The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1893-11-30
Number IL.
Alleged Voting IN Vuenla.

j
Mr.. Beverly. brother Of the candi.
date on the Populist ticket for gov
ernor in the state of Virginia. writes
the Nonconformist the following state
ment, descriptive of the way the
| counting was done ut his home pre-
clnct:
In Virginia the election is conduct
ed b.; five men in the polling room
three judges and two clerks. Four
out OF the five men are all of one po-
Iitical party. namely. Democratic.
These judges are chosen hv an elcc-
toral board, which Is composed OF
three men. all Democrats. in each
county. The one Republican Judge
or Populist judge is usually Y selected
purro>ciy to be very weak or cor
rupt man.
Now we have the Cards stocked. let
us see how they are played The first
action of the judges is TO forbid anv
vo.cr to stand within fifteen feet of
the polls This is contrary To- law. bu:
the judges law on election day is su-
preme, they having the power To ar
rest amy one on any trumprd-up
charge Of intimidation The voting
goes on. The jadscs (all except the
Republican, who is made to receive
and deposit. the hal!ots) spends three
fOurths Of their time Oh the outside Of
the polls clectionccrng Along about
| or Q clock the polls, which, by the
way, arc held in an old vacant house
or granarv, are closed The Judges
go to dinner, leaving the ballot box
with the ballots in it IN the polling
room, and sometimes a man is secret
ed in Il closet or attic, WHO comes out
while the Judges are dining a:d slips
all the Populist ballots out. subs itu,-
ing Democratic ballots for each one
from his well->uppled pockets. The
people protest against the polls being
closed. as there Is no provision in tLc
law for it, but the law of .he Judge is
supreme. The Judges return; the yc,-
ing goes on. Each Democratic VOTER
is usually given drink or two az
whisky after he votes, Sub rosa. .s
the law is very strict On yivin" AWAY
and selling llI"cr on election oav. but
it is universally evadeu. sundown
the polls arc closed, and now for ,h,
inside practical workings of this par-
tisan law. After the polls are cIus.,,
the ballot box is opened ant. found ,o
have been stuffed, containing seven
teen more ballots than the clerks had
names OF voters who had voted Tne
law provides III cases of this kind That
one of the judges shall bc blind foId-
ed and draw out the excess of ballo,s
from the box. Instead the Democratic
Judge is blindfol'lco, and having care.
fully felt both tickets beforehand, with
his eyes shut. now takes his time
carefully ieelin. and picking unit! he
gets out seventeen PopuIist tickets.
The Republican judge protests but he
is ignored. an inc seventeen tickets
destroyed. 4 talicy Is KEEP, outside
during the day, and The seventeen
tickets traudulcntIy put in the box are
proven to bc Democratic, and they
have picked out seventeen rupui,sr
ballots which were legally voted. The
count gives the Democrats thirty four
more votes ut this precinct than tliey
are entitled To.
At another precinct the ballot box
was kept entirely ont ot sight during
The day and no one c,.u!d see whether
his ballot was put in the box or not.
| Is there any wonder that U'Ecrrall
Is counted i'll? Ii any charges ale
preferred they are brought up before,
probably. Il packed Democratic jur,
to he tried by Il Democratic common
wealth attorney. before IA Democratic lc
Judge, and tcchHicalitics are abu,nl-
antly found To promptly wh:tcwasil
the whole affair
ROBERT BEVERLY, Jr-
Loyds, Essex Co, Va. Nov. 10.