New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-11
AGAINST ROBBINS.
REMARKABLE ELECTION CONTEST
FROM ALABAMA.


DALLAS COUNTY AGAIN AT THE
FRONT DECISION EN-
PECTED TO-DAY.
icy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
Washington Feb lot is expected that Elec-
lions Committee No. ! of the House of Representa-
tves, of which Judge Daniels. of New-iork, Is
chairman. will agree tomorrow on the recon-
mendation TO be made to the House in the con-
tested election case of William +. Aldrich, fepup-
ucan against CASTOR A. Robbins. Democrat. OF
the WITH District of Alabama The real arguments
in this case were submitted several weeks ago. ana
the members of the committee have devoted much
time TO it's consideration. 1t IS understood tlat
some OF the members have found themselves uhao'e
to agree with the conclusions reached by the ma
tority and therefore, that the report Will not he
unanimous.
According to the official returns Robbins received
10 ,g4 and Aldrich iO6 votes. and the majority Tor
the former was 30SS The district 10 composed OF
six counties, in five of which the NUMBER VI "h''e
voters largely exceeds the NUMBER Oh co'o'o"
voters the proportion being seventeen wh'e 10 ioSS
than eight colored. -Four Of the five white cou"-
ties gave majorities for Aldrich and one gave
majority for Robbins, according to the ofhciai re-
turns, and Aldrich's majority in the hVe couh'leS
was G54 The sixth county is Dallas. IN which the
number OF colored voters largely exceeds the NUM-
Der of white. more than three TO one. In inns coui'
ty according to the official returns. ROBBINS re-
ceived 5462 votes. and Aldrch only '22 leaving a
majority of 4.7iO for Robbins In other WORDS,
while Robbins received only about so per cent Of
the white vote in the five white counties. he re-
ceived not only 10 per of the total white VOTE
but also nearly 80 per of the total coored vote
in the single black" county, or else the returns
from that county false and fraudulent
Mr. A,drich attacked the official returns OF every
election precinct in Dallas County, of one precinct
g IN CITY a
Calhoun County. but his counsel contend that inc
nurpng of the returns from Dallas County alone
will give him a majority Of nearly To-" IN the us
trio, and an inspection of the testimony seems 10
establish this contention.
CONDITIONS IN DALLAS COUNTY
Dallas County IS one OF the counties which have
figured in every contested election case tha' mas
been brought from the Alabama district TO which
II has belonged within the last twenty years OF
more 1t has been theatre Of Democratic Violence
intimidation and frauds innumerabe throughout the
vho,e q, that period as hundreds and thousands OF
naqes az sworn testimony unimpeached and uncon-
,radicted and Of political history concusively show
If the election held in that county in November 1871
was a fair one. and If the returns OF the ele'"o'
were honest II was the first time that such state
Of facts has existed there since 1872 The trouble
has always been. not the lack of Repuhiicah votes
cast In recent years but the method of counting ana
re,urnino them Thousands OF Republican balols
would be deposited in the ballo-boxes by the Vo"S
but they would Invariably come out Democrats
and be so counted and returned by Democratic e'ec-
ton officers.
The "Jeffersonian Democrats" or Populisis' nave
had the same dlsagreeab.e not 10 say d-sasuo"-'
exneriences in that and other "black' counties IN
their efforts TO overthrow the Bourbon Democratic
o.garchy which has ruled the state during the ias'
twenty-five years In 1894 the Republican Managers
however, conceived a new plan TO clTcu"N'h' III.
election thieves. and one which they believed "oul
be at least measurab.y successful. 1t was to have
tho Republjcans refrain from registering in May
or voting in November Registration In May -
legal prerequisite TO voting In the following No.
vcnber and the registration list. are puohc rec
ords to copies Of which applicants are entitled upon
payment Of the legal fees. The Republican man
ayers reasoned In this manner: IF Republicans 10
no. 20 10 the polls we cannot Only keep an account
Of the number Of men who 10 enter the polling
places at every precinct and thus Know the largest
number OF Democratic ballots that could be non
cs;y cast but also keep from the credit column OF
the enemy the votes Of tn Republican electors VINO
have not registered and do not attempt to vote.
Some Of them even believed that the names Of the
registered voters would be publicly known months
before the election took place. and that the Demo
cratic election officers would not have IN" enron
terv TO count and return the votes Of men whose
names were not registered. as required by Law" but
they reckoned without their host Copies % the
r, yisiratlon lists repeatedly applied for and
The lega fees rendered. but every application was
can managers was successfully carried ou, Thou
sands OF the Republican electors reirared from reg
istcring in May and OF those VINO an 80 Few went
TO the polls and voted in November.
THEY WE'RE COUNTED JUST THE SAME.
But that made little or no difference In the off
cial" count and returns The votes Of the unregis-
tered and voting Republican electors Of Dallas
County were needed by the Democratic candidate
for Congress in order ito the majority in
the five white" counties for the Republican can
didate who was also supported by the 'Jenersonian
Democrats" and therefore they were counted and
returned for him. Not only 50, but the votes Of
hundreds of men who had died long before. who
had removed from the county many months or years
before the election, according To testimony which Is
undisputed and unmpeached. were also counted and
returned for the Democratic candidate. The Re-
publican managers stationed watchers at every pre-
cinct who counted the number OF voters talmoS all
of whom DemOcrats) who entered the pollng
PAGES. According TO the testimony OF me watchers
at precinct. only SIX persons az lOiu ihclui'hs
the four officers Of election, all OF whom were Dem
ocrats entered the polling place Will the polls were
open the day Of election According to the ofciai
return from that precinct the vote stood Robbins
2ss Adrich. nothing 'maj9Ti'y 10, h"hnins. w.
AT "Summcrield Boat No. one OF Inc watchers
testified that he saw thrty-one men enter the
polling place. and the other testified mat me mum
urns gave 100 votes 10 Robbins and two to Aldrich
oamc was found on the poli-book among the
Of those who had voted. testified that he ana MOI
nersons living in the precinct. including men. women
and children was between 27S and 300 The watchers
Tor Robbins and none for Aldrich. both testified mat
,bev watched the polls from the time OF opening 10
The time Of closing. and that only sixty men IN
Guiding the officers of election entered the polihs
Mace in the course OF the day. 49,, .
similar testimony showing similar CONDITION OF
things was given in regard 10 nearly every other
nrnrInct in Dallas County. To rcbut II the sltting
member relies simply and solely upon the return
and certificates Of the officers OF election nearly an
az whom were among his many and devoted par
tisans although the law requires that az ieast on
~ he inspectors shall not be member OF the OPP
0oeite Dolitcal party. and in regard TO several OF
W. a. an, under oath The sitting member ala not
v,nronn or examine a single witness in his own
iohaif while the contestant did summon ana eh.
inn In his own behalf only a large number or
aihin,, ,'aan electors but also a number OF wit