The Waynesburg Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 1867-18??, 1868-07-01
MURDER IN POLITICs.

In our last article upon the election
frauds in Pennsylvania in 1867, we
pointed out the advantages of coffee in
giving to fraudulent naturalization
papers a color of antiquity agreeing
with their pretended date. AS we
advance in our investigations Of the
Democratic doings in the XXIst Sen
atorial District, we find that the inter
est deepens from the comedy Of coffee
to the tragedy otassassination. When
Shugart had carried the District by the
votes of laborers upon the Tyrone and
Clcarfcld Railroad, changed from
aliens into American citizens by the
magic Of spurious papers, it being ap-
parent 10 all men that there had
been considerable Democratic cheating
round that board, it became prudent
to get rid, as soon as possible, of these
fancy citizens. There was no further
use for them, and, whenever it was
feasible, they were run out ofthe neigh
borhood, and even out Of the State.
Somo Of them were sent to hide them
selves in the woods some oft.em were
transported to New York but with
one of them at least a shorter and
sharper method was adopted, John
Casey, "naturalized' NAVY, testified
before the Legislative Committee to
certain rather remarkable facts. He
slid he was "as "ignorant as a baste
that he received a naturalization paper
from one of the Democratic wire
workers; that he "votcl Democratic" /"
as he was told to do. Now mark
what bofeIl this poor, unfortunate
devil who was foolhardy enough to
disclose the truth. -Four days after
giving his testimony he was found on
the highway, near Clearfeld, brutally
murdered! Thus the great Democratic
enterprise advanced from larceny to
forgery, from forgery to bribery, from
bribery to perjury, from perjury to
MURDER a victim who suffers him
self to get into the clutches Of the
Pennsylvania Democratic State Com
mitteo must be careful how he INDUCES
in the luxury oftclling the truth, cyea
when he happens to be under oath.
Let spectators whointenl to negotiate
with the Dem Jcratic leaders this Fall
remember the fate of John Casey,
Ofcoursc, murder in the long run is
rather a risky resource. There were
2,200 Of these ra5oally naturalization
papers distributed by the Democrats
in Luzerne County, and it would
hardly be safe to knock on the head
the 1920 poor wrctches who voted
upon the strength Of them. This was
a kind Of wholesale massacre from
which even the Democratic National
Committee might shrink, and which,
fortunately for them, was hardly nee
cssary. John Casey was killed IN ter
rorcm and the 2,2O0 sham citizens all
took warning and were careful how
they talked Of the base uses to which
they had been put. Some Of them
consented to abscond. Some of them
agreed to 90 into. hiding. Some of
them disappeared under suspicious
Observation-Disclosures murdered or
not is unknown." The fact remains,
however, that Casey was assassinated .
in order to keep Shugart in his Scna-
torial seat, which after all he lost.
The knavery did not prosper; but this
will not prevent the Pennsylvania
Democracy from trying the experiment
again, should the same circumstances
call for repetition of the bold iniqui-
ty. Euterprising voters who think to
turn an honest penny in the Pennsyl- |
vania market this Fall will do well to
remember the fate of Casey, and of the |
other voters of the XXIst Senate Dis
trict who shave disappeared from 'the
eyes of men-whether murdered or
not" Those who buy them like cattle
to-day will not shrink from Draining
them like cattle to-morrow.-Tri6uae. |