Page:Disunion and restoration in Tennessee (IA disunionrestorat00neal).pdf/81

 any serious conflicts or disturbances of the peace. The result was not long in doubt. It could be seen on the following day from the partial returns that Governor Senter had been elected by an enormous majority.

The official returns were as follows:

East Tennesssee    23,877    22,471 Middle  "          58,646    19,149 West     "          37,681    13,209 -                      120,204    54,874                    54,874                   -    Senter's majority   65,330

The Conservative candidates to the Legislature, who stood upon the same platform as Governor Senter, were elected almost to a man.

Immediately after election, Mr. Stokes and his friends raised the cry of fraud. They lost no time in hurrying to Washington in order to bring pressure to bear upon President Grant to declare the election void. Mr. Stokes set forth his claims in a lengthy interview. He said in part: "Governor Senter being governor or acting-governor had the appointment of the registrars of the election. He put in such men as he thought would do his bidding. They at once opened the flood-gates and let everybody in, the disfranchising clauses of the Constitution were trodden under foot and entirely disregarded, certificates of qualification as voters were issued to disfranchised rebels, and even boys of sixteen and seventeen were allowed to vote. Besides this there was a course of intimidation pursued under the instruction of Senter which prevented hundreds of Republicans from voting. You see Senter was governor. He had militia and intended to use them, if necessary, to elect him