Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1889-08-16
CONTESTED ELECTIONS.
Seventeen Congressional Seat,
ini Dlspute-All from South.
ern Districts.
Republicans In Every Case the Com
plainants-Usual Charges-1n.
timidation and Fraud.
Evidence Of Western Ingenuity in til
Construction of Fraudulent
Ballot Boxes.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12.-There are
seventeen contested election cases await
ing the action of the next congress, all
Of which have been brought by Republi-
cans. OF this number three are located
in each of the states of Virginia, West
Virginia aud Mississippi: two in Ala
bama, and one each in Indiana, South
Carolina, Maryland, Tennessee, Florida,
and Arkansas. There were two addi-
tional cases, swelling the total number
to nineteen, hut these have been with
drawn by the contestants.
One of tile cases, which will furnish
the most sensational evidence is that of
Waddell, Jr., Against Wise.
in the Third Virginia district. Waddell
says in his letter preferring charges
against Wise that besides acts of intimi-
ordinary means, which is the burden of
are charged with challenging ignorant
by which means but a few of the Repub-
Lie ms were allowed to vote. as the com
ing of sun.down closed the polls on
|
ent election at night, taking the votes of
those deprived of the privilege during
the day. This action was, Of coursa, il
legal, and the results got from it cannot
figure in causing the seat to be given to
him. On the other hand Wise charges
WaddelHs men with having circulated
bogus election tickets of the Democratic
party, with the name of Wise ommitted,
thus intending to deceive the voters.
Promised to Protect nIoonshiners.
The sensational charge to be developed
and proven in the case of Henry Bowen
vs.. John A. Buchanan, of the Ninth Vir-
ginia district, is that the Democrats
promised to protect the illicit distillers
in their places of business in the noun.
famous regions if they would vote for
Buchanan, who received the majority OF
the tickets cast.
In the case Of Kernaghan vs. Hooper,
of the Seventh Mississippi district, in
the language of the contestee, ''every.
thing is alleged except seduction"
The charges in all the other cases were
very uniform, and include intimidation
purchase and suppression of votes. The
testimony is very verbose, and in the
case of Goodrich vs.. Bullock. of Florida
two boxes of tickets which
Were SunIsen in a Lake
OF the Second district have been sent tc
this city, and are now awaiting exam.
ination by the committee. The attempt
to get rid of them was due to the fac,
that they contained evidence of fraud
Another interesting silent witness te
irregularities is an interesting looking
tin box from a Western state, which has
q rounded lid, and the opening into
which tickets can be dropped, can be
made very deceptive by being sur.
rounded by tin jacket which will al
low the ticket to enter the drop or fall
down its side unseen by the voter, &C
cording to the will of the person deposit.
ing tickets. These boxes will be brought
before the committee, and together with
the balance of the mass of evidence will
! have their weight in deciding the issue
Most of the cases are ready for the com
| mittee on election, the testimony having
been printed.
In the Wise-Waddeli case the testi
mony covers 1900 pages of closely
printed matter, and some of the cases
will make 1000 pages of printed testi-
mony. The entire number of cases vii
embrace over 20,U00 pages of printed
| matter for the committee to wade
through.