The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-02-21
soMEoF THIS 1e TRUE AND SOME OF
From the Philadelphia Press Republican,


ders of the State itself. The Repub
licans had not tenth part of these
resources.
Simmons second district, where
Cheatham ran, was the most trouble
some. 1t includes the "Black Belt"
But Simmons was elected in 1886. by
the candidacy of a second negro,
against his regular Republican oppo-
nent. That was the trick this year
The Democrats put up George Meb-
ane for the dummy paid him $4,000
(ostensibly for expenses of the great
privilege which he accorded them },
had an idea of counting Cheatham's
vote for Mebane, and hoped to return
Simmons again all right
But Mebane proved false to his inn
portant trust. He came before the
Republican State Committee one day
and offered to withdraw from the
fight if they would give him s2,50O
to defray the e.ex penses which he had
already incurred. Chairman .sEaves
consulted Lynn, and the reply was
sent back that the proposition was a
good one and worth putting into writ
ing. Mebane returned next day with
his written agreement, and the next
day for an answer. The third day he
visited the headquarters again xand
was moved almost to- saje tears at the
grief he felt that he should have made
such an offer, and wanted to Withdraw
it. He. was told that his agreement
had been set to. the Republican Ma
'tional committee in New York, and
that if he persisted in his candidacy
he would be published in hundred
ways and exposed to utter ridicule.
The next day Mebane announced his
withdrawal in the papers, He said
he wanted harmony in the party and
all that. but the Simmons men setAup
another dummy His anne was Nab.
son. They paid him 5000 for start
er, but the inference is that he put the
money in his pocket because he poll
ed 3 total of II votes on election day.
The idea Of eelecting Simmons in the
good. old fashioned way was reluc-
family abandoned, but other good,
old'fashiOned ways were resorted to.
HOW THE MACHINE WAS RUN.
When the slight. dark yonng man
first looked the State over he con-
eluded that the Stote could be carried
for Harrison, inasmuoh as the Har-
rison tide was almost full in the white
counties, if the vote could be counted
fairly after it had been cast without
intimidation. So he looked into the
election machinery. He learned that
in each precinct registrar and four
judges were the election officers, and
that under the State law these judges
were to be two Democrats ard two
Republicans That was good news.
But it r. NAMED to inquire how the
election officers were appointed.
Lynn discovered that a democratic
legislature selected democratic conn
ty commissioners, who selected the
election officers, who, Of course, were
always men to suit their every pur-
pose. Lynn directed all of the county
ch hairmen 10 make up lists of the
most reputable white men, two fol
each precinct, to be presented to the
COUNTY commissioners with the ire
,qusstthat The names Of the republi-
can Judges be taken from them and
them only. In almost all Of the
counties these lists were duly offered
! to the commissioners, but in not .
single county of the ninety six was
the request deferred to-. The ap-
pointments of Republicans, 50 called
were always made on the reconlnien
dations of the democratic chairman
IF they could make tool Of q ,coloree
man they picked him out. but thii
was not the commonest way Their,
were not many colored tools. TIL,
most satisfactory was to take a color
ed man who could neither read no
l write, or one who was either an invalit
/ or an idiot. i.ifl x = eSi'' -
EARLY in October the republican
county chairmen were correspondet
with for the lists of all the precinc
registrars and judges. These wer
cent in regularly and quickly an,
/ gave the name, address. politics an.
col.H Of each 0ficer, and added som
remarks about ,him, Over 600
Z ma ses were received and fled. i
j the list fir in Richmond c51nty. whic
lis typical enough. 1sixteen l6f I fh
i nams aad il, scoundreH lharke
against them ip, the remarks celuml
4 Now and then man was "honest,
sometimes he was simply "weak, an
i sometimes the astonishing differentiation
was voIchaaled that. he xas "nean .
h. A. perusal Of these lists pos
led the sligMY DARK youngfuSah aror
New York as to the true character {
the election officers and taught hil
that extreme precautions must be ha
to dossme honest Republican oonnt
HesisII ssSasSs ban asrs.soifa sr,asl
ri DETEcTVEsw WHO FARHD HARD. :
EA In order to be informed of the col
Hemplat&d ftauds In, the. worst Of Il
black counties, Lynn had set eixI d.
te<tives to work. They Jared vel
hasd- They rs.si SRI 33b0ezd ifssi' iffssis'
! lo{1isas 0esfarlneds sppens They We
J. caheht slose and ( fIhinel4l 4l k6d q
tWo or three ceees. aecQrdihK 10 tht
= own .tep p6Eta nfeal9reG1 % 9oT their =
D prayess-s RepS hlican ChaieGnan. TaRs
= too 1obeivo1 Doogeg s0f inoimidsoiG
sa Il ftis VT . ssfsIS}
,4xss.iI saiaslss7bgF ts.4Is.. -sfsk
lsoI rsx sssxsl< svos.asl " g