The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17

5pubicans and Tusion Democrats 3rccetvcd
practically the snn,c vote, any y IS ALSO
!, fact 10 1,c remembered that II tho 1ae,,,s
oetuts had nj, voted together they could
easily have elected fun nc.noeratie
ticket Sis Fl
such is concise history, as full ns
spncc viii allow and as fair MS know
how 10 make ii. cf the famous Norfolk
county split. or course. have NOT M
tempted to go into detail of many exeit,ns
nnd sometimes riotons incidents. To NJ.
tempt to tell tho whole story with VII, n e
detail would DO to writc book III mans
Ing colors nnd rrofusey iustrntcu'
t&' spEc1FtC CHARGES.
Let ,,s now look into somo OF tho
charges that have been brought against
tho l7,sionists. First OF all comes tho
charge that Fusion registrars put on the
bertnnnent registration list tho names OF
many negroes who were not fairly en-
Titled 70 register under u Democratic con-
striction Of tho Constitution. Ihcro are
In Norfolk county six niagisterial ais-
tricts, to wit:
Tanners Creek, Western Branch, Butts
Road, Washington. Pleasant Grove anu
Deep Creek. BY previous ngreemeht fu.
sion registrars were put IN charge OF
the first three districts and straghtont
registrars In charge of the last three
rho result Of tho registration showed tho
following registration ofsnegrocs:
1909. 1908. Total
Tanners Crock .........16S 22s WV
Western Branch ........2a2 H6 .1s
Butts Road ...... ......1ao ~ ~
s74
washington $500. ~ "a "a i Ss
Pleasant Grove ......l.... 10 ~ o..
Deep Creek ......a...... 81 70 ~
$50
This makes n grand total Of 1890 ne
groes registered III tho county, OF "hisn
the Fusionsts registered S74 ana .ne
straightouts registered SSb. mess Ines .s
,res are slightly nt variance with lhose
which have been previously given out
other statements which I have seen IN
print making the grand total 1,246. lout
NV figures were taken directly from the
books
That Is a pretty bad showing on Its
fo RI and vet In fairness something must
be said in, extenuation. The most popu-
lous negro districts are Tanners Creeh
and Western Branch. although tne
straightouts claim that there are amos.
as many negroes In washington als.i ~
as in either of these two. had no means
Of ascertaining the negro population IN
the several districts. but the Commission
or of the Revenue. Mr.. Moore, who I'M,
pressed mo az being a fair and honest
man. and such is his reputation. said that
in Tanners Creek there are $40 negroes
who were entitled to register as proper
ty owners. and in the Western Branch
district 355 such negroes. ! also louiu
from looking over the books that IN some
precincts many negroes registered as
sons OF veterans In ono such precinct
out Of fifty-eight negroes registered
twenty-five registered under this clause.
However, the fact remains that the
Fusionists registered more than twice as
many negroes as tho straightouts regis
tered, and there are reasons to believe
that at least in one district, determined
and preconcerted effort was MADE 10
qualify negroes by raising their prop
erty assessment But of this later on.
Another statement just here: INC l. u
sionIsts say that before this registration
there were 5000 registered negro voters
in Norfolk county. But that statement IS
manifestly an exaggeration. the Who1e
negro population Of tho county is given
at, 1000 which would Indicate voting
strength of something like 5000. But inc
registration books had not been pursed.
| so I am informed, for many years, ana
it is possible that many names were on
the list which did not belong there.
DAMAGING FIGURES.
Now we come to the most interesting
part Of the story. The new Constitution
went into effect on July 10th, l9O2 sec
ton 10 provided that at the general reg
istratlon to be held in 1902 and l9os
every male citizen Of the United States
having the qualifications OF age and res
idence required in Section IS should DC
| - ar owned