New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-07
SEATS HELD BY FRAUD.
rFsr1FY1NG IN SOME OF THE PENDING
HOUSE CONTESTS.
THE WORK BEFORE THE ELECTIONS COMMITTEE
TYPICAL DEMOCRATIC METHODS
IN MARYLAND.


in five upon which the committee is to MAKE
mn its verdict. As the committee-the majority oil IL
AT lcast-unlke the author of the latest Dehoo'a'o
address 70 the country and unlike the omhs'io"
editors of Mugwump and Democratic newspapers
Ends il necessary to sift and weigh the voluihous
testimony carefully in each case as well as 10 eA"
the law and precedents applicable to IT, 'iic
diligence and industry will be required to BRING Io"a"
and dispose of all the cases before the emu VI ''0
session This is the task which the commune 10
set for itself and which it hopes to accomplish Inv
oral arguments in the last case set fOr d Hea,',S
NJ Goodrich against Bullock, of Florlda-Wlh DC SUI"
mtted on April l. In the meantime u Is eApoo'ou '
10th the committee and the House Will dispose Oh uie
FIVE cases already argued, and three otler o'Sos "
arc to be argued before February 20 AMONG Vho'.
is one case that resembles Smith against Jdchso' Vi
West Virginia which has already been ueclueu Nv uc
Uopse If may be remembered that snnth was ee'lcu
according 70 the original returns certified to the Gov
orror and that that accommodating Democratic
official in aid and furtherance of the desperate Demo
cratic conspiracy to steal the House. issued cer'h-
cate 10 Jackson violation of both law ana common
sense.
From, like motives the Democratic Governor Of
MARYLAND issued certificate of election To Compton
the Democratic candidate in the With District of that
state. despite the fact that Mudd had received a
majority of three votes, according to the orlgha
returns This unjust and unlawful act compelled
the victorious candidate to institute and maintain
before the House contest for the seat which right
fnllv belongs TO him. In other words the burden OK
rroof rests upon him instead of upon Compton, where
il belongs.
Possession is nine points" and besides, the con-
testee in the case before the House always enjoys
recuIar advantages which the contestant cannon
have In the pending case the committee VIII DC
tuuv iustifei by precedent. as well by principles
of equity, in reversing the apparent status OF 'he
parties TO the contest and treating the nominal con
testee as the actual contestant That the committee
will 20 into the whole and sift 1t to the bottom
IS foregone conclusion, and the result VIII De suoh
an exposure Of Democratic election methods III mary
land AS ought greatly 10 strengthen the cause OF
ballot reform in that state. one Of the laNoH'e
devices to cheat Republican electors out OF their votes
s,neas according TO the testimony. to be the manipu-
ation Of the registration and poll lists IhuS george
Washington smith, Of No. 143 Henrietta'St' h"Iu-
more appeared on the registration lists "a ""c"ree
~ smith Of the same street and number, ana ne
vas not allowed 10 vote; George H. Lutsche' VINO
had lived and voted in the same precinct JOY elEn'
vearS was denied the right 10 vote because nj name
onpeared As plain George Lutsche, despite inc i"o'
that he was personally known to one OF 'he on'''N
NJ election. one other case out OF large hui'poi
80 tho same sort respecting which uncontradicted
testimony is offered by Mr. Mudd. is that OF A. W,
Herman Miller. of Huntsville, whose name "PP'"i'a
g. 4 " Herman Miller on the registration hooh VI
the Huntsville precinct, in which Mr. Muller has h>
for more than twelve years. lie i an ll''eAeo''
citizen Of German birth who became ha'urdIl@e" o''
years ago. Mr. Muller's testimony IN part was d
follows
Did you 20 up to vote this year,
wen. what happened Please state what occurred. -.
.topued up 70 the window and handed my tche' 10 '
.eing iudpe Nh McCay; he took my ticket ana som,
- il, tbera said; 'He is all right" because theV q"
knew that voted there, and they looked over N -
ard coud not ind my name, and they said; your name
a not here YOU cannot vote" answered i NoOtu
NOuli not
on,d there for some time there were three OF them ID
there that said was not on the book 30 '
away from the window when iouhu cou'u"
-, tvontv minutes afterward stepped up again anu
nj name ought 10 be there because voted 'hree
60 hto-e This election" They said: at IS no use
@ Ginning nm here your name IS not on the books" ana
then went away.
