Year: 1876




From Saturdays Philadelphia Times.


Judge j. T. Bernard, one OF the Conn
nissioners to the Centennial Exposition
of Florida, was conversed with at the
grounds yesterday touching his political
knowledge of the State and the ultimate
tendency of its Presidel tial vote. The
Judge, though by birth Virginian, has
lived in Florida twenty-seven years, and
is pretty thoroughly acquainted with the
manner of Its political manipulation. 81
was under the impression" said he, that
the State would go Republican by
small majority, but when L read the AS
sociated Press dispatches and private teie
grams from that section my opinion was
changed at once, and have now no
doubt whatever that neat Democratic
majority has been scored. The counties
thus far heard from are what are called
the 'nigger counties They lie along,the
line of the railroads that lead TO the capl
tai, and of course the results Of their
elections are the first TO be received. The
territory which embraces these counties
runs contiguous, too, some OF them, to the
State of Georgia Their population is
made up strongly of colored people, and
il. the registration lists the blacks were but
few behind the whites On the other hand,
in the counties further off there are very
few negroes. In Polk county, Tor in
stance, there are but three or four Re
publican voters in population of 500 or
or 600. In some OF the white counties
thev have abolished the precincts IN the
country, thus giving TO the towns, where
the negroes predominate, the benefit of
the entire Republican vote. For this
and the reason that the negroes are apt
to enter the Capital in arms during the
canvassing of the votes, and that the
whites will without doubt do the same
thing, / look upon the call for troops as
an absolute necessity. They are needed
even now, dare say, to keep the public
peace and prevent collision"


ais it a fact that the Democrats control
the Returning Board"


"Oh, my, no; that board is entirely in
the hands of the Republicans. 1t is COM
posed OF the Secretary OF State, State
Treasurer and Attorney General. | be-
leve them 10 be fair men, however, and
have no doubt that q fair count will be
made. William r. Cock will probably
be admitted to assist the board. de IS a
Democrat, and is trusted by the people.
Cock voted for Grant in IL and for the
present Republican Governor, but took
the stump st the outset OF the past cam
paign for Tiden 1t Is my belief that
the days of bslotbox stuting in the
South have passed, and though | am
Republican concede the election
of the Democratic ticket in Florida.
The great influx of negroes from
Georgia lately led me to suppose the
State would go Republican, but as they
nave already done their best in the dis
trirts in which they have made their
home, am not in doubt concerning the
ability of the white counties to over
come their vote, and make the State
Democratic by at least 1000. As for
Key West, it is made up principally OF
Cuoans, who voted the Republican
ticket in IA, and the Democratic ticket
the other day. To prevent this latter
result, Cuban was appointed rostmsst-
er of Jacksonville some time ago, but
this had no effect whatever.


"Under the law, thirty days are allow
ed the inspectors to make official returns,
and it will probably be the middle OF
next week before anything OF definite
character is learned From Dsde county
the returns must travel TO Key West, a
distance of sixty miles; thence to Cedar
KEYS, q distance Of two days from the
Capital. Nothing authentic will be
known. therefore until twelve days
have elapsed from the day OF election.