her means to maintain control. At last, they passed a law creating a
state electoral commission.

This commission was composed of three democrats. These three democrats
were given the power to appoint three persons in each county as an
Electoral Board. These county electoral boards would appoint judges
for each precinct or voting place in the county. They would also
appoint a special constable at each voting booth to assist the
illiterate voters.

With rare exceptions, the officials were democrats, and with the
entire state's election machinery in their hands the democrats could
manage elections according to their "own sweet will." It goes without
saying that the democrats always carried any and every precinct that
they decided, and elections were mere farces.

Such was the condition of affairs when Bernard came forward as a
candidate from the Second Congressional District. The district was
overwhelmingly republican, but the democrats always secured the
office.

It was regarded as downright foolhardy to attempt to get elected to
Congress from the District as a republican; so the nomination was
merely passed around as an honor, empty enough.

It was such a feeling that inspired the republicans to nominate
Bernard; but Bernard entered the canvass in dead earnest and conducted
a brilliant campaign.

The masses of colored people rallied around his flag. Ministers of
colored churches came to his support. Seeing that the colored people
were so determined to elect Bernard, the white republicans, leaders
and followers, fell into line. Viola Martin organized patriotic clubs
among the women and aroused whatever voters seemed lethargic.

The day of election came and Bernard was elected by a majority
of 11,823 votes; but the electoral boards gave the certificate of
election to his opponent, alleging his opponent's majority to be
4,162.

Bernard decided to contest the election in Congress, and here is where
Leonard's fine work was shown. He had, for sometime, made it appear in
Norfolk that he was a democrat of the most radical school. The leading
democrats made his acquaintance and Leonard very often composed
speeches for them. He thus became a favorite with certain prominent
democrats and they let him into the secret workings of the electoral
machinery. Thus informed, Leonard went to headquarters of the
Democratic party at Richmond with a view to bribing the clerks to give
him inside facts. He found the following to be t