DID the people in the window know youi
Yes. sir - ao,,r;,..d
cases like this in which Republicans were ueprl'eu
~ fbeir votes by the dishonesty or the cTlnhal mes
urence OF registration officers which was 'aNe, ~" ~,
vantage Of by Democratic election Judges, H'ie' -
cited nv the score. In other cases where lepuDi'"
offered 10 vote they refused on the ground ''a'
somebody else had already voted on Their names u
eeers 10 have been rather common tricK al some
nrecincs where the officers were in chaTGe OF inc pm
hooks 10 place a check mark against the hdn0 W
Penublican when Democrat voted. Ihls soileu"e'
led TO a result which would nave cau9eu en-
barrassment 10 almost anybody except southern
Democrat Take for example, the case OF Johh H.
Smith Of Charles County Mr.. smith was properly
registered and il would not do to say that MS "'o
couId not be found upon the pollbooh'' III .1"I
land voters are classified on the registration anu poi
hook, according to color John H. smith Is man u
color Living and voting in the same precinct was
John schmidt, a white man. Mr.. Schhhut "cHt -
the poll, carly in the day and deposited MS Dd""''
At a late hour appeared John H. ohiIh' WIN o"1''-
his ballot, which was refused on inc ei'u"u Inv
:. .,p,ebody had already voted on uhat haIEe' l"o
somebody" it aftcrward learned was ooi''
schmidt In this case a Democratic election omcer
seemed 10 have been cooIbhnd a. well as Dhho 10 'o
tecbnicality so often used % prevent Republicans
from voting On account either Of the absence OF pres
euce Of an initial letter in their names a. IcEIsIu
II was truly generous, IN one SENSE loi '"o e''
officers 70 charge the vote Of John schmidt "'e' anu
patu,alized German, to John IL. smith, ndu'e-Dorh
and colnred sill John H. smith objected, inasmuch
a. he was not allowed to vote eltAcf u'iuci Ni' '"'
name or that Of John schmidt, white 49,.
But the Democrats evidently feared that cie'Une
alone would save Compton, VINO was u'PoP'p' -
certain parts Of the dstricLe'em intimidation at
ClevelanG-and 80 they rcsOrtcd To- open num- &r,mdrI
TIE polls The hrst precinct ,!, IL ac ApI i" the
registration, by thirty TO forty na!o'aH and 10
Der OF REGISTERED voters j. 40 30 WHItc9 an" -
Gigbesu was 2O6-i0i White - oOlored Compton
vote lO- MuGd's vote, - COmptOns apltuc"' t
OF baltimore rouehs,7 desperate, well armed ana as
playing badges and representing ucm'elEc' =" ,bc
ground. and with ai1ucncc Of praiaIlty lhioIhcu
Inc cOlOrcd men, more tlan 100 OF whom were Maluhs
H. depo-t their ballots FOR the Republican candidate,
that 40 blank Niger shall vote mere OdaN." SeV-
eraI co0red men attempted 10 disregard the III
tinctiou we're assaulted and hustled from the polls
rcvoycrs were freely displayed, and IT discovered
mai A wagon which had been driven near the polls
~ a u,rv oil strangers bore Winchester rifle part
y; II. freight To such cOgent and powerful Compton
arguments the peaceful colorcd Republicans, Who were
r5rnd nrlv with ballots, were unable 10 reply and
mr"t OF them regarded the enthusiastic
~ demonstration hint for them
~ ,"iirc from the neld "a speedily posi-
70 te,r remained, however, and from time 10
Dr. IN tho cour,e Of the day first and then an
other Of them trled 70 vote 6u wa driven away BY
td ylsnces toward the Winchester laden wagon
The Contestant offers in evidence the testimony Of
ince ,1scd who heard the threats OF the despcradocS
tpho composed Comptons missionary bands at that