Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-22
Denounce Alike the Montgomery Adj
vertiSer's Election Report.
Declarations by Clerks, Inspectors and Clarke Men Over
Their Own Signatures That the Decatur Elec-
ton Was Honest and Fair.
Hartselle, Ala, March 81. 1885,

|
Hartselle, Ala, March 81, 1885,
| To the State Herald.
| After an absence of a week in Tenpes=-
see 1 have returned home. and my atten-
| tion has been called to an article in the
Montgomery Advertiser headed fraud
| Demonstrated" dated Decatur, March
| II. In regard to said charges of fraud
at the Decatur box desire to state that
believe the returns from said box were
correct and that the inspectors are hon
est men, and discharged their duties
| faithfully and in accordance with the
rules and regulations of the plan for hold
| ing the primary election.
The primary election was held on the
| 7th of March, and the democratic execu-
| tive committee met on the 9th in Hart
| selle for the purpose of canvassing the
vote. There was no protest filed before
| the committee or any charges made of
| fraud being perpetrated at any box in the
| county. The Clarke men of Decatur had
| plenty of time before the convention met
| on the 10th to have had an investigation
| made.
| The democratic executive committee at
| that time was composed of ten Clarke
| men and eleven Johnston men; conse-
| quently it is fair to presume If they had
| desired an investigation they would have
| received fair play and an honest decision
| as to the merits of their case.
The executive committee is composed
| of honest men, who denounce fraud and
| unfairness as much as anyone, and they
would certainly have given the Clarke
men a fair showing to prove up fraud at
| Decatur, or any other box in the county,
| if there had been any.
| If the Clarke men had not been salts
| fled with the decision of the county ex-
| ecutive committee they could have ap-
| pealed to the county convention and
| there entered protest and charged fraud
and corruption, and carried contesting
| delegation before the state committee;
| but they failed to do anything and re-
| manned silent about any unfairness on
| the floor of the convention and admitted
| that Mr.. Clarke was beaten in Morgan
| county and that badly.
In the article above referred to d. W.
| McIver says Captain Johnston and had
q consultation with "Dr. l.. Hensley
| Grubbs some time before during the
week, and they secured from him prom
Use to bring his paper out for Johnston
and to appoint a Johnston man as mana
ger In the place of Walter Grubbs." This
statement denounce as a base and SLAM
| derous falsehood from beginning to end
and am personally responsible for the de-
nunciation.
The election in Morgan county was
conducted fairly and honestly, and every
statement to the contrary is a base SLAM
der on the honesty of the democrats of
Morgan county. Since the Montgomery
Advertiser has sent man to our county
to malign our people, the Clarke dem
ocrats, Joining with the Johnston demo-
Gratis, universally resent the calumny.
OF their own accord and without prompt
ing the Morgan county democrats not
only resent and deny the infamous SLAM
ders of the Advertiser, but furnish alb
solute unquestionable and undeniable
proofs of the fairness of the primary
election held on March Z.
Hara Ia a cipnpd aartffiOQtq Of fhn
inspectors and clerks of the election at
Decatur, establishing beyond any con-
troversy that the election was fairly and
honestly conducted. One of the signers
of the certificate Is Mr.. w. A. Petty, a
highly respected citizen and one of Mr..
Clarke's most ardent supporters:
Inspectors and Clerks Certificate.
Decatur, March 10.
We, the undersigned inspectors and
clerks of the primary election held in De-
catur, Morgan county, Ala, on the 7th in
stant hereby certify that said primary
election was conducted fairly and hon
estly, and that no fraud was practiced
either for or against any candidate, the
statement of the Montgomery Advertiser
to the contrary notwithstanding and the
slanderous charges made by the said
Montgomery Advertiser are denounced
by us as wilfully and maliciously untrue.
J. W.TYLER;
w. E. WALLACE,
w. C. PRESTON,
g INSPECTORS.
III. CARTWRIGHT,
W. A. PETTY,
Clerks.
Mr. w. A. Petty, one of the clerks of
the primary election and Clarke man,
voluntarily makes the following written
declaration:
Election Clerk Petty's Statement
"a Clarke MANI
1, w. A. Petty, hereby certify that
was one of the clerks of the election held
In Decatur, Ala, on Saturday, March T.
and was PRESENT DURING THE EN-
TIRE DAY. WAS A CLARKE MAN
AND VOTED FOR CLARKE The bal
lots were received by w. G. Preston or
]. W. Tyler, as they were handed in, and
by him placed in a large paper box. This
box was securely sealed or fastened,
and kept so during the entire time the
voting was going on. Immediately after
the polls closed this box was opened In
and the counting begun. Mr. Wallace
would reach into the box, take out bal
| lot, hand 1t to w. C. Preston, who would
| call the same, and Mr.. Cartwright and
myself would put the votes on tally
sheets, and then the ballot was handed to
]. w. Tyler. one of the judges, and he
placed 1t in ballot box and after the
votes were counted the box was securely
| locked In my presence. The ceffifcate.
! OF judges was written out by Mi. T. r
| Troup, Clarke man, and was signed by
| the Judges sealed by them and delivered
| 20 g. T. Vert the returning officer !
WAS CONSTANTLY PRESENT FROM