The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-11-29
GIGANTIC FRAUDS.
What ProminentDemocr at Says About
the Corruption in Georgia.


the Corruption in Georgia.
The Atlantic Constitution, the principal
Democratic paper of Georgia. publishes the
following letter written by prominent
Democrat, the Hon. Seaborn Wright, of the
state7
For several years l have been a subject of
abuse by the politicians of my district. My
crime has been that l have denounced
political fraud and corruption, regardless
of the party or man that perpetrated it.
With the silence and seeming Indifference
of the Democratic press, the party, manlpu-
lated aad controlled by few men, Las gone
from bad to worse until its domination In
Georgia is an absolute disgrace to the civil
ization of the state. l said during the cam
paign-I repeat it nowhere is a miniature
Tammany Hall in every court house in
Georgia. In the name of Democracy they
control the people. hosting themselves into
Office with no fitness of heart or brain for
any trust.
The infapy of the Augusta election be
comes conspicuous by the daring holiness
of the men who controlled it, but in a less
degree frauds. destructive of the basic
principles of the government in almost
every county in the state are perpetrated.
l haverlived in Floyd county since MAN
hood The business men, farmers, me-
chanics, all the rank and file of her people.
are honest ard patriotic, and yet. with all
the election machinery in the hands OF
few political heelers they are as helpless as
lot of ten year old SC hool boys. | am no
partisan. 1 have largely lost faith in politl-
cal platforms, because, as a rule, they are
formulated by politicians who use thein
simply as a lever to office. do believe Win
all my heart in a free ballot ana Ialr
count. Everything OF any political value
to the American pepole depends upon an
absolute pure, untainted election.
Not then as partisan, but simply to
demonstrate what 1 already knew, 1
watched the election in Rome saw this.
Populist manager sworn in, and then
given a seat at the back of the court house.
thirty feet from the ballot boxes over
which the Democratic managers alone pre-
sided, and then the farce began.
There were two ballot boxes, one for bond
votes. / saw an open ticket for DR.. W. H.
FELTON, handed the mnager of the bond box.
Int cad of handing it back to the voter and
directing him to the proper box. 1t was
quietly deposited in the bond box. l had
this ticket taken out and myself directed
the voter to the proper box. @
] saw as reputable gentleman as Mi. B.
f. Camp deposit his ticket for FELTON, by
mistake in the wrong box. and was refused
the privilege of voting for Mr.. FELTON, in
the ploper box. 't+ss
saw such men as Green r. Dukes re-
fused the privilege of voting for FELTON, be-
caue he was not registered. | then saw
such men as John Boggs, William O'Neal,
John Il. Patterson and many others vote
for Maddox without being registered. and
with no protest from the managers.
I saw dozens of negro men come to the
polls to vote for FELTON,. ! saw their votes
openly purchased for Maddox with
| twenty-five cent ticket to a barbecue just
| across the street from the court house.
| saw the keeper of the Floyd county poor
house bI ing to the polls his inmates, who
had never paid tax or had brains enough
to register, and vote them for Maddox with
no protest from the managers.
| The majority for John ". Maddox in
| Floyd county was 1900, the bulk of his
majority in the district.
! ! am no Populist, l have twice refused
| their nomination for Congress when my
| election was assured, simply because could
not endorse their demands.
But they are entitled, as any other party
in Georgia is entitled, to an honest election.
The man who denies it has not an element
| of honesty OF a drop of patriotic blood in
him.
The danger that confronts the people OF
Georgia from corrupt elections is not imagi-
| nary-it is immensely real.
pray God for a spirit of independence in
Georgia that will sweep from power politi-
cal montebanks who have disgraced the
| state.
| The Constitution has began the fight for
! pure elections. viii it keep 1t up? No
| spasmodic effort will accomplish reform.
| The men who have controlled The machinery
of he Democratic party will not readily
submit to the enactment of law that viii
surl them from power.
You make a biz demand when you ask the
| average Office holder to cut his own throat
Four years ago the rallying cry OF the
Democracy WAS down with the infamou-
election laws!" They were repealed, but as
sure AS you and live to the end of this
century we will see them reenacted with
double power. If the states themselves dc
not purify their ballot boxes. had rather
d thousand times see the weak and strong
alike surrounded by fedeIai DhYohets AT the
| polls than the weak swindled and defrauded
By the strong OF the priceless ri gifts of free
| men.
speak strongly on this subject because
feel it, and feel it the stronger because OF
what has been the shameless indifference
of the Democratic press OF Georgia.
Strike Tor an election law in Georgia that
viii guarantee not only free vote, but an
honest count-a law that will give to every
party Offering a candidate for office man.
ager at the polls-a law that will make
every registrar ineligible to office and the
list free at all times to public inspection.