Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1878-03-16
NORTHERN TRIBUNE.
SATURDAY. MARClI IL, 1878.



Frauds i'm the Village Election.
The Village election is over. By fraud
intimidation, repeating and illegal
voting, ''the entire Democratic ticket
with one exception" was elected We
write these words advisely. The Demo
cratic party-we beg pardon: that por.
tion OF the Democratic party which tol.
lows the lead of the Free Prcss-started
out last Monday morning to carry the
village election by fair means or foul.
Their leaders first attempted TO ..bali-
doze" the election board. In this they
signally failed. Then followed tactics
which would have done honor to the
white leaguers OF South Carolina and
Louisiana. Men who were supposed to
have sympathy for the Union ticket, :
which had been placed in the field by the
Republicans and Democrats, who did not
countenance this kind of work were
compelled to run such a gauntlet of in
timidation that many of them preferred
to lose their vote than to endure it. Then
men who were not residents of the vii
lage were brought up by these men and
encouraged to swearin their votes. Two
or three of these cases are already known,
and more suspected with good cause.
Christian. Reynolds swore in his vote, en-
couraged by these men, and was not even
so much as a resident of the state.
Thurman Conan did the same thing,aDd
if he had a residence in the state. it was
outside of the village limits.
But the climax of oufrages
was reached in the afternoon.
when, taking advantage of a time when
the attention OF. the inspectors was en-
gagged over a contested case, Alexander
McCartee stepped up and deposited Il
vote, he bavlag before voted iu the morn
ing This McCartee took an active part
in the so-caiied Democratic" caucus, the
action OF which the respectable Demo-
Gratis boiled. This McCartee made him
self particularly conspicuous and OBJ
uoxious at the polls in intimidating legal
voters, aud urging men who had no
right to vote to swear In their ballots.
Against such high-handed outrages as
these the Free Press has no word of con-
demnation, but boasts that sthe entire
Democratic ticket was elected, with one
exception"
The question now is, are the citizens of
Cheboygan going to stand such outrages
without protest? 1t is not question OF
politics. 1t is question between hon.
esty and dishonesty. 1t is question Of
whether our fair village shall be ruled in
the interest of morality or immortality.
If Cheboygan maintains the position
which she now holds. there can be but
one answer to the question. The issue
is a grave one, and must be met fearless
ly. In the name of the citizens of Che
bOygan who believe in the honesty and
purity OF our elections, we demand that
these outrages shall not 60 unpunished-
that an example be made OF these men.
The voice of every honest man should
rise in indignation against them, and not
only against the men who committed
the crimes, but against those who aided
and abetted them, and urged them to
commit those crimes.
Ii such crimes are allowed to pass un-
noticed, what can we expect in the tu-
ture but they will be repeated four fold
the next opportunity? Last year there
were one OIL two similar offenses COM
mitted, which were, against the better
judgment OF those cognizant of the facts,
allowed to pass. The result was that
this year the offenses increased two-fold,
and the affrontry in much greater pro-
portion.
There Is a time when for
bearance ceases to be q vir-
tue, and that time in this mat
ter has come. Let action tollow-prompt,
energetic and decisive. If these men are
innocent of the charges made against
them, let them prove their innocence; it
guilty, have merited punishment meted
out to them.