The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-09-28

THE ARKANSAS FRAvD&
New u. Wm = t1s r,.ps. We -
Aside b. Law-DssyAag Dsnesrsss.
Ed Sanders, candidate for the ONCE
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 200. yet tho
minority, controlling tho election ma
chinery, has counted . majority Of
1.45O for the Democratic ticket. Al
Hopefield 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 polling-place but
two in the entire county. These clerks
kept record Of every ballot cast for
the Peoples ticket, and the evidence
was obtained that the majority was
overwhelming for the Peoples tlsket
Most Of these nominees on the PEG.
pies ticket were Democrats, but they
believed in 50 free ballot and fair
count. and the Republicans gave them
their support
In Crittenden an old cOlored man
named Royster 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. Ono (the d..
legged Democratic) was nominated BY few
men ~ Marion, Ark. our county seat: the other
was nominated BY the dissatisfied members Of
the Democratic party and the Republicans se
the county. Tho candidates on the former
ticket were four Of them Republicans, and
only turned in order to get these n0mina-
tionS. ~ they had lost all hope Of . nomination
on their own ticket The majority Of the lat
tor ticket IL made up Of stanch old Demo
Gratis who arc to-day and always haze boon
such. The ticket IL IN entirely order.loving
one. Our present sheriff, w. +. Werner, WAS
the candidate on the first.named ticket for 70.
election. The statutes Of Arkansas command
that tho county court shall appoint three
Judges for cash election precinct;' that m case
the court fails to mako the appointments the
sheriff shall make them; he shall nx tbs place
of holding election, and shall issue his proslA-
nation ss least twenty days before the day Of
~ 49, "a =. n O.
Werner il1ned his pr00lsfnatfon to the election
precincts. the county of,oiais appoin8l
Judges from :heir own friends, wholly end no
one knew who the jddges were TO b exostt
some few Of the friends OF the former ticket
At the closing OF the polls election night thu
People's boxes hsA certainly. IS can b proven,
polled three-fourths Of the votes deposited in
the ballot boxes In I'll but two precincts In
tho county the tickets and returns were coz.
ried/t0 the county cserk's o1ace in overcOat
pockets. saddle-bsgs. and ballot-boxss loosa,
and not rs provided by law. in sealed envsL
opes. In 1t least three precincts in tho county
the votes wore not counted, ~ provided "
law ut the closing Of the polls, but were taken
away from the polling places at night and enc
Of them kept over night in the house Of one Of
the judges and brought back the next morniag
end counted in the polling-plsce. The two 9th
srS were taken TO tho residence Of two Of the
Candidates of the so-celled Democratic ticket
and counted thers ~ tse county seat-Msrion.
me friends OF the osher ticket were driven
from the town with thsssts a iynehing.
In ono 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
tho candidates on the Democratic ticket
warned the colored people and threatened 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. We do
not ask Of your Excellency to get possession Of
the onices, but TO keep the peace Of the county
and to protect its lsw-abiding citizens. II 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 them-
selves and right their own wrongs. Tho white
population realize that they must do some.
thing to obtain just government or leave tho
country. as . continuance Of the ootrsges Of
the last week will result in IN open rebellion
against them by the working people. both white
and colored
Word has been sent to all who sre not tho
adherents o, the Democratic ticket that they
must under NO circumstances como to tho
county seat under pain Of lynch law, a., they
state they will not b interfored with. In ad-
dition to the outrages already mentioned comes
the information that the county oflcials arc
destroying the ballots - fast - they arc
brought in. They say that We shall do some.
thing which shall make u law-breakers like
themselves, but We arc determined TO exhaust
every means TO have this great wrong and out
rage righted by law and justice instead OF using
the force which they are trying to drive us "a.