The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-26
SOME ALABAMA FRAUDS.
The Corruption by Which McDufiie Was De-
feated for Congress.

feated for Congress.
Washington Special.
A document that will cut a big figure
in the campaien this year is the report
now prepared for the Republican minority Of
the committee On elections in the contested
election case of j. v. McDu6ie against A. g.
Davidson. Of tho Fourth Alabama district. It
was prepared by Mr. Rowell. OF Illinois, and
Henry Cabot Lodge, of Massachusetts and dis
plays the legal ability of the former and the
literary talent of the latter II is probably
being made with the view of using it during the
campaign to show the character of elections in
Alabama. It displays record of fraud, founded
entirely npon the evidence submitted, that
would put the Columbus and INDIANAPOLIS cleo
ton crooks to shame on account OF the weakness
and puerility OF their own efforts at changing
the result of election,
j. E. McDufie was an Illinois boy He went
into thu army, but after the settled in
Lowndes county, Alabama, whore he was twelve
years probate judge. From this Office he
finally ousted by being counted out after the
polls closed In 1886 he the Republican
candidate for Congress A G. Davidson was the
Democratic, while a negro named Turner was
put up by the Democrats as a dummy candi-
date to draw co.ored votes away from McDuf6e.
The district is naturally Republican by Il, 600
majority. It is the black district of Alabama,
made to mass the negro vote but no Repuo-
lican has bsen returned as elected. On two oc-
casions Democrats declared elected were unseat-
OF account of gross frauds In those cases the
colored people were buldozed and not allowed
to vote.
When McDufie became the candida te the plan
was changed. All persons who desired were al
lowed u vote but in tho count the figures were
iuegled so that Davidson was returned as
elected by 400 in district having q Republic
an majority Of IA 900. Scores of witnesses
swore that they gave McDuffe ballots to voters
and saw them placed ia the box. In some cases
several hundred ballots were known to have
been deposited, bnt when the returns were made
he was only given fifteen twenty. All over
the district this work was done. The sworn
testimony of e. D. Morrill, Was that S. D. Black.
Mayor of Snow Hill. Wilcox county, said in q
public speech that any man who Was too re-
ligious. too conscientious or too scrupuious to
nut his hand down into ballot-box, and, il he
did not find Democratic majority would not
put it there too religious, too conscientious
and too scrupulous to be probate judge OF
Wilcox county," and Colonel Gsilord. decent
Democrat. running for probate judge at that
election was defeated because he opposed tia
methods advocated by Black
On this testimony the Republicans ask that
Davidson be unseated and McDufie be given
his place. They show that the system of fraud
was carried on in every county in the district
except Lowndes. The returns from those
counties do not, therefore, show the true
suit The returns from Lowndes arc correct.
and as they give McDuf6e 500 majority it is
insisted that he should be seated. The reports
OF the majority and minority will probably DO
submitted tomorrow.