Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1880-04-10

The leaders of the Democratic party
are loud in their professions Of reform,
honest government, economy and Other
well-sounding and cOmmendable princi
Piles, where professions are sincere and
they are exemplified by practice. How
does the practice of the Democratic
leaders conform to their loud profess
sion. Is it reform to attempt to steal
a state and defraud the people of that
state, Of the right to be represented by
representatives of their own choosing
as was done in Maine? IS it reform to
attempt to unseat representative in
the face of majority of over 1900 votes
as they have done in the Minnesota ease
of MISUNDERSTANDING. Is it reform
to attempt to violate the rules of the
House by asubterfuge as did Townshend,
OF Illinois, in his effort to get measures
connected with the tariff referred to
committee on Revision of Laws, when
the rules adopted required that it should
come before the committee on Ways and
Means? Is it reform to have evidence
that had been ordered stricken out from
the testimony, by majority ofithe COM
mittee of investigation, appear in the
printed report of the committee when
presented to the Senate and put upon
the desks of the members, as did Senator
Hill in the case of Senator Kellogg, of
Louisiana, which was before the COM
mittee on Privileges and Elections, and
the testimony of E. S. Webber, taken be-
fore that committee, had been ordered
stricken out? The elections of 1879 had
reduced the majority of the Democracy
in the Senate down to such fine point
that they were in danger of losing it.
and something had to be done to make
their supremacy sure in order that Repre-
sentative Hills idea of reform, to in
augurate Democratic President wheth-
er he was elected or not" might be car
ried out. hence this effort to unseat Kel-
logg. whose seat had been contested be-
fore former Senate and it had been de-
cided that he was entitled to it, in order
to make sure of another Democratic
senator and this testimony that the COM
mittee had ordered stricken out, the
champions Of reform thought would
strengthen their case against Kellogg.
and therefore caused it to be printed in
the testimony as published, but thanks
to the fact that there are some Demo-
Gratis who have not yet been educated up
to the advanced ideas of the reform
party, the testimony was ordered to be
reprinted, and the testimony referred to
left out.
1t is little singular. too, that the
party Of honest government and reform,
should always be found opposing any
measures tending to secure an honest
expression Of the people at the polls, and
that they should be found defending the
notorious ballot box stuffing, tissue bal
lots and bulldozing so openly carried on
in some Of the Southern States, but they
do this and call it reform. They are
terribly afraid that the small handful Of
soldiers belonging to the q. 8. army will
be scattered throughout this vast coun-
try, even If only piece, and a very
small piece Of a man at that, should be
at each polling place and hence in max
ing appropriations for transportation
they are extremely careful to provide
that no part of the same shall be used to
transport soldiers to the polls. These
pieces Of soldiers are such terrible things
that the refOrmers have dread Of them.
1t may be it is the color of the uniform
they wore that is the matter, perhaps
had they worn the gray it would not
have caused so much terrorism In the
ranks of the reformers as they
have always favored that color.