARKANSAS FRAUDS.
How the VIII of the People Was Sc
Aside by Law-Defying Democrats.

th6 AhNr<NS<<S FhNSDSs
How the VIII of the People Was Set
Aside by Law-Defying Democrats.
Ed Sanders, candidate for the office
of sheriff on the Peoples ticket in
Crittenden County, has laid before
Governor Hughes, of Arkansas, state
ment of the methods by which the
election was carried in that county.
The Governor has given him hear
ing, but does not say that he can give
him any relief. Mr.. Sanders says
there were in round numbers $500
votes polled in Crittenden County.
The Democratic ticket received 400
and the Peoples ticket 2,400, yet the
minority, controlling the election ma
chinery, has counted a majority Of
1,450 for the Democratic ticket AT
Hopefeld the Judges of election were
saloon-keepers from Memphis That
they might have some means of know
ing how the votes were cast the sup
pofters of the Peoples ticket stationed
two clerks at every poI1ing-place but
two in the entire county. These clerks
kept a record OF every ballot cast for
the Peoples ticket, and the evidence
was obtained that the majority was
overwhelming for the Peoples ticket
Most of these nominees on the Peo-
pies ticket were Democrats, but they
believed in "a free ballot and fair
count" and the Republicans gave them
their support
In Crittenden an old colored man
named Register distributed the Peo-
pies ticket. For this he was COM
PEELED to leave the county.
The following are extracts from Mr..
Sanders appeal:
We had in the field two tickets. One (the al.
legged Democratic) was nominated by few
men at Marion, Ark. our county seat; the Other
was nominated by the dissatisfied members OF
the Democratic party and the Republicans OF
the county. The candidates on the former
ticket were four OF them Republicans, and
only turned in order to get these nomins-
lions, as they had lost all hope Of noRinatios
on their own ticket. The majority OF the lat
ter ticket is made up Of stanch old Demo
Gratis who are to-day and always have been
such The ticket is an entirely orderloytng
one. Our present sheriff W. F. Werner, was
the candidate on the frst-named ticket for re-
election. The statutes Of Arkansas command
that the county court shall appoint three
Judges for each election precinct: that in cass
the court fails to make the appointments the
! sheriff shall make thsm; he shall fix the place
of holding election, and shalt issue his procla-
nation ct least tweaty days before the day OF
holding the election. At neon, August 2, Sheriff
Werner isansd his proclamation to the election
precincts The county officials appointed
judges from :heir own friends, wholly, and no
one knew who the judges were to be except
some few Of tho triends of the former ticket
At the closing Of She polls election night the
PEOPLES boxes had certainly, as can be proven,
polled three-fourths Of the votes deposited in
the balfot-boxss. In I'll but two precincts in
the county the tickets and returns were car
ried/to the county clerks oface in overcosi
pockets, saddle-bags. and ballot-boxes loose,
! and not as provided by law, in sealed envel
opes. In at least thres precincts IN the county
the votes were not counted, as provided 6y
law, at the closing OF. the polls, but were taken
away from the polling~places at night, and one
Of them kept OVER night in the house Of one OF
the judges and brought back the next morning
and counted in the polling place. The two 9th
ers were taken TO the residence OF two of the
Candidates of the so-csiled Democratic ticket
and counted there at tlse county seat-Marion.
from the town with th7e;:ts oS fynching.
In one precinct we have positive proof that
the ballot-box was tempered with, and can
prove that the vote in all the other precincts
was changed. For weeks before the election
the candidates on the Democratic ticket
warned the colored people and threatened tbs
whites that they were going to have the offices
whether they were elected or not; that no man
from the other ticket should take his seat no
matter what his majority might be. We do
not ask of your Excellency to get possession OF
the offices, but to keep the peace of the coNny
and to protect its law-abiding citizens. If we
should let these people defraud US Of our rights
we know that the people OF our ticket our
friends, and the majority of the few who voted
selves and right their own wrongs. The white
population realize that they must do some.
thing to obtain JUST government or leave the
the last week will result in an open rebellion
against them by the working people, both white
and colored.
adherents Oh the Democratic ticket that they
county seat under pain Of lynch law. as, they
dition to the outrages already mentioned comes
destroying the ballots as fast as they are
brought in. They say that we shall do some
thing which shall make US law-breakers like
every means to have this great wrong and out
the force which they are trying to drive US TO.