The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-01-03
THE NAME usuRPArIoN.

The Ottawa Republican, repeats It's utterance
of last week, that lin the history of the coun'
try no such outrage had been perpetrated as
that in the state of Maine by the democratic
Governor" While we are no apOlogist for
Governor Garcelon, for whom no ccnsure can
be too severe for his only-but very big-sn
of faithfully following wretched republican
precedents we beg to suggest that there have
been quite a number of political outragcs in
the history of the country by the side of which
Garcelons pales into insigniticance Garce'
Ions SIN, according to the Chicago Times,
which has been about as bitter in his dcnunci.
alton as any paper we know Of hath this ex'
tent, no more
A synopsis of the report Of the committee
ON election returns of the state council OF
Maine shows that the republicans set the pre-
ccdents which ithe democrats followed III
the recent countout For nearly every out
rageous act Of the present returning board
sanction is found in decisions Of the supreme
court where Bourbons were the victims,
Every technical mistake on the part of the in.
spectors of election is taken advantage of, the
partisan rulings Of the supreme court applied
to it, and the return discarded as fatally de
fcctlvc Unuer the same system it would not
be difficult TO reverse the result of the election
in almost any state.
The Times fills nearly a page with the re-
port here alluded to, minutes of the various
cases in which returns were rejected, and de
clsions of the supreme court of Maine bearing
upon and lustifylng such action by Gov. Gar.
celOn and his council In word, then, Gov.
Garcclons whole sin, as already intimated, has
been the following of wretchcd republican pre-,
cedents
Against this unparalleled political outrage"
we beg TO call the attention of our esteemed
contemporary very briefly to the following
In 1866 there was an election for Legislature
and members Of congress IN the state OF Mis-
souri,. The state was still more or less under
military dominance and there was perfect peace
at the polls and considerable work in the way
of compelling republican victories at the
point of the bayonet" However, the demo
Gratis carried fair majority of the Legislature
and elected four of their candidates-all good,
loyal men, the amentcd Gen. James Shields
being one of thcm-to congress by majorities
ranging from 1000 to 5000, Missouri, however,
at the time had a republican Governor and
Secretary of State, and the latter without any
warrant of law, constituted himself areturning
board and under the gratuitous and false as.
sumption that the democrats had received reb-
ell votes, counted out majority of the demo
Gratis elected to the legislature and all the demo
Gratis elected to congress, and the republican
house at Washington endorsed the "unparal-
lcled political outrage"
In 1872 there was an election in Louisiana
for governor and Legislature, and Pitt Kellogg,
who was the republican candidate for Govern
or admits that he was honestly beaten by Nc
Emery 10000 votes, and that the democrats had
"a large majority ia the Legislature; but he
says the Republican returning board, by tax
ing advantage of "technicalities,' counted out
the democrats and counted in Kellogg and
republican legislature, and President Grant
made TINS unparalleled polItlcai sa.rapen
stuck by supporting 1t with government pay
onets.
And in 1876, as all the world knows,
certain corrupt returning boards, under
the advice and encouragement ofprominent re-
publican visiting statesmen" from the North,
without shadow Of legal warrant reversed a
clear democratic majority of over 5000 in
Louisiana and an honest democratic majority
in Florida, and thus counted out Tilden and
counted in r. b. Hayes as President of the
United States-the most stupendous election
fraud recorded in the history of the world.
All these shameful frauds, with hundreds more
like them in the history of the republican par.
ty, the Ottawa Republican not only endorsed,
but appauded with enthusiasm. A hundred
wrongs make no right, but If the Ottawa Re
publican has a spark Of decency or self respect,
we beg to suggest that before it has anything
to back down, apologize and go deep down in
to the valley of humiliation and repentance
for its course with reference to these other hid
cous frauds we have mentioned. A horsethiefI
honest men outside with horse stealing A
man in the penitentlary tor perjury is not al
lowed to accuse his betters outside of lying.
Before the Ottawa Republican, can be allowed
to bcsmirch the garments of Gov Garcelon,
we insist that the editors shall wash away the
nastincss that befouls their own skirts
The "boom" in favor of William H. En-.