Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1877-01-24
PROGRESS or THE GREA r
CONSPIRACY
THE WHOLE PLANNED AND DIRECTED n
WASHINGTON.

city, and, when fully developed, as it
soon will be, after the House Of Rep.
reseniAiives gets to work, all the par.
! - - N syi's! sTy'is's y Kn4.ss,. -.
trua eoion, 4 Clrai .Jadlse pf tao
United States, a District Attorney,
and others holding Office, will be con.
nected with this conspiracy to steal
the State OF South Carolina, as Louis.
lana was stolen in 1872.
A cunning, inscriptions, untiring,
and searching attorney here, iamIiarly
known as Billy Cook, a sort of jack OF
all trades, having been preacher, poll
tician, shyster, organizer of tho negro
vote, and general triekster for Shep.
herds Ring, is the great author OF this
glaring iniquity, With all then aptncss
and experience in rascality, Chamber.
lain's crew are wholly inferior to their
coniederates here, who, under Grant,
have revealed faculties that entitlc
thcm to prc.eminence in scoundrclism,
When the plan for overreaching the
Supreme Court of South Carolina was
matured, one oSibe conspirators who
was sent down secretly TO Columbia,
initiated the Returning Board, and the
rest is known. Circuit Judge Hugh
l.. Bond, known as one of the rankest
of Radicals, who was sitting in Balti-
more, left his cases unheard and hast
ened to Columbia two weeks before the
opening of ths.court there, TO become
the guest of Chamberlain and the re
cipient Of all bis exaggerations, and to
prepare for bis own part in the work.
Billy Cook and two associates
who concealed their names also turned
up soon after, as did Sterling, the Dis
trict Attorney of Baltimore, bitter
partisan of Bonds school, and one Of
his followers. All these parties had
counselled with Attorney General Taft
especially before starting out on their
scandalous mission, and there ia no
moral doubt that every part OF the
plot was grooyed and tongued with
his knowledge and contrivancc,
Grants last military order is the
sequel 10 the scheme, and was neces-
ssry to enforce it. Having committed
himself IN the original instruction OF
the 10th of November to Gen. Sher-
man, "to see that the proper and legal
boards Of cdnrdsSerS are unmolested in
the performance of their duties" this
step, though virtually directed against
the highest court in the State, was to
have been expected.
Another act in the drama Is thus
opened, and it prepares the way for a
far more important one here. This
development makes the presence OF
troops, gathered in from the far West
and from the South, both plain and
ominous. If tho voice of the people
can thus boldly be stifled in the States,
if State Governments can be over.
turned by orders from Washington and
thieves can be maintained in Office,
under tho thin pretext of the regular
ity of Returning Boards invented 10
protect frauds and TO make Govern.
ors, Legislatures, Senators, and now a
President, perhaps, by counting in
their candidates with or without
frauds, why not send regiment into
the House Of Representatives and
order those members to disperse who
dare to question these acts?
The most prudent, patient, iorbear
ing and concilatory men begin tc
despair when, on the slightest pretences
and with not color Of right, they Sc,
troops and the bayonct substituted inr
the remedies of law and justice, which
every American citizen has been ;aug,!;!
TO regard as the only resorts against
wrong. Thcy see the President play
ing the part of a reckless partisan
bent on making the popular will yield
before his arbitrary judgment, no long
er the President OF the whole people
but the chief of desperate faction in
tent only on retaining power.
When the outrage was perpetrated
in Louisiana, by which that State was
converted into subjugated province
by proceedings which disgrace the his
tory Of the country, resting entirely
upon the usurpation of a drunken aud
infamous Judge, who in the end re-
signed his office TO escape impeach.
ment, the organs of the Administra.
tion sought to shelter themselves be-
hind the creature of their crime. Ii
was the court they were upholding
And when the people protested against
the iniamics of Kellogg and his gang
of robbers, they were asked why not
appeal TO the courts which he owned,
and tho Judges be appointed, the chief
OF whom stands branded by the high.
est tribunal in the land as rogue OF
the first water.
Now, when the people Of South
Carolina appeal to the highest court OF
the State, consisting exclusively of Re-
publican Judges following strictly the
law for the enforcement of thor rights,
and adopting the advice Of the Presi-
dent and his friends in regard to
Louisiana, how are they treatedY This
'Sockery of Justice and trifing with
the most sacred rights can only end in
mischief unless 1t be restrained now
by wise but resolute action.
If the Republicans of the North do
not meet to,ethor nrnmntlx. and nro-