Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-09-20

three precincts In the county the votes
were not counted as provided by 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 then
brought back the next morning and
counted in the polling place. The two
others were taken to the residences of
two of the candidates of the so-called
Democratic ticket and counted there.
At the county seat, Marion, the friends
of the other ticket were driven from the
town with threats of lynching.
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 threat
ened the 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.
Their actions since the day of election
have conclusively proven that they
meant what they said.
We can prove by many good, reliable
white witnesses that some of the can
didates and friends of the Democratic
ticket have said that they feared
neither God, Governor, President nor
the devil; that they were already into
the mire and could be no worse off to
see IT, all the way through.
We do not ask of your Excellency to
get possession of the offices, but to keep
the peace of the county and to protect
it's 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 the other ticket will
take the outrage to themselves and
right their own wrongs. The white
population realize that they must do
something to obtain just government
or leave the country, as continuance
of the outrages of the last week will
either result in an open rebellion
against them by the working people,
both white and cOlored, or in the whole
labor of the county leaving for some
place where they can work in peace
and have at least semblance of the
rights which belong to every freeman.
Such result would prove the totalruin
of this county, as it would not only
take the labor we already have away
from us, but it would prevent our get
ting labor from the outside, and our
crops will have to go ungathereds and
decay in the field. In fact, if this
course of self-constituted feudal gov.
eminent is to 60 undisturbed, it will
prove the ruin OF one of the finest coun-
ties in the State.
In addition to the outrageS already
mentioned comes the information that
the county officials are destroying the
SallOts as fast as they are brought in.
They say they will destroy the last
trace of their perfdy and defy the law
or Government stopping them. They
have sent out word to all who are not
their adherents that they must under
no circumstances come to the county
seat under pain of lynch law, as they
state they will not be interfered with.
This is an absurd threat, as we are
now fully four to one in the county and
could easily drive them into the Mis-
sissippi River, but we know that in
this great country of justice and right
eous government their only hope lies
in driving us to desperation in order
that we shall do something which shall
make us law-breakers like themselves,
but we are determined to exhaust every
means to have this great wrong and
outrage righted by law and justice in
stead of using the force which they are
trying to drive us to.
In addition to this We can get a Pc |
tition for you signed by more than two
thirds of the voters in the entire county. |
After understanding all this, we sim
cerely believe that your Excellency will |
turn listening ear to our petition, and |
20 far as consistent with your :nterpre-
5ation of the law of our State, comply |
whit his request, to the great benefit of |
4 suffering people.
Believing it and trusting to your
Justice, we sign ourselves, very obe-
iently your humble servants,
JOHN 81. WILLIAMS,
STEPHEN JAMES,
A. E. AUGUSTUS,
}. E. THOMPSON,
SAMUEL FINLEY,
L. B. BOOK, 4
Candidates on the Peoples ticket. Il