Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-11-02
09lo Statesman,
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY
The Ohio Statesman Company
WEDNESDAY MORNING, MOVE.
Address Of the Indiana Democratic
State Oommil tee.
The Late Election Frauds --. Repub-
Iioa-, Ousrayes upon Free Elections
-. How Morton was Elected

the State of Indiana:
The Democratic State Central Committee
deem it proper once more to address you
prior the approaching Presidential cleo
ton, not for the purpose OF discussing the
principles that underlie our institutions, or
developing the policy that should govern
in the administration of our public affairs
(these you understand and appreciate) ; nor
for the purpose of exposing the corrup-
tions of the present Federal Administra-
tion, and its departure from the paths in
which our fathers trod, when guided by the
lights of the Constitution and the laws
(these also are known and deeply felt by
you); but rather for the purpose of arous-
ing you to O full appreciation of the dan
gers that surround us as a people, and by
the most earnest words we can command
to urge upon you the duty of making one
more effort-an effort worthy great peo-
ple-to save our institutions that support
public right and shelter individual liberty.
The advantage gained by the Admins
tration party in our recent State election,
was achieved by such means as will not en-
able the good men of that party to rejoice,
and ought not to cause us discouragement.
That the most stupendous frauds were prac-
ticed is not denied by any candid man even
of that party. That such frauds were sys-
tematically perpetrated is apparent to u.s.
State, when frauds in an election have been
systematically practiced on so extensive
scale. Instances have occurred, and have
been judiciously exposed, as in Morgan,
Rush and Fountain counties, where frauds
against the Democracy were open and
shameless-but were confined to those To-
calities. Now, they have been made to eX
tend to almost every point where railroad
facilities enabled the guilty parties to trans
fer voters from point to point. SO palpable
is the cheat that person not familiar with
our railroad locations can take map of our
State, and by the d of the returns of the
late elections, by townships, trace the routes
of these roads by the increase of the Re-
publican vote over former years. This in
crease is the largest nearest the city, and
diminishes as we recede from it; except in
a few instances on the border of the State,
where it is apparent the Illegal help came
temporarily from other States.
Thus as the volume of fraud increases
as we approach this point, it is evidence
that the headquarters of the managers and
perpetrators were in this city; aside from
the notorious fact that illegal voting was
practiced here to an unheard of extent. The
result was the increase of the Republican
majorities, as in the counties of Hamilton,
Hendricks, Marion, Henry and Wayne, or
the decrease of the Democratic majOrities,
as in Vigo, Clay, Vanderburg, Floyd and
Dearborn. Many small precincts upon rail-
roads show an enormous increase that can
not be accounted for by any additions to
the inhabitants either the day before or the
day after the election. The same facts
without doubt exist, but are not so readily
perceived, in more populous places. 1t is
manifest that the Republican majority in
this township, for instance, is greater than
the legal voters of both parties added to-
gether. There are some points at which
the frauds were so unblushing that even
our opponents are ashamed of them, and
are attempting to offer lame and impotent
explanations, as in the instance of this city,
and Hamilton, Vigo, Wayne and Ripley
counties. In other counties the evidence is
so palpable that the sanctity of the ballot
box itself was invaded, that no explanation
is attempted, but public attention is sought
to be diverted by the old rogue's cry of
thief! thief!! This is so as to Delaware,
Henry, Johnson, etc.
But, not content with general charges,
let us look to acts. These are readily ar
rived at, without swearing witnesses in a
case where the swindle is on so large
scale as this. BY the statute every citizen
between the ages of twenty-one and fifty
years has a poll tax assessed to him. OF
course, if all vote, the vote will be greater
tion should not vary much one year with
another-nor in different counties in the
same year. In 1850, when, without doubt,
the full strength of each party was brought
out, there were, as will appear by the state
ment below, one hundred and twenty-nine
votes east for Governor, for each one hun
dred polls assessed; that is, votes cast 263, ,694
polls assed 203,09S. In 1862 there were one
hundred and sixteen votes cast for Secre-
tary of State for each one hundred polls as
sessed; that is, 246,163 votes, and 209,342
polls assessed. The returns of polls asses
ed for 1864 are not yet made from many of
the counties to the proper office; we will
therefore compare the assessment Of 1868
with the vote of the present year. Some of
the counties have returned for 1854, to wit:
Franklin, Shelby, Lake, Pulaski, Tippe-
canoe and Lawrence, in each of which
falling off in the number Of polls, since last
year, is shown--667 in all of said counties.
The official returns of the recent election,
for all the counties, are not in; Perry, Jack
son, Lawrence, johnson, Vermilion, st.
Joseph aud Whitley not having been re-
ceiyed. ,f .t,e,s,s s,.lo.fft ta.... rs
The counties officially in give ....... .2es,5es
Those not in will give eabout,...,....., 2o,o 600
The polls assessed in 1858 were. zoe, ,7e2
This would give about one hundred and
thirty-fiv votes cast for Governor for each
one hundred polls assessed. 1t will be OBJ
served that the polls returned In 1859 were
less than 1862, This is to be accounted for
by the large number of men taken off to
the army. So far as the returns have been
made this decrease of polls still continues
this year-but, notwithstanding that de-
crease, the volume of ballots cast is in
creased near forty Thousand over that of
two years ago, thus overcoming our major
ity Of $500 at that time, and giving Cover
nor Morton about 10000 majority. yroEH
1t is manifest that great part of this ap-,
portionment is a fction-a fraud; for sure
ly the waste Of life in this war, and the abb
sence from the State of our citizens enga-
ged in 1t, is nearly as great as the increase
of voting population, Then, what party
has received the benefit Of this false and
fictitious addition to our population? This
is susceptible Of the clearest proof by the
tables we give below, In the first table,
the first column of figures is the polls as
sessed in the counties named, in 1858 lex
cept Tippecanoe and Franklin, which are
for the year 1857 The second column is
the vote cast in this election; the third coll
umn is the number of votes cast for each
one hundred polls assessed in each Of the
d.