The Dickinson press., 1889-08-17
CONTESTED ELECTIONS.
Seventeen Congressional Seats
In Disputc-AH from South
ern Districts.
Republicans in Every Case the Com
plainants-Usual Charges-1n.
limitation and Fraud.
Evidence Of Western Ingenuity in the
Construction Of Fraudulent
Ballot Boxes.

WASHINGTON, Aug. l3.-Ihere 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 and Mississippi: two in Ala
bama, and one each in Indiana, South
Carolina, Maryland, Tennessee, Florida,
and Arkansas. There were two addi-
ticnal cases. swelling the total number
to nineteen, hut these have been with
drawn by the contestants.
One of the cases. which will furnish
the most sensational evidence is that of
WaIdell. DR.. Against Wise.
in the Third Virginia district. Waddell
SAYS in his letter preferring charges
against Wise that besides acts of intimi-
dation there was suppression Of votes by
ordinary means, which is the burden of
all the petitions of contest. Misses men
are charged with challenging ignorant
voters With silly questions to kill time,
liz which means but q few of the fepub-
. lie us were allowed to vote. as the COM
ing of SUI down closed the polls on
them. Waddell then held an i%ndepend-
eilt election at night, taking the votes of
these deprived of the privilege during
the day. This action was, of COURSE, il
figure in causing the seat to he given to
him. On the other hand Wise charges
Wnddeli's men with having circulated
bogus election tickets of the Democratic
partv. wiki the name of Wise ommitted,
thus Intending to deceive the voters.
~:'rumi.cd to Protect .Iuon,l,incrs
Tho sensational charge to be developed
and proven in til" case of Henry Bowen
VS.. John \. buchanan. of the Ninth Eir-
.,ilia district, is that the Democrats
promised to protect the illicit distillers
in thclr places of business i'll the noun.
famous regions if they would vote for
Buchanan. who received the majority of
the tickets cast.
In the case of K%ernaghan 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 We're
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 Sunkcn in n Lake
of the Second district have been sent to
tliS Guy, ana are no" awaiting exam
inat!on iy The committee. The attempt
to get rid Of them was due to the fact
that they contained evidence Of fraud.
Nmother interesting silent witness TIC
irregularities is an interesting looking
Tin box from "a Western state, which has
a rounded lii, and the opening into
which tickets can be dropped, can be
made very deceptive by being sur
rounded by a tin jacket which will al
low the ticket to enter the drop or fal
dowM its side unseen by the voter, ac
curling to the will OF the person deposit
ing tickets. These boxes will be brough
before the committee, and together will
tine balance of the mass of evidence will
!, have their weight in deciding the issue
Most of the "a ses alc ready for the com
, mittce ON election. the testimony havir,
, been printed.
\ In the Wise Waddell ease the testi
, mony covers l,Geo pages of %closel.
printed matter. and ON of the case
| will make 2,oA0 pages of printed testi
{ mony. The entire numbAr of cases will
$ embrace over 10000 pages of printc'
| matter for the committee to wad
through.