The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-02-04
OATH or ELECTION OFFICERS


Code of Virginia, section lis, provides
that "beiorc any judge or clerk OF
election enters upon the performance
of any Of the duties imposed upon him
by law he shall take and subscribe an
oath In the following form-to-wit;
I(A.B.), Judge Tor clerk of the cleo
lion, do s0lemnly swear that Will per-
form the duties Of judge Tor clerk OF
the election according TO Law and the
best Of my ability, and that l VIII
studiOusly endeayor TO prevent fraud,
deceit, aud abuse in conducting this
election. SO help me God.
From the end Of the days OF recon-
suuction until the election i'm the fall
Of 1873 0he McCunoch debt settlement
election the county OF Henrico was
vc-y close county as between Democrats
and Republicans. The Republicans car
ried IL through iu 1879. and IL was from
that time until 1883 a Republican county,
giving "a Republican majority I'm each
election. Mckinney carried II. however,
ira 1850 over Malone. by - votes and 81
went for Cleveland in 1892. But, TO the
surprise of every one. 10 gave majority
on the 1th OF November last for O'Ferral
OF over 900.
This very surprising Democratic ma
iorlty in "a county that had so recently
been decidedly Republican reused the
attention of the Times. and. in looking
into the vote in detail, the first thing
that arrested its interest was the vote at
smithers Store precinct. The Democfa-
sic vote al that precinct for Mr.. CleFe-
land i'm 1SS4. was lgl, and for Governor
ice. i'm $3.50. was l15. and for Mr.. Cleve-
land. I'm 1855. was III This the Times
felt warranted i'm supposlng to be about
the Democratic vote at that precinct.
TO its establishment, however, II found
that the vote at that precinct for OFFER
flU last November was ass. The Times
thought this very amazing growth
l, the Democratic vote there, especially
as it had no reason TO believe that there
had been any very considerable IN
crease of Democrats in that neighoor-
hood The Times thought therefore lhal
this was a precinct TO be crlucaHy looh-
ga into, and it has done so, ana inns
morning Jays the result of its inNesuga-
ton before its readers.
The Two Books.
To understand what follows. the differ
ence between the registration book ana
the poll book must be clearly understood
The registration book SIS the book upon
which am the votes at precinct are
recorded Boy the registrar before the
election and the Law requires him TO
place this book I'm the hands of the
Judges of election on election day, who
are 10 permit those persons who are
registered Co vote, but none others. The
law then requires the three Judges Of
election and their TWO clerks 20 keep
"a record of ali the voters who actually
vote The book ON which this record is
Kept is called by the law the Poll
book" The law requires two Of these
to he kept and ii orders the judges 10
seal both of them up as soon as the
election is over and carry them sealed
90 The clerk Of the County Court The
JUDGES al Smthcrs have not returned
two poll books 10 the clerk OF the County
Court. as the law orders them, but only
one. OF which we print a certified copy
this morning. The law requires the elec-
fiOn officers 10 record the voters on the
pou book in the order in which they
VOTE and IL requires that they shall be
numbered on the poll book In that order.
word on the makeup OF the regis
fration books at Smitner's, Of which the
Inv requires there shah be TWO, one for
white and one for black IS important
at this point. Although lgl was the
largest Democratic vote that had been
cast there prior TO 1889. the white regis
fration book has " names on II. -Four
hundred and forty -hve OF these have been
out on the book by transfers from other
places. But the book does not show from
What places they were transferred or
when. Batch after batch Of names on
the book appear thus.
Dean. g. ). Trans.
Daniels. j. H., Trans.
Deal Richard Trans.
Davis. VIM, Trans.
Dean, IT. c.. Trans
Then there VIII be an entry OF Sworn"
which indicates that the voter was q
resident and registered at the place when
another batch OF Trans and -" will
Intervene.
Only One Man Dead.
10 IS presumed this is the original
registration book that WAS made when
Virginia came out Of the reconstruction
periOd-that was certainly the original !
stockand that all names are ON II
that have ever gone there except those /
that are stricken off. because the parties
are dead and those that have been !
transferred away. Only twcnty-six names |
are marked transferred away and only I
one marked dead, and ne was voted. !
lie IS 40. 49, on the poll llst-A. w. !
Henfz-aDd Do IS recorded there as A. J
vs.. Hcrniz. bat that IS only blind |
There is no other name on tho regis
tration list that bears any resemblance |
90 A. ". Ilcntz. This registration book |
isl yeritabie lions den OF the fable /
10 will receive all corners but none leave 1
h-nuiie rctrorsum vestieia. IL Is obvious /
That such a registration book is a shelter |
tent Tor any needed amount Of frauds j
81 TIE election officers have the DISPOSE /
ton 20 practice them. There are no |
doubt hundreds Of just such registration |
books 10 the state.
The entire poll-book for Smjtber's pre- !
cinct s. here printed as IL Is found IN the
clerk Office u the County Court OF Hem /
rco. The reader S. asked 20 run his eye (
over 20 and see how often a batch OF /
Three Of four or five persons. all Of whose
names begin with the same letter OF the
alphabet came UP 10 vote together. Now.
whenever this occurs there is something
oi The same sort on the registration book.
thus II the reader will look at Nos.
lo'i 15, ami 2es on the poll book he will
BEE hat the following persons apparently