The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1868-11-18
Illegal Voting Cases.

A fair sample of Democratic frauds was
fathomed by jury of this county last week,
and ascertained to be wholly legal. We
have heard much about the fraudulent
naturalization papers of the Irishmen of
Kent but we have always thought it was
only the cry of s'stop thief" made by the
real criminals, in order TO shield their own
infamies. We are now prepared to assert
it on the authority of Judicial Investiga-
ton. In order to give this cry of ''fraud''
some semblance of truth, three citizens of
Irish nativity were arreste and indicted for
the crime of Illegal voting At the October
election, although, as the sequel proved,
they had legal right to vote. They de-
manded trial ThemAs Garvey, whose
case the persecuter thought most likely to
result in conviction, having been committed
to jail, was compelled to remain within its
dreary, dismal walls to await his trial and
that trial was postponed until after the Pres
idential election, that day on which every
freeman was breathing the pure air of heaY-
en-, welding the ballot, that mighty engine
of power. and executing freeman's will,
GarVey was prisoner, inhaling the noxious
atmosphere of jail, forced to be the com
panion of burglars, fOrgers, thieves and
scoundrelly penitentiary convicts, disfran-
chised and Illegally arrested by his persecut-
ing political opponents for no other crime
than having exercised the rights of q free
man in opposition to their behests.
His was not to vote, and why7
His was not to make reply;
Cross-bars at the right OF him
Cross-bars to the LETT of him;
Cross-barS all around him,
Blended and bolted.
A trial was had, and not a shadow of evil
ton. The case was submitted to q jury,
most of whom were Republicans, but all OF
whom were MEN and not mere PARTIzANs,
and they Immediately returned with unan-
imous verdict of 'tnot guilty" The Prose
cutting Attorney with PROSECUTING witness
by the name of Isaac Archer, patriotically
rallied around Michael Halloran, who was
the next to be tried, coaxing him to pay the
costs and they would let him free of prosecu-
ton. Michael told them he had no money,
but so tenacious were these newly acquired
FRIENDS that they proposed to advance mon
| ey for him and trust to his ''honor" to pay
back in labor. We regret to say that they
finally succeeded in this way IN getting thi.
innocent man to pay Sc, OO, that being about
half the amount of the costs. That evening
the Prosecutor called the attention of the
Court to number 160, and said that it might
be nollied. Oh, crime, how easily erased
Oh, innocence, how treacherously punished
If Halloran was guilty, the Prosecutor wa:
| guilty of malfeasance in nollying the Indict
ment; if innocent, he had no right to extor
5000 or any other amount from him. II
one case, the interests of the State would be
unsafe under such guidance; and in the 9th
er, the rights of individual are jeopardized
The truth is, these men were innocent, but,
by means of their arrest they were deferred
from voting and many other voters wer'
kept from the polls through fear of prose
cution; for, if these innocent men, who had
obtained their naturalization papers could bt
thus arrested, imprisoned and put to the ex
pense, trouble and vexation of defending
themselves against these false and maliciou
charges, what safety was there for any citi
zen Of foreign birthl After this exhibition
of Radical malignity let us hear no more
about Democratic frauds in Portage county
l-DRM. PRKss, RAvENNA.