The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-09-16
THE ARKANSAS ELECTION.

1t may have been noticed that in Ar
kansas, as before in Alabama, the claim
is made that considerable portion of
the Democratic majority was secured in
the so-called black counties. There is
an attempt to convey the impression, in
both instances, that there have been
wholesale conversions of negroes to the
Democratic side and that this circum-
stance explains the phenomenon of
heavy Democratic majorities in negro
counties. The truth, however, is that
the reported results are secured by fraud
and that the black counties are selected
for manipulation because the election
conspirators are safer there from detec-
ton by the white voters who constitute
the Alliance party. In Alabama, it will
be remembered, the frauds were con-
Quoted so recklessly that in more than
one instance the majority reported for
the Democratic candidate was larger
than the entire registered vote.
In Arkansas the instrument of fraud
was an imitation of the Australian bal
lot system, ingeniously contrived to
strengthen the hands of the party con-
trolling the election machinery. This
system starts with State Board of
three Commissioners, all of whom are
Democrats, viz: the Governor, Auditor
and Secretary of State. This board APP
points three Election Commissions in
every county. The law provides that
these Election Commissioners shall not
all be of one party, but no penalty is pro-
vided for making up the boards solidly
partisan. In some instances an appar-
ent compliance with, but real evasion of
the law has been arranged by the APP
INOin tn1n11t Of and IIIItar-
ata negro nc tho Republican representa-
tive. The Republican County Commit
tee has in all cases recommended suita-
BILE representatives of the party, but in
no instance have the men thus recon-
mended been appointed. For example,
in Jefferson, the second largest county
in the State, where there is a Republican
majority of over $500, the election Com
missioner appointed as Republican was
a negro, who can neither read nor write
and who keeps low whiskey dive, and
who in the recent election supported the
Democratic ticket. The same trick is
carried into the appointment of election
Judges IN each precinct. These judges
are three in number and are appointed
by the county boards. In all cases the
men recommended by the Republican
County Committee were ignored and il
literate negroes were appointed as Re-
publican representatives. There was a
double motive for this trick. In the first
place, these negroes, being unable to
either read or write, were helpless
against any fraud undertaken in count
ing and checking the ballots. In the
second place, these negroes were unable
to render the assistance to illiterate
voters provided for in the law, and con-
sequently the ballot of every voter who
could not read was marked for him by
two Democratic inspectors.
With these explanations in mind, there
is no occasion for surprise when large
Democratic majorities are reported from
the negro counties. Majorities of any
required size can be rolled up under
this system. But the white Democrats
who have connected themselves with the
Alliance movement will not be content
always to be cheated by these familiar
devices, even though when they were af-
filiated with the Democracy they winked
at them when practised against the Re-
publicans. What President Harrison de-
scribes as the echo of the Republican
battle cry for a free ballot and fair
count will be heard IN deepening vol
ume from the States where such crimes
are perpetrated. Division of the white
vote will sooner or later compel an hon
est ballot.-BostOn Journal.