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 the 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.