The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-10-31
STATEMENT OF ELECTORAL
BOARD or LOUISA COUNTY

Our attention has been called 10 tn
circulation by the Republican campaign
workers and speakers. and 10y Mr. Absa.
lom Waller. Republican candidate Ion
STATE Senate from this district. oil "a re-
port in other portions OF the state, ana
especially in the 18th Senatorial district
of Virginia outside of Louisa county, 10
the effect that ignorant negro Judges ol
election have been appointed III Louisa
county. and that these negroes are being
forced 10 serve under threat of being fined,
all witha viewtO the preparation fraud
hy the Democrats OF Louisa IN the ai-
preaching election.
I'm our own county where the facts are
known. no statement from Us Is neces-
sarv. but as we understand that a false
impression is being made elsewhere, we
deem it our duty 10 make statement oil
tie facts. which are a. follows:
There is no foundation whatever IN
truth for this charge.
The present negro judges OF election Tor
Louisa county Were appointed by H.
electoral board on March 18th, l9O1.
There was no request before the board
either on the part of Democrats or Re
pubicans 70 have any particular person
or persons so appointed. The board.
then almost TO a man, except IN case oi
deaths or removals, appointed the same
Judges of election that had been appoint
ed for some twenty years, and who have
been approved by the Republican party
of the county. which has been composed
almost exclusively OF negroes. Not a
single one OF the negro judges OF election
in Louisa county is an ignorant negro,
as charged. On the contrary, all oil them,
without exception, are educated, can
read and write. and are all men OF char
acter and exceptional intelligence, who
stand az well in their respective cOmmu-
mites as many OF the white Republicans
therein. where there are any white Re
publicans. One of them has been one or
more times the Republican candidate Tor
the Legislature from this county. and a
number OF them are preachers The ne
gro election Judges, therefore, so appoint
ed We're entitled To their appointments,
where made, as representatives OF their
party i'm this county. and Were appointed
/ for this reason solely.
We have never forced any Judges ol
election to serve by any threat nor at
/ tempted so to do.
There has never been any fraud m the
elections of Louisa county, within our
/ knowledge or belief, affecting the honest
count of the votes as east. Even in the
dark DAYS of reconstruction, when there
was over four hundred registered negro
majority in Louisa county, and ever
since. the vote has been counted as cast.
The records of the Legislature will show
that louisa has been represented time
and again by negroes. This was because
they out-voted the whites and their votes
were counted. Many of the same Judges
who acted then are acting now. Again
The Democrats OF Louisa are OF one
mind that no money shall be usedin cleo
tions and that they shall be absolutely
free in this county from anything illegal
tor dishonest whatever, and no Democrat
elsewhere in the district or State has OF
will have any cause to feel any sense OF
shame or reproach by reason OF the elec-
ton methods being pursued and which
will be pursued by the Democrats OF
Louisa.
Respectfully,
VIM. Overton, Chairman
+. A. Kean,
G. W. Goodwin,
| I,i-4,uol poord of I ot,ioo Counfx-