Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-06-10

didates for governor almost surpasses
human belief. This excessive vote cor
responds to certain extent with the
number of non-registered votes ascer.
tanned to have been given by the in.
vestigation in this case. When con.
sidered in connection with the fact that
the assessors are supposed to have done
their duty in making a registration OF
all the qualified electors in the district,
where the people are comparatively
stationary and generally we'll known, a
strong suspicion is raised that the ex-
traordinarily large list Of non.register-
ed names represented ballots and not
men.
In this recital of facts, which are in
capable of successful refutation, are all
the indications of most stupendous
and whispered fraud upon the ballot
boxes of that district.
1t is in evidence in this case that l2l
persons voted for the sitting member
without registration and without max.
ing the atiidavits and proof required by
the registration act. These voters were
examined, testified to the facts, and
the House has been referred to their
names and the pages of the testimony
in the case where the proof may be
found. These voters were clearly ille-
gal and fraudulent, and as the number
exceeds the official majority by which
the sitting member claims the seat, they
disprove his right to retain it, and would
fully Justify the House in seating the
contestant
In conclusion, fully agree with the
honorable gentleman from Indiana in
all that he has said of the patriotism,
craftsmanship, and great intellectual
ability of Andrew G. Curtin. lie would
honor seat in the House much more
than he would be honored by it. | re-
peat the gentleman's language to give
IL greater emphasis. He was the friend
OF the Union and gave to restore the
Union and maintain its integrity the
best efforts of his magnificent intellect.
ual abilities. lie honestly earned the
title of the great war governor of Penn.
sylvania during the war OF the rebellion.
Pennsylvania will ever feel n just and
exalted pride in the legions of Union
soldiers which her great war governor
organized and put in the field to de.
iend the Constitution and Union. That
love of the Union which inspired him to
deeds of grandeur during the rebellion
drove him from the ranks OF the repub.
lican party after peace came and rebel.
lion ceased. War had had its victories,
and he demanded that peace should
have hers. His nature was too noble,
his heart too large, and his sympathies
too broad to allow him to strike a fallen
and PROSTATE foe. lie was in full &c.
cord with the wise and moderate con.
servatism OF the North, and stood where
the lamented Lincoln would have stood
il furious and misguided fanaticism had
spared his life. Alarmed at the cen.
traliZing tendencies of Tadicalism in
the North and military despotism at
the South, in the presidential contest
of 1872 he took his place in the ranks
of the conservative element OF the
country, and his warning voice was
heard everywhere among the sturdy
sons of the North against this new
peril that menaced free government.
In 1874 the lessons so impressively
taught had ripened into convictions,
and the elections of that year swept
from power in the popular branch of
our National Legislature those who had
abused the trust of the people and
threatened the destruction OF the Union
and Constitution. This emphatic warn.
ing of the impending wrath of free
and confdng people was the first check
given to the rapid march to centralized
power. To Andrew G.. Curtin and the
men who CO operated with him in the
noble work the American people owe
the accomplished fact of a restored
Union in which each State occupies its
proper places, represented in the Ma.
tional Legislature by citizens chosen by
the free and unobstructed will of the
citizens of the States they represent.
To the efforts and influence of Andrew
g. Curtin and those who acted with him
the American people are indebted for
the fact that eleven States are repre-.
sented in the Congress of the United
States by citizens of their own, chosen
by the popular voice and not by scala.
wags and carpet.bag plunderers, the
representatives of military despotism,
the most odious and hateful to the
Anglo.Saxon race of all the forms of
bad government which the world has
produced"
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