The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-12-18
LECTION FRAUDS IN CLEVE-
LAND COUNTY.
r,.rk of the C~ourt-eIect Quinn Tells a
Part of the Story in a St~raightfor-
ward Manner-Let Other
Counties and Townships
Come Forward

Come Forward.
cor,aspondence of the Progressive Farmer.
In a recent issue you requested short,
truthful accounts of election frauds
narpetrated in this State. This re quest
should be complied with, as it is the
hest way to show up the weak points
in the present election law, which our
Domocratic friends claim is perfect.
Frauds were committed in this
nleveland) county, Nov. 9Th, which
make every honest man blush with
shame. May the like never again be
rapeated! On the day following the
election it was conceded by all parties
that all the Populist candidates for
county officers, except Register of
Deeds, were elected. My majority as
Clerk of the Court was only three.
When the Canvassing Board met it
was discovered that my majority of
three had changed to two majority in
favor of my Democratic opponent, who
has filed the Office twenty years. The
change was made in No. 6 township
Shelby precinct) and came about in
this On the night of election
two gentlemen, Democrat and a Pop
Mist. acted as tallismtn for the county
box. After counting and re-counting
a number of times, my opponents vote
was found to be 548. The two tails
men signed each others scroll. The
Democrat then turned his scroll over
To the registrar and the Populist kept
his. The registrar Immediately left
the room with the scrolls before the re
turns were made out or signed. The
next night three of the judges met to
make out the returns. Just as they
were about to sign some suggested
that it would be well to look over the
tally sheets again as a mistake might
have been made. They did so and
discovered" that one tally Is marks)
was omitted in the original count of
my opponents vote. This changed his
vote from 548 to 553, and defeated me
by two votes in the county.
The Canvassing Board was composed
of ten Democrats and seven Populists
and Republicans. The officers, of
course. were Democrats. l had suf
Gent evidence to prove to the Board,
beyond a doubt, that the extra tally
was added on some time between Tues
day night and Wednesday night, but
the Board positively refused to hear
any evidence on my side, declaring
that they could not go beyond their
own body for information. CThey had
already violated this ruling We stated
to the Board that a number of men had
voted at this precinct who were not
legal voters, but they failed to make
any investigation.
No. II township is strongly Populist.
It was discovered that four men had
voted here by proxy (sent their tickets
sealed up in envelopes which we're
opened by the judges and the tickets
deposited in the proper boxes) Two
of these votes were cast for the POpu-
lists. one for the Democrats, and only
one voted for constable. We insisted
that these votes be thrown out, and
had witnesses present to prove how
each of the men voted. But the Board
repeated its former ruling, and in the
absence of information as to how the
men voted" the township was thrown
out. This defeated the entire Populist
county ticket, except Sheriff. A party
is getting desperate when it will try to
silence the voice o fnearly two hundred
men in order to count in its defeated
candidates. We will contest in the
courts.
The Democrats had plenty of counsel
before the Board, but we were entirely
without, as the Democratic lawyers de-
clined to serve US, and we had no others
in the county. We telegraphed for
counsel, but it arrived too late.
The above cases suggest the follow
ing:
L. There ought to be aheavy penalty
where judges and registrars fail to
make out, sign and seal up the returns
on the day of election.
2. Make it a misdemeanor, subject to
a heavy fine, for a judge to receive
illegal votes.
3. Make it compulsory on the part
Of a Canvassing Board to seek and re-
ceive information from any source
when necessary to decide a disputed
point.
4. Make it impossible for the domi-
nant party to control the election ma
chinery to perpetuate it's reign.
J. II QUINN.