New-York tribune., 1896-04-03
A FIGHT FOR A FREE BALLOT.
J. c. MANNING's MOVEMENT IN ALABAMA.
GREAT CHANGE TAKING PLACE IN SOUTH
ERN POLITICs-A POWERFUL SENTIMENT

ERN POLITICs-A POWERFUL SENTIMENT
AGAINST BALLOT BOX sTUFFING.
Washington. April (SpeciaD.-A champion o.
the political South, j. c. Manning. of Alabama.
Is In Washington. Mr.. Naming is known South
and North the leader OF a movement for honest
elections in Alabama and other Southern States,
and is president of the Southern Ballot Rights
League Mr. Manning is the leader of the anti
Democratic movement in Alabama. and was
member of the last Legislature in his State.
No man in the South has waged more systematic
and vigorous fight against election frauds than has
Mr.. Manning.
When yesterday he discussed at length the
political conditions in the South. Mr.. Manning said:
There is a great change taking place In Southern
politics. Within the last six years powerful sent.-
ment has grown up demanding change from the
old methods that governed for the last twenty
years In the Southern States This opposition to
the Democratic party has become strong. and IN
Alabama and Tennessee a majority Of the white
people Of these States have revolted against the
cid rule.
1T Ia true that the people who oppose the clques
IN power do not now control the State governments
of Alabama and Tennessee, but this Is because or
outrageous fraud. 1t Is a fact. however. that the
ant-Democratc movement in Alabama has gained
control OF nearly all the counties in the State pop
lated largely by whites. The Democrats hold power
now only in the counties largely populated by
blacks OF course this Is done by manipulating the
count.
"The situation in the State OF Tennessee is about
the tlat in Alabama. In the latter state
lt Is not the negro against the white man: the
ballot-box suffers count majorities based on the
hegro-voting population whether they vote or not,
to annul the majoritles poled against the Demo-
cratic ticket white counties. There are six
teen black belt counties in Alabama The votes
counted the last State election in those counties
5o0SO Votes fairly cast were 1885, the fraud
ulent vote then was a. 765 On the face of the re-
turns the Democratic candidate for Governor was
alleged TO receive S65 votes from the State at
large. The opposition candidate received sS.2S3 De-
Quoting the "a 765 fraudulent votes in the black belt
from the majority given the Democratic candi-
date. anG have. on the face of these returns.
76.l0o votes and the ti-Democratic candidate was
elected by 7lsS votes. The foregoing facts will be
substantated in the contest of Warren s. Reese
against John T. Morgan for seat In the United
States Senate.
A BENEFIT TO SOUTHERN POLITICS.
This contest" continued Mr.. Manning. will have
. great and beneficial effect upon Southern politics
IT is only by exposing the real political conditions
prevailing In Alabama that the strong arm OF public
sentiment can be brought down upon these ques-
tionable election methods for long time practised
throughout the South. Alabama can be considered
an example of the other States A petition has been
presented to the Senate from labama asking for
an investigation into Alabama methods and OF
Senator Morgan's title TO the seat he now holds.
This petition comes from hundreds who were Demo-
Gratis five six years ago. but left that party be-
cause its machinery had gotten into the hands Of
ballot-box suffers.
"The same methods used to count out the anti
Democratic State ticket resored to in Con-
gress elections. The contests before the House
from Alabama demonstrate this assertion. The
State is SO dstrcted that one or two black-belt
counties Is in each. that honest majorities In the
four
fraudulent in the black counties. In the case
Of a. T. GOODWIN against James +. Cobb, 1t Is
established that S036 votes counted for James
E Cobb in Lowndes County, black county, and
only lss were counted for GOODWIN. when not more
than 1000 for both candidates in this
county Goodwin having carried all the white coun-
ties by majorities ranging from 250 to several hun
dred. In a recent public letter Judge Coffee. OF
Lowndes, who manipulated the count in Cobb's in
ferest said in substance. that he would count 4sSS
votes against candidate who is antagon.stic to his
views, II his pulse beats at the next election.
Judge Randolph Of Montgomery County. who
has manipulated the In that county for many
years, left the State few months ago, and he also
left a shortage OF many thousand dollars in his
offical accounts. Randolph was allowed 10 leave
the State. although his shortage was known. and
he carried several thousand dollars along With him.
This ballot-box suffer has recently been heard
from, as ne is in prison in South America. charged
with murder. Several prominent citizens In Mont
gomery. who belong to his party and yet indorse
his methods. have contributed means for Randoiph's
defence.
The political condition OF Arkansas is equally
rs bad as that In Alabama and Tennessee. With a
voting population Of 10000 In this STATE the vote
polled In the recent State election is less than hail.
or about l26OO0. The entire Arkansas delegation TO
Congress elected In 1894 by less than 10000
votes. The opposition to the despotism ruling this
State think it useless TO vote because their votes
will not be counted. or will be counted against
them; hence the falling OF in the vote.
GOVERNED BY AN OLIGARCHY
"There is rot the least semblance of republican
form OF Government in Arkansas. The holding OF
elections in Arkansas is entirely in the hands OF the
Governor Secretary OF State and Attorney-General
They appoint three county commissioners In each
county The county commissioners appoint the
Judges in each precinct. While the law provides
that the election judges shall be OF different political
parties 1t contains another provision. III competent
persons can be found In many places in the State
It Is construed that competent persons mean men
who are capable Of manipulating the count or capa-
BILE of becoming drunk that they cannot attend 10
business while the ballot-box suffer is getting In
b,s work The whole machinery OF election s In
the hands OF clique in power; there Is no appeal
from their decision and they may sit on Their own
eases"
"As do Arkansas. Alabama and Tennessee, SO do
Louisiana and Mississippi reek with political rotten
,,ess Forty thousand votes Is a good poll In Mis-
s.s,pp,. also. and It will be remembered that Catch
inss was elected Congress on Jess than $500 votes
The home vote and disfranchised vote Is not
confined to blacks. There are more white people
outside of the Democratic party in Alabama. Ten
pessee and other OF the Southern States than there
are In 1t. But the courts the office-holders. the
daily newspapers and the scraplngs OF hell that
generally train with policta corruptors are either
openly arrayed against the purity OF the ballot or
else wink at frauds
sTn Tennessee the bal.ot-box suffers rule only in
XkY-a A Oh GA