The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1894-10-18
NO FRAUD In THIRD WARD
THE FACTS OF THE MATTER EX-
planned BY MIR. BUXTON.
The Republicans Formed a Conspiracy
to Prevent Democrats from Voting, .
but Were Fooled in their Effort.

The Republicans Formed a Copspirac
to Prevent Democrats from Voting,
but Were Fooled in their Effort.
| It being impossible for Capt. e. E
Glenn to fill his engagement to spea
at the Opera House Saturday night
Messrs. A. III. Eller and ]. G. Buxtol
kindly consented to address the audi
ence and put in some telling ticks TO
Democracy.
AS Reynolds, Goshen & Co. hay
| grown SO bold in their charges thai
fraud was perpetrated by the Demo
Gratis in the Third ward of this city
at the last election, we give below Z
synopsis of that part of Mr.. Buxton's
speech bearing upon this subject, in
which this charge is emphatically re-
futed and the facts of the case clearly
set forth. Mr.. Buxton was present at
the Third ward voting place all day
and has personal knowledge of what
he states. Mr.. Buxton said:
This charge, which the Republicans
have been making of fraud for the
past two years, so far as the Third
ward is concerned, is without any
foundation, in fact, and it is about
time that the facts in this matter
were made known to the public.
1t was wellknown that on the night
before the election that the .colored
voters in the Third ward who expect
ed to vote the Republican ticket re-
ceived instructions to be at the polls
early on the morning of the election
and so block the polls, around the box,
as to prevent any white voter from APP
preaching the box.
These Instructions were carried out
and between 300 and 400 cClored vo-
tiers packed themselves so closely up
against the box as to prevent any one
from approaching the box, and a GER
tain white Republican, whose name
will be given if required, went Oh the
outskirts of the crowd and told the
colored voters that if they prevented
any white Democrats from voting at
that box he had $3.50 in cash to dis
tribute among them that night. l
got this information from reliable
colored voter who said he failed to get
any part Of the money, although he
says he carried out his part of the
contract by holding his share of the
ground.
When the white voters saw that
they were to be excluded from the
box, they arranged with the proprietor
of the store that their voters should
go through the store and present
themselves in the room in which
the ballot-boX was kept, and
in the rear of the box. 1t was then un-
derstood that this was the Democratic
approach to the box while the colOred
voters held the front, under their pre-
vious Instructions from their leaders
In this way not less than $50 or 200
colored voters went with their Demo-
cratic friends in the rear of the ballot
box and cast their ballots for the
DemOcraticticket, and while it is true
that when the sun went down there
were quite a number of colOred voters.
who were entitled to vote who had
not cast their ballots. they had them
selves to blame for it, on account of
the crowded condition in which they
packed themselves around the polls,
in their efforts to exclude white vo-
tiers. They made the mistake of con-
Stunning time for the trial CT challenged
voters, instead of giving way and let
ting unchallenged voters cast their
ballots.
While I am we'll aware that the
Third ward contains majority of
Republican voters, yet, at the same
time, [ do not think it is fair TO make
the allegation of fraud when the
leaders were defeated in an effort
made by them to exclude Democratic
voters from the box in that ward and
they have themselves to blame for the
result, as l see it.
l saw no evidence, whatever, of
fraud, but l did see an effort to pre-
vent free ballot defeated. / think
the Democracy of this county have
kept quiet under this charge long
enough and it is about time that the
facts were given to the public. L will
go as far as any one to see that our
elections are entirely fair and free,
but these men who are making their
great outcry against the registrars in
certain precincts should stop this in
discriminate leading of men to the
registrars to register without knowing
anything of their qualifications De-
fore they commence crying out fraud
against these registrars. While
shall oppose, as best / can, any illegal
action upon the part of any registrar
and am in favor of every man regis
tering who is entitled to vote, what
ever his color or his politics, may be
yet do not think that the legal and
qualified voters of this county should
be thwarted of their rights by this
cry of attempted fraud, especially
when it comes from men
who are engaged in the questionable
occupation of registering every man
simply because they think he will
vote their way.