Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1890-11-15
CONGRESSMAN ] NJ LANGSTON IN
RICHMOND.
He Speaks Concerning His Defeat -
An Interesting Interview - Elec-
tiOn Methods in His District -
How He Views the Situation.


In reply to the query as TO the
couditlon in his District he said, |
e. carried the District by 5000
majority. a.! kinds oi fraud was
resorUed TO in order to beat me-
The white Republican leaders COM
biued with the Democrats against
me. Malone was aided by Brady.
The latter used the influence of his
office throughout the District to
bring about my defeat.
To the query as to the cause, he
replied that Collector Brady had
none. He (Langston) had treated
him right, and he knew of no other
reason than possibly his color.
What was thenature of the fraud
practiced
FRAUD IN THE DISTRICT.
They refused To open the polls.
In the First Precinct of the First
Ward and the Sixth Ward, Peters
burg where my heaviest vote was
there was absolutely no election. In
the Sixth Ward A. j. Smith, most
estimable young man requested the
registrar to allow him TO copy the
books. To this the registrar replied
that he did not have time to allow
him to copy them in his presence, he
might take them away, copy and
then return them.
Smith copied them, but when he
attempted to return them to the
registrar, he refused TO receive them
He resigned rather than SO to do.
This was done also in the First
Ward
On election day the election could
not be proceeded with on account OF
the registrars action. Later, under
in struction from Democratic head
quarters the election was proceeded
with under protest.
Long lines of voters wrre left
standing in line all day and were not
voted. l had 500 votes in the
Sixth Ward alone which were not
pooled.
CAUGHT IN THE ACT.
Another method of fraud was to
throw all of the tickets in a ballot
box on a table. My tickets and the
Democratic tickets were put up in
packages of % with rubber around
them.
The Democrats would deliberate
ly take bundles of my tickets away
and substitute Democratic tickets
therefor. One of the United States
Supervisors saw Democrat do this
He charged him with it. That Ii
not the same package OF ticket:
which were on this table. TAX,
those Langston tickets out of you
pocket. The Democrat declared
that he did not have any tickets il
his pocket. The Supervisor still in
sisted. The Democrat then put hi
handkerchief in his pocket, covere,
the package of tickets and endea
vored to slip them out.
The Supervisor caught his hand
felt the tickets i'll the handkerchit
and had all of the Judges so to dc
This case has been reported to tn
chief supervisor.
Intimidation was also resOrted tC
Pistols were put to mems heads an
they were made to sign returns
These frauds extended all throug
the District. They would chang
the figures, transferring my vote I
the Democratic candidate and vic
versa.
COL. BRADY's PERFIDY.
The only white man in Mr. Brady
office, who voted for me was Mr..
c. Clarke, and they put the Grape c
his door, soaring his wife nearly
death. He stood the Ostracis
against them ala most estimah
gentleman. / shall thoroughly vent
late these outreges.
Nha.t do YOU think was the eau
of the recent Republican defeat?
The passage OF the Mckinley Tar
Bill when they should have pass,
the Federal Elections Bill The d
agreements between the Republic;
leaders, the failure to pass the Bla
Educational Bill.
think the defeat will unity the T
publican Party and viii bring 81
oess in 1892. "WiIl you remain
the 4th District, Mr.. LangstOn?'
Yes, ! shall remain there. Virgin
is nay home. l shall be a candida
for Congress in '92, if the people
sire me. | expect to purchase fai
in the District and remain.
NO HELP FROM THE COMMITTEE.
No, was not given one cent
aid me in my canvass in the Distr
by the National Congressional 1
trict Committee. l managed
economically and it did not G
me more than $4,000. No | '
not asked to retire and all
g. compromise white man to
nominated. "Who do you tn
will be the Democratic nominee
'02"
81 think as between Cleveland {
Hill. Cleveland will be the m
Our political salvation rests in
passage of the Federal Election
and we should take immediate st
to bring this about" The time b
4 4 4 l.. ~,