Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-01-09
ELECTION FRAUDS.
Prelude to one of Joseph Cooks
Boston Lectures.

The ostrich hides her thin, wilful head
in the sand ard thinks her whole body
covered. In these days when ghastly
election frauds startle North and South,
and achieve historical prominence from
discussions of them in Presidential mes
sage, perhaps the large, conspicuous truth
may be whispered without offense, that
great is the American eagle, greater the
American peacock, but greatest of all the
American ostrich. [Laughterl.
What are few of the facts illustrating
recent American ingenuity in frustrating
the popular will expressed at the polls +?
Why, looking around the present nation
al horizon from the point of view of the
political party now in power, we see fraud
chiefly in the South and among the fifth
rate managers of the Democratic party.
But. if there was Democratic President
at the White House, l am not sure but
that the nation would have evidence be-
fore it of fraud among fffth-rate Repub-
lican political managers. 1t is alleged
that the cipher dispatches which of late
have been unearthed by the superb en-
terprise of the leading American news
papers were exhibited to prominent men
in Congress before the Election Com
mission was appointed. Both the Field
and the Morton committee demanded at
that time the telegraphic dispatches on
both sides, but Mr.. Orton, of the Tele-
graph Company, refused to surrender
them. He assured Senator Morton that
the secret kilograms would compromise
scandal. He showed them to representa-
tives on both sides, who saw that they
would bring disgrace on prominent men,
but who insisted nevertheless, on their
publication. Obliged to surrender the
dispatches to the Congressional commit
tees, Orton at last gave them up to Sena-
tor Morton, who used portions of them
to overcome Democratic opposition to the
count after the decision of the Electoral
Commission. The dispatches, it is sug-
gested, were found among his papers af-
ter his decease, but some of them had been
destroyed. This account to which papers
rs widely contrasted as the New York
Herald and the New York Nation (see the
latter October 18th, PIP. 231 and 234) have
:
agrees we'll with the version that has been
current in welI-informed circles in Wash
| ington, since the two political parties,
| just before the Electoral Commission met,
agreed not to examine each others re-
cord any further. Know how frankly ]
am speaking, but this is place in which
to speak frankly, for this platform is not
political nor partisan. [AppIausel.
The use which had been made of the
cipher dispatches by the New York Trt-
6u1e deserves great praise, although the
exposure has been a party weapon chief.
| ly. What we want now is all the dis
| patches that can be obtained Ia voice,
'sExactly''l and as full an account as
possible of any that are missing. IF il
can be shown that only one political par
| ty has been implicated in secret fraud
great advantage will, of course, inure tC
the exonerated opposite party; and Sc
that party should be willing to bring for
ward the rest of the dispatches, in case
they are in existence. Thus the investi
cation would insist to bring about gen,
eral publication, and would not be mere
ly party weapon.
What has been proved by the investi-
cation thus far? Nearly all good men
are, as I judge, agreed, in spite of the
partisan character of the exposure, that
l. In Oregon 5000 were offered for ar
Elector, and Democratic money sent tt
pay for the fraud.
2. In Florida $50, 900 were thus offered
by responsible agent at Gramercy Parl
in New York.
3. In South Carolina 10000 were of
fered and the money sent to Baltimore tc
pay for the fraud.
4. In Louisiana the Republican record
is not clean and the Democratic far from
being SO. I suppose it is now clear tina
what is called the Potter Investigatin,
Committee has not brought any great obi
um upon the person it has attacked. Tha
was a partisan investigation, and has no
done as much damage to its opponents a
the I'ribane exposure has done to thos
against whom it was directed.
5. It is also to be set down as an histor
ical fact that the Tribune exposure has re
ceived thus far no adequate reply. keel
in mind the grave public denials by tn
principal character implicated, and tn
high honor he has received from larg
!, portion of the American people. 1 thin
: it fair to affirm that his explanations, i
view of the great circumstantiality an
) Conference of the charges publicly brough
against his agents, have not been who'll
satisfactory. Perhaps they exhonerat
him in slight degree; but, if he know
nothing of what his agents were doins
! his Indignation at their acts ought to /
such as to cause him now to drop thel
from his employment, which he has nj
r done. The denials of the subsidiary me
in the conspiracy are still more lame tina
} those of the principal. The chief of th
S subsidiary agents says he has nothing
= say on the subject: but whoever, in h
=. position, has nothing to say about the!
!, charges, has much to say. Applause ar
b laughterl.
: But the most suggestive facts prove
are these:
6. That the Presidency was for sale
o few corrept men; and
Z. That the third and fourth-rate POI
h titians offered to buy it, and came nei
e doing so.
II If we escaped from the existence of
fraudulent Presidency, it was not on a
s. count of any peculiar excellency in O.
Electoral machinery or in our fifth al
e seventh-rate politicians who managed
Is It was not result of the virtue of Sc
# eral prominent men in both parties.
re believe that the leader of the Republic
u party now in the Executive Chair
Dr. Washington is as clear from fraud as t
is undriven snow from stain. [Prolong
applausel. While we pride ourselves
this confidence, however, let us keep
a mind that fact that our Electoral machil
IL ry is now such that at any time in clio