Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-02-26
Honest Elections From Repub-
lican Standpoint.

! fully rounded, or breathed an mir of
greater sincerity than those relating
to honest elections and pure and un-
fettered ballot. No one, carefully
reading the declaration of principles
put forth by the assembled genius of
latter-day Republicanism at Harris.
burg can fail to be deeply impressed
by the air of studied melancholy
which marks the significant protest of
our antagonists against any further
indulgence in systematized fraud in
the conduct of elections. A meek
and contrite spirit Of repentance for
the past struggles for supremacy with
the budding promise of complete re-
generation which is TO find its full frui-
ton in the misty future, and as the
FOUNDERS, repeaters, false personators,
lightning calculators and ballot box
thieves crowded to the altar to receive
the benediction of Cameron a. the
High Priest in the new tabernacle of
reform, hope for the triumph of the
new dispensation beat high in every
breast. "a free and pure ballot de-
mand our virtuous friends, thorough
"ly protected so that any man entitled
Ito cast vote may do SO, just once at
each election without molestatiou,
"moral or physical, on account of his
political faith, nationality or the
"hue of his skim" No fault can
possible be found with this admirable
deliverance. The most captious critic
finds himself at once disarmed by this
suave, mild and dignified recital of
the rights and immunities OF the elec-
tor. Here the Hindu followers of
Buddha and the disciples of Bob In
gcrsoll enjoy equally with the hosts of
orthodoxy, the benign blessings of
suffrage, while the dark browed sons
of the African desert are placed side
by side with the naughty, fair-haired
Anglo-Saxon. What could be more
Democratic What more inherently
Republican And then, Oh mighty
spirit Of Gopher Bill" we invoke
thy presence, each man is to vote "just
once" Well for you that the frown-
ing walls of Chester couuty's Jail hides
your anguish from the gaze of an un-
sympathetic world as you receive this
unkindly cut at the hands of your
friends. But not content with this, we
find further on the following, "Hon-
"est elections. The people having the
virtue and the patriotism to govern
themselves, our government must de-
pend for its stability upon homes:
elections. Until man is considered
Infamous who casts an illegal vote
"our government will not be safe, and
"whoever deprives a citizen of his
fright to vote or of the legal effect OF
"his vote is a traitor to our govern
"ment." Stand up, David Mouat, Sc
lect councilman from the fifth ward OF
Philadelphia, and clerk in the office
the Prothonotary, and answer to the
charge of high treason preferred
against you by the Representatives OF
your party in State convention assem-
bled. You are charged under oath
with altering election returns, stealing
tickets out of ballot boxes and substi'
tutinc others in their stead, of threat.
ming election officers and forcing them
to nullify the will of the people by
making false returns. The platform
of your party says the man who does
this is traitor to his government and
YOU are the first malefactor called
upon to plead to the grave indictment
This man Mouat is a power in Re
publican politics in the Metropolitan
City Of Pennsylvania. lie is the close
friend of J. Donald Cameron and Il
cheek by jowl with the men who are
emnipotent in shaping the policy o.
the Republican party Of the State
We will see now whether the protes
tations in favor of honesty in elections
which we have quoted above, are th'
embodiment of Republican sentiment
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