The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-02-13


OF votes were cast at sad precinct
said election for j. Thomas Goode. ar
for James +. Epps respectively for men
Der OF Congress from Fourth Congre
sioral district OF Virginia?
Answer. There were us for Goode. an
. "a for Epps.
= Fourth question. So Ear as you know
or have reason 10 suspect were any @
/, the lis votes cast for Goode cast by an
= other than legally and qualified voter
at said precinct?
: Answer. There were not.
Fifth question. When the ballots ii
! | the box were counted after the poll
. | were closed did they correspond as e
the number with the names on the poll
book?
Answer They did.
Sixth question. What became OF thu
poll-books and ballots after the result OF
the election had been ascertaned on the
night OF the Sth OF November, 1899?
| Answer. We strung the ballots and
| sealed them; also the books. Both bal
lots and poll books. properly sealed were
placed In my custody. 1 carried them
! home with me and the next day brought
them here and delivered them 10 Mr.
Robert Turnbull. Clerk OF the County
| Court, of said county. When I delivered
| them TO Mr. II. Turnbuli they were Sc
| curely sealed. just as they had been
delivered TO me, the poll-books in one
enclosure and the tickets in another
Seventh question. From your knowl-
edge Of the political views Of the twenty
registered voters at said precinct who
did not vote at said election, what pro-
portion Of them were favorable TO the
election OF Goode and would probably
have voted for him had they voted at all?
Collected to)
Answer. | think thirteen would have
voted for Goode and seven for Epps.
The Democratic county returning board.
approved by the Democratic county cleo
toral board which is elected by the
Democratic Legislature. threw this pre-
cinct out and would not count It. The
reason given was this: Formerly the
elections held at Trotter's store precinct
had been held in Trotter's store, but that
burnt down several years ago After that
IT was held in an old granary about one
hundred yards from the old store place;
at another time at an Office within fifteen
or twenty yards OF the old store place;
and at another time in a vacant cabin in
about one hundred and fifty yards Of the
old store place. The owner Of the proper
~ objected to this election being held in
any of the former places. 1t was a
rainy day and a shelter was indispensa-
bic. The nearest house that could be
used was distant between a quarter and
a mill Ia oil
tons being taken to warn voters of the
move, the election was held at the latter
house, and every registered voter but
twerty actually voted, and the officers |
who held the election certified it duly |
and regularly as having been held at the
Trotters store precinct.
Now, on every principle OF fairness
and right, the vote at this precinct should
have gone in to affect the result i'm its
legitimate way. No voter had been mis-
ed, and every voter who desired to vote
lad voted and his vote had been counted
is he cast it, and every voter registered
t the precinct had voted but twenty.
'ut further, the vote HAD been regularly
ertiiied to the returning board as hav
ng been held at Trotter's store precinct
nd 1T was the duty of that board to
ccept 1T as 1t was certified TO il by the
egular officers of the law. But the re-
urning board threw the whole precinct
ut, because as it said, no election had
cen held at Trotter's store precinct. This
possibly the strongest case for Epps Of
IL ,ne rejected precincts, thirty-one in
NOW a Democratic House of Represcn-
atlVes may say, as il is dealing with the
cton OF Democratic authorities. that II
Ill not interfere with that action ana
nat State must fare as her own Off
Frs act for her.
Dut mat VIII never make the Times q
I'VE It's appreciation TO such conduct nc =
lis. Goode was entitled 10 tho vote :,
nat was cast at Trotter's store and IT 4
as nothing but a tyrannical abuse of Fl
over to deny it TO him. !,
But the alarming feature OF This case =
we have already pointed out is tho
"'ei'ep ana simultaneous tyranncal ac-
III Oh the returning board of nine differ
= counties. This proves beyond a
ssiollity OF doubt that their action -
Is inspired and engineered by some con- IL
Il authority operating on all at the q
me tlme and In the same way to pro-
&c some general and average result 80
this must lie at the door of tho
ctlon law itself. This result has como fr
OF 1t. VIII the people of Virginia - -
ma IDLY by and see all their political VI
nus passed under the control of a
ara OF partisan. and. in too many le
'ahces' corrupt election officers? Of
ne idea that because a wrong is per
rated by our own party. it is therefore =.
NJ ana that the only wrong is done hv
'se OF the party who protest arai,s,
Is position which The Times can :,
YER take WI
We believe in Democratic principles for
sake of the principles thcmsclves and '''
IN an abiding faith that if put into -.
'cuee the welfare OF all the people will -
best secured. We reject and resent the -
dense Of those 10 represent Democracy VII
ose chief claim is their Preparation or ~
IT appreciation OF frauds. who are ~
merely Democrats for revenue only. -"
Who claim fha, their f.o.,a..,-.. WI