he character of the
work done at headquarters.

A poll of all the voters in the state was made. The number of white
and the number of colored voters in each voting precinct was secured.
The number of illiterate voters of both races was ascertained. With
these facts in their possession, they had conducted all the campaign
necessary for them to carry on an election. Of course speakers were
sent out as a sham, but they were not needed for anything more than
appearances.

Having the figures indicated above before them, they proceeded to
assign to each district, each county, each city, each precinct just
such majorities as they desired, taking pains to make the figures
appear reasonable and differ somewhat from figures of previous
years. Whenever it would do no harm, a precinct was granted to the
republicans for the sake of appearances.

Ballot boxes of varied patterns were secured and filled with ballots
marked just as they desired. Some ballots were for republicans, some
for democrats, and some marked wrong so as to indicate the votes of
illiterates. The majorities, of course, were invariably such as suited
the democrats. The ballots were all carefully counted and arranged;
and tabulated statements of the votes cast put in. A sheet for the
returns was put in, only awaiting the signatures of the officials
at the various precincts in order to be complete. These boxes were
carried by trusted messengers to their destinations.

On election day, not these boxes, but boxes similar to them were used
to receive the ballots. On the night of the election, the ballot boxes
that actually received the votes were burned with all their contents
and the boxes and ballots from Richmond were substituted. The judges
of election took out the return sheet, already prepared, signed it
and returned it to Richmond forthwith. Thus it could always be
known thirty days ahead just what the exact vote in detail was to
be throughout the entire state. In fact a tabulated statement was
prepared and printed long before election day.

Leonard paid a clerk at headquarters five thousand dollars for one of
these tabulated statements. With this he hurried on to Washington
and secretly placed it before the Republican Congressional Campaign
Committee, with the understanding that it was to be used after
election day as a basis for possible contest. Fifteen of the most
distinguished clergymen in the nation were summoned to Washington and
made affidavits, sta