The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-11-29
The 9Th District.

!. CHRISTlANSBURG, A.. NOV. Ito, 1855 n
Editors Faiiey Virginidat:-I see in ii re-
cent issue OF ,ne IKGINIAN an article
exposing some of the Democratic methods
in Tie lUth alstr'ct. Their methods must
have heei the same all over The state. for
" hat yousssy Of them 1.-The 10th appiltS
TO them III our county.
Myown precinct. where | had an oppof-
tunllv oI eeing lrelf "plK, II Was slhp'y
disgusting 10 any justice loving cltlz7h VI
let him be Ds m0cfat
-, lsSnrhl,chn. and some of the more hor'
.o,abl,. Democrats here have openly de
non, cea ,her own methods on the day VI
election.
According TO their preconcertt arrange !
n.rI. they were To challenge every col
ord voter that they had not been abie 10
huv mn twh CHI was os a great numoei) or
~ 'ln,idate into voting the DemocIatlc
tiekat and when the polls opened on The
,.or,.Iuy of the election. they were on TIE
.y,onnds r,aly to carry out their p ans.
They nos ed one or Two of their men. one
an Zach side of the window, through which |
inc f,allots were to be passed, these were
backed by couple of their men ready 10
t.efpnd and do their bidding.
Every colored voter with but lew ex- |
cpptions. was challenged, some because !
they were said 10 not be old enough, "ieh |
If ,vas well known they had voted here be |
fore others because they dla not I'VE ~ VIC /
ureciuct when they had been living here |
and voting here for years. When they I
would challenge a voter on the pretence |
that he WAS not old enough. ne would DE |
sconpelled TO produce witnesses or eVi- |
'danca of some kind to attempt to establish
his age. TIE election law. as you We
know ure serioes an oath that-shall be ad-
ministered to voter, which, il he takes
qualities him to vote. bnt in no case WAS
Inc oath prescribed by law administered.
One f the judges--a majority or whom OF
course was Democratic-Would put the
following oath to The person oHeilng 10
vote: You shall true answers make 10
such Questions as may be asked YOU, so
help Won God." But even before ms oath
could he administered they would try
y4iiiiiI,ie!s modes OF ln''plua.ioa sum pn
risk. Its "a great risk TO sweat II
fwouldI'S run the risk if | We're you, Nc.
and if The man could be prevailed upon at
all by Ills Republican friends to take the
cath sicti as il was. then he would be set
upon by two or three lawyers. Doth ex tm-
lining and questioning MIN az once. III
order that they might confuse nun ana
obtain contradici DRY statement II posi-
bic.
Perhaps in the mean time would nave
a warrant issued for his arrest on charge
of false swearing. They would ARE st
them in order 10 make their plans OF ill.,
timidation more etfectual, only TO be re-
leased on the following day alter going
through sham trial. Some cases OF this
kind actually occurred. One case of in
timidation was that of a young colored
man who offered 10 vote, and whose vote
was immediately challenged b. cause they
said he was hot OF age. HIS mother Was
sent for, who came, and alter some Glme,
though with great difficulty amid threats
of run the llsk ''"m eli, l Wouldn' swear
If were you," &C.. made oath that her
son was born OH The l4th OF May. 1867,
which of course maCe him OF legal age.
This statement had been obtained at the
expense of considerable trouble on the
part of one of the Republicans who only
wanted to see fair play When the case
was thus made out, the Republican who
was proving up the age OF the voter was |
assaulted by one OF their Democratic |
workers and forclbiy taken from the |
polls. This scared the voter away until a I
warrant could be issued for his arrest,
which was promptly done, and he was |
held for his sham trial Oh the fOiioWlng |
day.
lar enes in some of which they even went
home and brought the family record to
prove Their age, but generally o no effect
There was one old colorOd man " no OF
fered to vote. and, whose. vote they .chal
lenged because, they SAID, he did not live
in The voting precinct. The oath that |
haze before referred TO was administered
and the lawyers began tn ply him WITH
questions as to how long, Ne: he bad oeen
living where he now lives. The old man
told them he moved 10 this. pre- cinct
year ago last October. Well, say the
Democratic. "woi kers," that settles IT;
came here in Octobt OF course you can
vote
1t is estimated that if we had been able
to prevent their lille gal voters from voting
ANA to vote ali Of our legal voters we
would have carried this precinct by good
majority. AS it. "as, however. they only
got :. mai ority of so at this precinct fo'
Cleveland, They carried il for him four
years ago by a majority OF 2l3. Nj.