The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-20
ELECTIONS In THE SOUTH
SOUTHERN REPUBLICANS BEFORE
a HOUSE COMMITTEE.

Ex-Congressman John R. Lynch Tells
OF Some of the Alleged Tricks Re
sorted To by the Democrats In Mis-
sissippi-Stuflng the Ballot-Box Said
to be the Favorite Plan.
WASHINGTON, Feb. I9.-The House conf
mittee on the election of President and Vice
President to-day heard arguments from
John r. Lynch Of Mississippi, and F. II.
Threet of Alabama, both colored, and
Edgar Allen and B. F. McCue, both white,
of Virginia on the subject of the necessity,
which they alleged existed, for federal
election laws in their respective states.
Lynch was the first to address the COM
mittee. He said he wanted to call attention
to some of the improper methods prevailing
in Mississippi in the conduct of elections
that had come under his personal observa-
/ ton. he said there was a much larger
number of colored voters in Mississippi
than white voters, probably 10000 to 10000
more. One-thtrd of the white voters are
republicans, aud one-tenth Of the negroes
voted the democratic ticket, and yet, he
said, the state can always be relied upon to
return democratic majority. He then
related different methods by which he as
serted these results were accomplished.
THE FAvoRITE WAY.
The method generally adopted was TO
change the ballots. Some time during the
afternoon of election day, he said, the cleo
tion officers would conclude to take recess
for dinner, or for some other purpose. The
officers then separated, he said, the demo-
| Gratis taking the ballot-box and tho repub-
| hcans the key to the same. Then the demo-
/ Gratis wnulH phanU0 EaUpral hundred Uotaa
and when voting finally closed for the day
and the votes we're counted 1t would be
| found that the democrats had majority.
| There was one instance (when he was a
candidate for congress) where he had extra
| precautions taken for securing an
accurate return of the votes at q
certain polling place and he had the
republican supervisor tally the vote as it
| came in. This tally gave him q majority
of $50, while the regular returns gave the
usual democratic majority. He mentioned
several other methods by which, he said.
democratic majorities were returned,
among them being rejection Of the returns
for some trihing irregularity, failure to
| hold elections in some precincts for some
trivial cause, and the formation of election
| precincts in such Il manner as to prevent
the republicans from voting on account of
the large number Of voters in the precinct.
A CHANGE DEMANDED.
The country demanded, he insisted, some
| relief from this state of affairs, and
although a federal election law would not
be panacea for all the Ills that exist with
honest judicial officers it would help great
| deal.
He next addressed the committee, Begin
ming by saying that In his opinion congress
ought to pass some law by which people in
| Alabama could be protected in their voting
As it was now elections there were controlled
by one party. In his (First) district they had
not had a fair election in the black coun-
ties since 1872 He said that at the demo-
cratic primaries nobody participated but
| qualified democratic voters, and this pri-
mary election, where candidates we're
chosen, really settled the congressional
elections, which were nothing short Of a
| farce and disgrace and dishonor to the
country. There we're democrats there who
| did not endorse these frauds, but they were
| powerless to help themselves in the matter
Allen, the next speaker said that although
| the throwing out Of election precincts was
common in Virginia, there were other
fraudulent methods practiced for counting
out the republican vote. Among these was
| that of sending man with list of persons
who had been convicted by some court
into another district as an
election officer, and then when
person wanted to vote the list was
scanned and if his name was found thereon
his vote was challenged. II federal cleo
| tion law was not feasible Allen thought
that the federal courts should be clothed
with authority to act promptly on technical
violations Of the law coming before them.
McCue also told Of the election laws in
Virginia