New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-21
WITH CONGRESS CONTESTS.
-sr1NoNy ALREADY RECEIVED BY THE
CLERK OF THE HOUSE.
~vprcA1 CASE FROM ONE OF THE ALABAMA
"suoEsrRING" pIsTRIcTs-How DEMO
CRATIC MAJoR1TIEs ARE ROLLED
Up DOWN THERE-START-
LING DEVELOPMENTS
rny TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNE1
PROMISED.

psnresentatlves has already begun TO receive
matches OF testimony In some OF the contested eec-
ton cases that will he brought before that body
for It's decision In the LVth Congress. One Of the
cases In regard TO which some testimony has al
ready been filed with Clerk Mcdowell Is that OF
Aldrich Rep) against Plowman Dem). of the WIN
Alabama District. This is district with n political
history which, for period of twenty years or more
has been chiefly DISTINGUISHED by election frauds
followed by contested election in the House OF
Representatives. After the Democratic party OBJ
talned control OF Alabama in 1874 the State was re-
distrcted and all the stronger Republican counties
were thrown into the WITH District In order to make
other Congress districts reasonably safe for the
Democrats. This lVth District was composed of a
tier of counties In the southern-central portion OF
the State. known as the BLACK Belt This name
was bestowed upon 1t for two reasons: First be-
cause the lands of that portion of the State of
rich black loan. especially suited to the production
OF cotton; and second, because. cotton being the
staple product. the land held before the in
large plantations upon which there from 200
10 600 slaves, and accordingly the population Of
these counties and is more than three fourths
black.
But after awhile the Alabama Democrats. like
their brethren In other States became greedy and
concluded that they could gerrymander the State
rs prevent the Republicans from electing
single Congressman. IT had been tacity agreed
that the Democrats should control the local and
. county offices in all the counties composing the
WITH District, but that the Republicans. having
should have the Congressman. This was lived up
10 for several years the district being two three
times represented in Congress by colored man.
in the gerrymander lot OF "shoestrng districts
were created, by which two black counties
were tackled 10 a number Of white counties,
thus the Democrats believed making II impos-
sibe for the Republicans to elect single Congress
man from the State.
The WITH District. at present constituted con-
sists of the counties of Calhoun. Ceburne, Chiffon,
Shelby, Talladega and Dallas. the first FIVE named
being what are known locally as white counties,
and Dallas whose county seat is Selma. strong
black county. IN the very centre OF the BLACK
Belt" This district is a splendid specimen OF
"shoestring' district, starting in with Cleburne
County. away up in the northeast part Of 'he
State. and trailing down TO Dallas County In the
southwest. the district extending twothirds OF the
distance across the State east and west and over
one-han the distance across the State north and
south. and at point exceeding forty miles In
width while its total length is nearly 200 miles.
A THEORY THAT DIDN'T WORK.
In adopting this gerrymander. the argument was
used that the white vote would thus outnumber the
coored vote, and Democratic supremacy should
readily be maintained without having to resort 10
shotgun" or "tssue-ballot" methods. While that
was true in theory, 1t has not worked we'll In prac-
tice Beginning with 1890. hundreds and even thou
sands of the white men of Alabama and of the WITH
Congress District, who had previous TO that time
allied themselves with the Democratic party, be-
came tired Of "brass-collar" rule and the frauds
and the infamy of the old Bourbon Democracy and
broke away. alying themselves with the Peoples
party Finding themselves left with minority of
the white vote, the Democratic party adopted
new plan carry the district. this plan being to
the Republican votes in the black counties
as though for the Democratic candidate
For instance in the contest of Mr.. Aldrich against
Mr. Robbins for the seat in the present Congress.
the returns showed that Mr.. Aldrich received ma
tn Of
Dallas County, which was honestly Republican by
several thousand majority, rolled up such Dig
majority" for Mr.. Robbins according TO the official
returns that II completely overcame Aldrich's ma
1ority given by the white counties. So outrageous
and glarng were the frauds In this case that even
the Democrats members of the Elections Commit
tee Of the House in discussing the case In the
House of Representatives admitted that over SOU
fraudulent votes had been counted for MI Robbins.
So II will be shown again In the contest winch
Mr. Aldrich is making against NJ, Powman. his
Democratic opponent who received the certihcate
Of election on the face Of the returns Mr. Aidrich
goes down TO Dallas County. which is the Repubi-
can stronghold of the district. with good. SAFE
majority on the face Of the returns from the other
FIVE counties but Mr.. Powmln receives a sufficient
majority from Dallas County 10 overcome Aldrichs
majority received in the rest of the district and
thus is certified as being the duly elected Repre-
sentative in Congress from the WITH District
GLAZING FRAUDS SHOWN
A large amount of the testimony taken In MI
Adrch's behalf has already been filed. Testimony
from two other counties will soon be filed which.
Il is said contains more startling Developments
than are set forth in testimony from Dallas Coun-
" II is shown in this testimony. however. that
not only were dead and ncn-residents voted.
but that In many precincts the returns showed
larger vote for Plowman than there were ballots
cast in the precinct. For instance In the testimony
OF William j. Gilmer. the chairman of the Peoples
Part tive tee OF y,
shown that the No. 269 on the poll list OF
Union Precinct No % OF that county was that OF
Nathan Lewis. colored man, who had died on
July g. 1896 yet he is recorded as having voted on
November g. 1886. Mr.. Gilmer, when asked how he
knew that Lewis dead at the time OF the cleo
ton. said Because was doing business for him
and had him 10 bury. / have a receipt for his
coffin, and have II with me now.
In summerheld Precinct the vote returned was IS
for Plowman and 20 for Aldrich. total of 49, L.
W Mason himself a Democrat testified that ne
at the polling place all day. and that only
thirty white men. and not over forty colored men,
the polling place. Mr.. Mason was asked II
he knew ~ G. Barker, a white man IN that pre- |
clnc,. whose name appears at NO Sc on the certi- |
fed COPY OF the po-st. and. II So to state whether
Barker was living or dead His II do |
no, know Of but y. G. Barker, and he has been |
dead about five six years
What was his Christian name?'
. Norwood g. Barker"
Are you well acquainted with the Barker family !
, In that precinct
: IT have been knowing them all my life"
Union Precinct showed the returns IA FOR |
Plowman and 80 for Aldrich while John +: Logan
and Edward Gilmcr. watchers AT the precinct les
tihed that only ihirty-one coored and about TWEEN
ty-fve white voters entered the polling place on |
Election Day.
Frank Jackson the Repubcan inspector, oa a,
that Mr.. Marshall. one of the Democratic In
.Nspectors up about eighty Of the ballots that
were cast for Aldrich. but did not tear up any !
that were cast for Plowman. Richard Minter. who !
the official marker mark ballots for Hit |