The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-04
THE GROSS FRAUDS
In Tennessee Charged by n Demo.
cratic Congressman.
REL UBLlCANS CERTAINLY WON
III the State, hut were Cheated Out If
Their Victory tn I'll. Mast Uutrsg,ou,
""""'r 60 Representative Mccall Say,
Th'rD IL 80 Domh, fraud, were Cam.
mittsd by siiNrritts -.prrlnc Cases.

Washington special In phIladrlphIl
Press: Representative Patterson. A
sound money Democrat, who according
TO his own statement. was counted out
by fraudulent methods conducted by Sill
yer Democratic election officers In the
recent election In Tennessee. thinks he
Is a subject of base ingratltudc,
Colonel PatterSon'S district has been
renowned for long period OF time FOR
Its fraudulent election methods. In no
part OF the south have the Democrats
ilotcd In fraud 10 greater extent than
they have In Colonel Pattcrson's district.
Moreover, he has always defended to
the utmost extent the scoundrcls en-
gagged In that business.
In 1889 Il number OF the Democrats
engaged In that work In his district were
indicted for election frauds. Rcprusen-
tatlNe Mccall. OF Tennessee, WAS then
Assistant United States District At
torney and helped 10 prosecute the cas-
cS, Speaking on the subject to-day.
Mr., Mccall said:
The men under indictment We're de-
Tended by Colonel Patterson. who did
not charge them cent for his services.
lie worked day and night 70: them, and
saved many OF them from the pcnitcnti-
airy, lie made u bitter fight for them,
applying extreme Language to the men
prosecuting the Gaze. Now the same
men he defended have turned against
him and defraudcd him ~ a seat In Con.
sresS. This IL mn example OF the in
gratitude OF politics"
Speaking OF his own case Mr.. Mccall
said that he did not know whether or
not he should contest the election OF
the Popocrat who has been returned as
his successor. Mr.. Mccall said That
there WAS no question about elect ion
frauds having been committed In his
| district. yet he could not tell up 70 this
time IL the frauds were sufficient TO
change the result II fairly brought out.
As soon as tina: point Is settled Mr.. Nc
Call Will determine whether or not to
institute contest. lie IS too COnsc.cn-
tious 20 begin l contest FOR the sole pur-
pose OF getting $1,000 which Congress-
| usually allows 10 contestants 10 cover
their alleged expenses.
No Doubt OF Glarinc Frauds.
Speaking OF the frauds In general in
! Tennessee. Representative Mccall said.
That there were gross frauds In the
state is Indispu:ahle. T!llman. the Re-
publican candidate for governor, was
| PROFESSIONALLY elected. The frauds
! committed In about five Counties IN the
state were EllrinC. These counties have
always been The srlt OF this kind "
ballot box manipulation. Outside OF
them elections In Tennessee are COM
| par1tivcly fair.
The contest now being made will
probably not result In seating Mr.. TIL.
man. but il will have the effect of manu-
| featuring a healthy sentiment In the
state against this Kind OF work. All the
leading papers OF the state nre con-
demnlnE the frauds. though for LhAt
matter they did 50 when Evans was de-
fraudcd OF the governorshlp.
TIP to 1854 there was no contest law
In Tennessee. The law provided that the
| secretary OF state should count the votes
and announce the result. When H. Clay
Evans bcat Turney two years uGO the
secretary OF state refused to tabulaie The
| returns and awaited the action " the
Legislature. which passed contest law
10 put Turney in. This was she frs. law
OF the kind the state ever had. The
Republicans are now profitlng by It an:
| will make a strong showing.
THE counties where the frauds wnre
committed are In the d!s;rlc, now repre-
scented by Col. Patterson, sound money
| Democrat He was undoubtedly re-
elected. but his opponent. Editor Car
| mack, will be given the certificate lIy a
few hundred majority. Colonel Pactrr-
son has announced that he will contest
the election in the hOuee. and an salts
fed that he will make showing which
will seat him, He Is a Democrat and |
am Republican. but would vote TO
seat him.
"A few days after the election Colonel
Patterson heard that the sheriff OF one
| Of the counties Of his dlS;ric: had not
| sent The returns to the secretary OF
state as required but was holding them.
| He secured lawyer and started to tn"
| home OF the sheriff 20 get a m1ndamus
10 compel him 10 send the returns
The sheriff heard OF his coming and
went II a nearby station and mailed a
| package 20 the secretary OF state COL
onel Patterson thought this packa sc.
| which he learned about, contained the
returns and did not proceed aglLnS; the
sheriff. When the package wIs opened
| It was found TO contain Il lot OF old pa
| per. The sheriff did not send the re-
turns until he felt disposed"
Speaking OF the growth OF his party in
Tennessee, Mr. Mccall said:
our party IS Increasing in strength
year by year. and ii adding good men 20
its ranks. There were few real Re-
publiCans who voted for free silver in
the last election. When was Jumping
| my district heard or Republicans vino
were going 10 vote FOR Bryan. When
would get TO the place II was said they
were somewhere else. The Rcpubl leans
OF Tennessee are for sound money and