New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-22

'V'N '"'" -"' registered ana fewer than 100
actually voted; that in I.owndesboro not 100
votes were cast. In st. Clair not over ten and in
whitehall not more than ten. the registry cor
tanning fifteen names. In these nine districts
of Lowndes County Mr.. Goodwin asserts more
than $500 fraudulent votes were cast In
Autauga and Macon, adjoining counties in the
Black Belt. he produces evidence Of similar
frauds on smaller scale by which nearly 700
fictitious votes cast. He also charges that
there were registration Irregularities in these
three counties. and that the laws providing for
the appointment OF at least representative Of
the opposition party as inspector Of election were
violated throughout these three counties The
last point Is emphasized by correspondence be-
tween Mr. Goodwin and Mr. Cobb before the
election in which the latter refused to cooperate
In securing an honest vote and count.
In the lNth District the same conditions pre-
vail 1t is shoestring district OF white counties
with black knot at the bottom-the two negro
counties OF Haze and Perry. T. X. Adrich the
Republican candidate was beaten on the face OF
the returns by the vote OF these two black
counties and in his contest with Oscar w
Underwood for a seat II. the LIVth Congress he
produces mass OF testimony showing that he
was not allowed representation in the polling
places OF those count 6. that the registry was
padded. that baot-boxes were stuffed with votes
which were not cast. that the ballots Of ill!terate
voters intended for himself were marked for his
opponent, and that bribery intimidation and
other Irregularities were practised. In the WITH
District, where w. +. Aldrch IS contesting the
election OF G.. A. Robbins. the same charges are
made. and are supported by vouminous evil
dence Captain Kolb. II he were allowed by the
Legislature the privilege Of contes,ng the cleo
ton OF Governor Oates would make allegations
and offer proof respecting the fifteen counties OF
the Black Belt substantially In accord with the
charges illustrated by the table Of the vote in
Lowndes County already considered. II I re-
frain from presenting these cases in detail II is
rot with the Idea OF discriminating against the
Aldriches and Captain Kolb but solely because
am not attempting anything more than a cursory
examination Of the subject OF Alabama elections
When | have asked Democratic leaders for
their explanations Of these anomalies in the
Black Belt elections they have failed 20 make
satisfactory or adequate replies. They have said
that Captain Kob an old-tlme ballot-box
suffer. who piled his nefarious trade FOR twenty
years as a Democratic manager: but II that be
true it only tends to incriminate the party with
which he formerly connected and which is
charged with carrying the same in.qui,ous
practices against him They also affirm that
there as much fraud on one side the
other. that the Democratic party is not allowed
proper representation In the Kolb counties. and
that in certain districts there has been rascality
in the interest OF the Populists and Republicans.
When asked for details they fall back upon gen
ordinations and unable to meet the asser
ton that the registration under the law IS
entirely in the hands Of the Democratic Ring
and also that in the white counties controlled by
Kolb's followers there was a white Democratic in
in u,he N
Black Belt there were either three Democratic
inspectors or two Democrats and black stool
pigeon. Governor Oates gave me all elaborate
account Of various indiscretons Of Captain Kolb.
In speech and act. which had alienated the sup
port OF the negroes ana had massed them against
him on the Democratic side After making thc
largest possible allowance for H. effect OF such
indiscretions fail 10 understand how the extraor
binary Democratic vote Of Iowndes and other
Black Belt counties in the November Congress
sioral elections can be explained by negro dis
trust Of Captain Kolb In August: nor can solve !
the problem OF a vote In nine districts entirely
out OF proportion to the vote in the other eleven
districts; unrave the mystery OF a precinct
vote many times larger than the registry list
and markedly IN excess OF the actual voting
population. Without desiring TO misrepresent or
10 do any injustice to Governor Oates or T. other
Democratic leaders. whose courtesy gladly ac- |
knowledge. constrained 10 draw the fol- |
lowing conclusions
l. The election returns from the Back Belt in
the last two State elections and IN the Con- |
gressional elections bear prlma facie evidence -
fraud OF startling magnitude.
2 The fact that the Republican and Popullgt |
State committees instructed their voters in the !
fifteen black counties neither to register In May |
nor % vote In August and November carries with !
II the presumption that elections had been con-
Quoted so scandalously 20 forfeit the conf |
dence Of the opposition. Otherwise they would /
not have assumed that registered vote east IN |
neglect OF the RinR managers t. allow the Re !
publicans and Popul.sts representation at the |
polling places 10 which they were legally entitled. |
and the appointment OF ignorant and vena negro |
stool pigeons in many precincts tend TO confirm |
this conclusion. Whatever basis there may be |
for Democratic cOuntercharges Of fraud In the |
Kob counties the party in power controlled the |
registration. was not denied representation AT |
the precincts and did not consider itself con- !
strained to order all Its voters in those counties !
away from the polls on the assumption that their |
ballots would be counted against them.
3. The deliberate neglect Of the Alabama |
Legislature TO enact q contest law. which would !
enable 1t 10 investigate the scandalous cOndi- !
lions Of State and Federal elections IL an out |
rage which cannot be too severely condemned In |
view Of what is now going on In Tennessee. Gov |
ernor Oates in talking with me admitted that |
such law ought to b, passed at once. and re-
ferred to his own emphatic accommodation 10 |
the Legislature to that effect
T. Radical reforms OF the election laws are IN |
dspensabe Governor Oates frankly made this |
concession and read TO me his recommendations |
to the Legislature. He favors an amendment
"giving each party who has ticket to be voted |
for the right to nominate marker NJ ehch |
poIlinp-place who should take an oath to mark
only the name called by the iliteratc voter. ana
not to suggest or indicate to such voter ny word'
sign gesture or otherwise. the name or any other
person and not to discl )se the nam" voted TOT by
any voter under heavy penalty" That strikes |
at one of the evils Of the present system ne
also contends that each party shaN De entitled
10 nominate at least one inspector TOT every
voting precinct. That is perhaps. the most I'M
portant reform that can be introduced lie
recommends q revision Of the registration laws
but does not go far enough. IL ought 10 DE-
placed under the supervision Of both parties. and
trnNislnn the ncosentatlOn OF rcglstra llOn