Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-05-01
Political Corruption.
HOW VOTES ARE GoT-A DEMOCRATIC STATE COM
MITTEE IMPLICATED IN FORGERY.

HOW VOTES ARE GoT-A DEMOCRATIC STATE com
MITTEE IMPLICATED IN FORGERY.
The following paragraphs from the Phila
delphia american let little light into tn,
mystery of suddenly increased Democratic
majorities
contested election case has occupied much
Of the time Of the Senate at the present term Of
the Pennsylvania Legislature, and has concluded
with tn. Ousting of the Democratic incumbent,
Samuel 7. Shugart, and the swearing in of the
Republican contestant. John X Robinson, as
the representative of the Senatorial district COM
posed of Blair Huntingdon, Centre, Milflin,
Juniata and Perry counties. Blair and Hunt
inglon give very strong Republican majorities
at every election. Mifiin, Iuniata and Perry
are close and doubtful counties at all times
Centre county gives a reliable Democratic ma
jority, but not enough honestly to carry the dis
| trict against such majorities as Blair and Hunt
ingdon pile up At the last election it was
deemed desirable to increase the Democratic
strength in the Senate, and accordingly great
! efforts were made to carry every district that
/ was supposed to be at all vulnerable
Among the rest was this large central district,
and having control of the polls in Centre county,
the Democratic State Committee made arrange
ments to do the thing up good and strong there,
and in SC doing to aid in electing Judge Shars-
wood to the Supreme Court. How il was done
the committee in this contested case have dis
closed, after examining three hundred and eighty
witnesses, whose evidence will make printed
volume as large as the Senate Journal. 1t ar-
pears from these revelations that at the late elec-
ton forged naturalization papers were manufac-
tured in Philadelphia, and sent TO trusty agents
in various parts of the State as freely as they
were in 1886. These papers were soaked in
coffee, to give them an appearance Of age, and
II is in evidence that they were used in great
numbers in Luzerne county, where the Demo-
cratic majority shows the result.
So abundant were they in that county, that
full supply was obtained there for the frauds
perpetrated in Centre county. They bore the
seal Of the Court Of Luzerne and the signature
Of the Prothonotary, VI. J. Philbin, who, If
course, must have been cognzant Of the ailair
In Centre county there were not aliens or un-
naturalizei foreigners to suffice for the work
but a railroad was in process Of construction in
an adjoining county, on which a large number
of this class Of Irish We're employed. under
boss named Mark Leldy, into whose hands the
forget naturalization papers We're put, and he
distributed them. little more than ten days /
before the election his employees marched In a
body to Phiiipsburg, squatted at the various ho-
tels, their board provided, their uames assessed /
As voters, and prepared tickets furnished them. /
and on election day they went in loly TO the I
polls, swore their votes through, lal NO. doubt /
were paid for il.
To prevent the exposure OF these doiucs the .
most desperate cxortous were made. and auuq- /
rently under the direction of the Democratic .
State Committee. One witness was murdered I'm I
ctl1 Il....1 vrirf
ing testified before the committee u inyc-ti-l-
ton. Apriest testified before the committee To-
having. after correspondence with tla State
Committee, paid a witness five hundred dollars
20 leave the State, and remain away until the in
quiry should he over. third witues-. named .
Jones, was hidden away ia q stable. and his
food carried To him daily from the hotel where
majority Of the irishmcn had leeu quauercl,
while fourth was rescued from the officers ly
one Of the railroad contractors, and escaped
All these schemes failed To prevent d thor
ough exposure Of the fraud. The senator ,,ho
held III, seat by this base coutriyaucc h1- been
oustel, and Mr.. Robinson. his Republican cam-
Tetitor, put in his place 1t was by Such means
rs this that the State q Peunsy yivania elected
Judge Of the supreme Court.
Commenting upon the above facts, the
Am0r,egn says
We have here ndi>putahle proof chat the
Democratic Stale Committee is a haiy ihet uu-
der preteXt ol organizing tIc party iU tt- cOu-
mouwealth, patrouize- frauds ~ the -.-4cst and
most outrageous character, for the purpose e
influencing enough Legislative. votes o. carry the
State ticket ia case Of close contest.
What il here alluded TO is only what has Been
exhumei in a single district, because there alone
was there contested election case. But there
I
general wherever the Democrats hll thc coi.-
trol Of the election officers.
This great fraud upon the ec.tivs franchise,
though known 90 exist, has never been So clearly
traced TO the Democratic State tuuu;ttcc ls "ls
done ia the Centre county contested election
case. That admits Of uo denial or explanation.
There stands the sworn evidence of witnesses
taken from the Democratic ranks The only an
swer 20 it Is q revival Of the Old hue aul cry
about kuow-Nothingism Every foreigner who
has really been properly naturili7si ought 90
feel his rights infrinced 10y the issue Of these
forged papers. The laws ofthe republic provide
certain forms and fix certain probationary
time, which the really naturalzed citizen has
gone through. But the holder of the forged pa
per takes no oath, mdere0cs no examination,
pays no fee, and is in fact neither "a citizen nor
fit 20 he one.
The same Democratic committee that Is now
proven to be a permanent engine for fraud in
this manner, strains every nerve TO prevent any
colored native born American from voting, 10
matter how intelligent, how well qualified in cy-
erv WAY that goes 20 constitute a good citizen
The making Of this contrast by Republicans Is
regarded 10y Democrats as 4 setting up Of ne
groes against white men. Look at it, Here
are thousands upon thousands OF aliens eutit-
tied to no vote, but voting through forgery and