Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1868-02-12
The Contested Election Case.

grant with the odOr or ''sWeet "nN -
evidently designed to prepare the faithfuitor the
decision which they know to be inevitable, viz :
that Samuel I. Shugart does not hold his seat In |
the Senate by virtue of the maturity OF the votes
of the qualified electors of the Twenty First Sen
atoraI District but that he obtained his certificate
through gross fraud upon th people. and retains
his seat defiance of the popular will, as con-
stitutonally and legally expressed through the
ballot box. To direct attention from the ma'erial
and i'm iaets in the case, and to screen the
guilty agents in the fraud. the Copperhead papers
are beslavering with their slime and filth every
body connected with the contestants side of the
cause-counseI witnesses, and parties. In this
congenial task the RspuJiican is fully up to its
usual standard, and pours out its vituperations
with a copiousness and duency that would have
done credit to Daniel O'Connell's 6sh-woman
1t is not surprising that the Chairman of the
Democratic State Central Committee should feel
considerable annoyance at the disclosures now
being made at Harrisburg. but that he and his
man Friday should make that annoyance public:
betrays a weakness, on the part of the astute Sen
ator. for which scarcely prepared. 1t
would haze been wiser, perhaps, had he SUPP ress-
ed his anxiety for people are wont to suppose that
there cannot be so much smoke without little
fire.
He seem. to be especially exercised over the
testimony of an Irishman named 0'Meara, who
was one of the bosses on the Railroad, and
whose gang was among those transferred to
Pbilipsburg for the purpose of voting,-and he
labors to produce the impression that the whole
case of the contestant rests upon his evidence. So
far is this from the truth, however, that, are
informed. over one hundred and twenty witness
bo,, ,lr dy hoo nod and thaa
on the part of the petitioner ia not yet closed,
Moreover, the testimony of O'Meara, rs appears
from the article in the Republican, relates exclu
sively to the fraud perpetrated at Phiipsburg
and it is incontestably established by other and
independent evidence. There certain facts
most of which are familiar to all people, that
prove the Philipshurg fraud beyond the possibii-
ity of doubt denial. Nearly every body in this
| community knows that from eighty to hun
| dred Irishmen were transferred from the unfn-
ished work on the Railroad, in this county TO
Philipsburg and Rush township, in Centre county.
where they quartered at hotels, twelve days
before the election. That most of these Irishmen
were assessed tlro dayt 6efors Asy moUsa
from his county. from list furnished By Mark
Leddy of the walking bosses" has been es-
,ab'ished. credibiy informed by the
were brought to the polls by the same Mark Led
dy, and voted the Democratic ticket, all know
who present at the election. That they
ted on naturalization papers purporting to be is
sued from the Court of Luzerne county, bearing
date the 2Sth September, 1865, has been fully
proven by the Inspectors and Clerks of the elec
ton, That Sach papers issued has
been demonstrated by examination Of the rec
ords of Luzerne county, and proven by Nike Phil
bin, the Irish Proth hono tary of Luzerne county,
who testified that his forged to the
tifcates. IF these facts do not incontestably es-
tabiish the fraud, without regard 10 anything
O'Meara may have testified. then, We say, Mr.
Shugart ought to retain his seat.
The testimony of O'Mcara was entirely subor
dinate to the material allegations of the contest
ant, and was in no manner essential to the estab
lishment of the fraud. 1t related, rather to the
details Of the translction-how the were
moved how the forged papers brought
how they were prepared for use-how they were
distributed among the men, etc. That portion of
his evidence relating to the payment of money.
was not brought out by the contestant any part
of his ease, but ELECTED by the questions Of
Mr. Shugart's counsel, cross KAN ination
Hence, if 1t implicated the Chairman of the State
Central Committee, and his Chaplain. the Priest
or any other person, they have nobody to thank
but themselves. So far from the tesim ony being
full of inconsisteucics and contradictions; we
assured it is strongly ard Thoroughly corrobor-
| ated in every particular. and when published. rs
it will be. with II the other evidence vii; furnish
| its own best answer to all the Copperhead libels
aud asPei sions that have been heaped upon it.
That a stupendous and outrageous fraud was
perpetrated on the people of the Twenty First
Senatorial District by the transfer of unnatural
lied foreigners from this county, cannot be gain
sayed denied and that the Chairman of the
Democratic State Central Committee should ear
nestly desire to escape its blity is
ably 10 be expected Hence. not surprised
at his efforts through his organ, to direct atten-
tion from th important fcts in the cHse by abuse
of the counsel and witnesses. 1t will be exceed
ingly difficult however. to make people believe
that this fraud was perpetrated without, at least
his Knowledge and consent. The lrishmen were
moved from this county about the 26th of Septen-
Der. at which time. if we are not mistaken the
Senator was at home, attending Court and one of
the MeSsrs Collins was on a visit at his house
He had just returned from Philadelphia after
com pIeting careful canvass of the District and
knew exactly how many imported votes were
necessary carry it. He is.moreover the peculiar
guardian of the railroad on which these men were
working, and it is not at all probable that such a
transfer could have teen msde without his kuowl-
edge, as well of the fact of its purpose. When
we consider these circumstances. in the light of
the developmen nts made at Harrisburg they leave
but little room to doubt at whose instance the
hundred men were thrown, so oppOrtunely, into
Centre county.
As to the attack on Messrs. Cessna and Swoope,
we have only to say that they are ahnndantlY