Would you walk miles to vote? Years ago in Harlan county they did just that or rode horse back. The voting precincts were so few and far between that the voters left home early in the morning to go to the polls on election day. Of course that included only men folk because women didn't vote then.

Before 1890 there was no secret voting. You merely walked up to the poll and told the election officer who you wanted to vote for. The candidates names were written on a book. Your vote was marked by the canidates name.

An old timer rembered when he was a small boy he went with his father to vote near Cawood. Ewell Napier was the election officer and he was under a cliff and marked the votes as the voters came.

Opened Avenues Of Fraud

The elections then were more fair but after the secret Australian ballot as it is called came into existance it opened avenues of fraud even though it did protect the employees.

As late as 1909 women did not vote. Some of them felt as if they should have a part in politics, so on election day they baked gingerbread cookies and other sweets and carried baskets of them to the polls to sell along with red, juicy apples.

Sometimes the women folk threatened, "if you don't buy my gingerbread, my old man will vote against you." Many old time politicians recall buying many a basket of gingerbread and apples. He couldn't make enemies you know.

Years ago then primary elections were held the first Saturday in April but was later changed to August. Each candidiate used a symbol or banner of his picture on the ballot. The ballot above shows pictures and symbols.

Animals Used As Symbols

J.B. Smith, who ran for the office of magistrate used the anvil and hammer; William Roark, the pig;M.H. Sergent, a dove and E.T. Huff, a string of fish.

One one of the jaunts over the country Cam J. Lewis went along with another politician because he wasn't too familiar with the land. It was cold wintery day in February and snow was on the ground.

As it began to get late, the politicians looked for a place to spend the night. They rode up tp Mr. Allgood's house on Cranks Creek and asked if they might "put up for the night."

"Yes sir get down and come right in," he said. Right behind the two men was Mose Howard, another politician. Luckily they were all running for the same office. He was welcomed, too. It was a log house with just one bed room but southern hospitality prevailed.

Been Around Before

As Lewis and his host sat talking after supper, the other two men claimed to be sleepy and went to bed. They had probabley been around before and knew there were only two beds.

Allgood was a Holliness preacher and he talked and prayed with Lewis and his success.

"I knew the two men over in the bed were laughing but I thought I was doing a pretty good job of electioneering," Mr. Lewis said. Next morning they went down to the branch to was their faces.

As Lewis recalled they had to break the ice. How did I "do'? he asked his laughing friends. "Man he can't vote, he is just out of the asylum." Lewis learned that it is a good idea to know if the person is an elgible voter before wasting so much time.

8 Precincts In County

During the primary election eight precincts were spread over the county. Two were on Clover Fork; two on Martins Fork; two down the river and two in town. From Ages to harlan and from Pine Mountain to harlan all voted in town. Everybody rode horse back to the polls or walked if they lived near enough.

Between 300 and 400 would have been considered a heavy vote for Harlan and surroundings in those days. It didn't take too long to count the votes. The election officers tallied heir precinct before bringing their box to the court house.

As the boxes came in the totals were put on the record and the final results were soon learned. In 1909 a total of 1500 votes were case in the county's attorney's race in Harlan County.

In the early days, the politicians life was rugged. The usual round over the county took a week with most of the houses scattered out in the county. As the few politicians still living stated,"we usually began at the head of Clover Fork on horse back and crossed Big Black mountain and went into Poor Fork."

Start At Daybreak

It was a long hard journey. Usually two politicians went along together but sometimes they went alone for fear of making enemines or losing votes.

The pictured official ballot on page one was signed by J.C. Brock, secretary of Harlan County Committee and by J.F. Skidmore, clerk of the election.

Candidates and the offices they were seeking are as follows. W.A. Brock and J.B. Carter, county attorney; W.C. Turner and L.S. Skidmore, county court Clerk; Wiley M. Saylor and M.W. Howard, circuit court clerk and John L. Howard, J.S. Kelly and J.C. Metcalfe, sheriff; Britt Howard, Harrison C. Cornett, John M. Middleton, John H. Nolan and W.A. Creech, jailer; Cam J. Lewis, W.L. Bailey and D.H. Howard, county superintendent;

and Thomas C. Noe, J.K. Farley, William Roarke, M.H. Sergent, E.T. Huff and Henry Hensley assessor; J.C. Napier, E.M. Johnson and J.B. Smith, magistrate.

Sunday October 26, 1952

Volume 51 Number 253

Pages 1 & 6

Click Here to return to Main Harlan County Page