The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-09-24
THELAw FRAMED IN THE INTEREST
OF FRAUD.

TIT LAW TRAINED IN ltI IN iffsEoi
OF FRAUD.
We have quoted enough testimony II I'm
the record Of tThorp vs.. McKennev to
show the most incredulous man that In
the part Of Virginia TO whio1 the investi-
gstions made in that case apply there IS
no such thing any longer as elections.
The elections there and in a number Of
ether quarters have come to lie whatever
a set CT corrupt election officers deter
mined TO make them, AMI we Judge that
even the Dispatch Is prepared to admi'
this now, though, II 1t Is not, it's bosom
friends. Field. Cooke Page, Hobson and
the other Populist leaders can easily sat
isfy II that what we say is true.
We think Il important at this stage OF
the case to call public attention 10 the
provisions Of our statute law regulating
elections. because they seem 20 be framed
So that II Is easily within the power OF
corrupt officers TO make the election
what they please.
TO start with, the entire control OF
the elections in each county or city IS
placed under the electoral board OF that
county or city. composed Of three Demo
crafts. THIS board. appoints three hdges
Of election at each voting nrccinct who
appoint two clerks for each precinct.
The law says that these judges Of cleo
ton .Aal come from the different po-
itical parties but. in many instances. the
electoral boards are no better ,hln they
should be, and they ignore the law ana
appoin. all three Judges as Democrats,
or else they pretend to appoint one
Republican judge. who is usually negro
tlat caun0t read or write. and viii do
anyihlng desired for n five-dollar note.
In this way the ballor-hox is put under
complete control Of a set Of corrupt cleo
tion officers.
The law allows no ballot to be voted
but the official ballot II requires the
electoral beard 10 print for each precinct
and give TO the judges double as many Of
these ballots as here are registered vot-
crs. so that waen all the electors Rave
voted the judges sim have as many bal
lots as have been used. which they are
10 destroy. At sundown the polls are 10
be- closed and then the judges and clerks
are 10 canvass tho vote. This consists
in going over the ballots TO see that the
number in the box corresponds with the
number Of voters who have been record
ed as they come up TO vote, upon the
poll books. as having voted. II there are
more ballots in the box than voters, one
judge is 10 be Embodied. who draws
out the excess. This is what the law
describes as "canyassing" the vote. But
this primo fact is to be noted abolt tie
canvass. 1t can take as much time as
the judges choose TO consume I'm II. AND
TT is TO BE DONE IN THE PRESENCE
or THE JUDGES AND CLERKS ONLY.
AFTER tho CANVASS is OVER two
friends Of each Of the political parties
are 10 he admitted 10 see the judges
count the votes. But no one saw them
Canvass" the ballots az time v hen
they had in their possession as many
unused ballots as had been voted. and
when they could take as much time as
they chose to steal out Of tho box az
the ballots the voters had put I'm and
replace them with others marked TO suit
themselves.
The most casual examination OF the
record Of Thorp VS. Mckinney will show
that the frauds committed then were
often operated in this way. except Where
the skIlful officer changed the ballots
Info~a r,rtff,r~ -rr,- o., tt. lo.- IT,. f
stance. the poll-bools in the Fifth ward Of
Petersburg show that 4c2 electors voted,
but there were only 425 ballots 70 be
counted. although no ballots were thrown
out. Even q corrupt election officer has
some sense of decency. Although tie law
puts no limit upon the time TO be occu-
pied in 'canyassing'' the ballots, yet the
officers knew that impatient outsiders are
waiting for them to get through. They.
therefore. hurry This part Of the business
and in this way they came TO put only
o. ballots into the box against 432 record
ed voters. a state Of facts similar 10
this viii be found at almost every pre-
cinct where fraud was proved our laws
are, therefore framed so that corrupt
election officers may De put IN charge Of
Of the ballot-oo1es. and so that these
corrupt election officers may then stun
the ballot-boxes as they please.
We have no idea that some men Who
voted for these laws ever imagined 20
what base uses they would be degraded
but others thoroughly understood. ap-
proved, counsoled and secured their pas
sage for the express purposes which have
been accomplished.