The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-05-19

Gsak mary free -sou democrats, and adj
dcd 70 The gsarnG corruptions In every
Of the government, both ma
tional and sbAte, ami so demoralized the
party tAAt hs leaders becamo very ap-
Usssu6eve a tho aaection in November,
HBA and dstsrmkned to resort to fraud, if
necessary. to carryk \.
Tsae are some people who consider All
eh0tin q mere farcc. the turning OF n
card, and ~srspeafing." ballot-box stufIing
and tny4ng election returns, just as legit-
imste a way toget into OF hold Office, as
to be- hAAdN chosen by the free suffrage
o. the psopAss aud the party in power
Mt kaAeDuu, IN this occasion, seems
TO have h~eerDsrate.l the worst features
Of these d-angers0s views into its policy,
and resatsa to any and all Of these
msAhsds, varying in different localities,
aaau1ng 70 chrcnmstances, to carry this
e2sSoia. Having reliable and willing in
Arurants IN this place to do their bid
dh9, It was deemed a safe point to opcr-
ate N 4 necessity required.
A member Of the state board of school
lands oame here from Madison n few days
bs1ro tAe eAecxiou to inspect the work
done d@ing the summer by its agents,
and the subjoned memorandum was
drawn ~ as the outline OF proceedings:
M Barstow received II clear majority
nothing was to be done but congratulate,
etc. II Bash1ord received IN overwhelm-
ing majority, nothing was to he lone but
to prepare to Abdicate. But if a few hun
dred votes were necessary to overcome
BashSords majority, they were to DO man
clustered, and if new and unheard OF
election peeincts were required, they
were to be mAnufactured, as the safest
way Of mnkipaying votes"
SaNh was the programme OF proceed
mgs, and special means Of communication
were called in, that there might be ample
time to carry out the dark plot.
Now every one at all familiar with the
subject knows that If there had been any
such voting precincts in the county as
Bridge Creek" and aspiring Grove" that
it was the duty Of inspectors OF elections
at these points to make their returns to
the county board Of ~canvassers at Chip
pewa Falls, but that board knew, OF
oourse, that. no suoh precincts existed,
and therefore no suohs returns would be
entertained for . moment. The bogus
returns, therefore, from these bogus pre-
cinots, were sent directly to the state
board AZ canvasseIs at Madison, and, in
credible a. the statement may appear, that
board actually received and counted these
votes 90 informally and illegally returned,
and declared Barstow and the whole tick
ct elected by . meagre majority, based
on these forged returns, and drank their
champagne and cracked their jokes over
it, as If they had done something smart.
Already in the chair Barstow retained his
place, and made q grand parade with a
costly supper to which all the masnates
Of the party were invited, and thought,
perhaps, the fraud conld he concealed.
But On . writ Of quo warranto, sworn out
by tho opposite party, an investigation
was had before the justices of the supreme
court, wherein il was shown, first. that
the returns were informal and .llegalj
second, that no such voting precincts ex-
listed in Chippewa county as Bridge
Creek and Spring Grove, and, lastly, that
although the two precincts purportcd to
b Afty milss apart, and tho certificates
bore the name date. the two half sheets
a AoAs-eap on which they were written
fitted together 90 nicely as to prove con-
clusi lively that they had once been ono
and the same sheet.
No othar alternative existed but for the
court to reverse the decision OF the state
board a ~canvassers, and declare Bash
furd the legal governor Of the state, and
the hooest people began to hope that now
we shcah have an honest, capable ad-
ministra&ion of the state government.
But alas Ar human hopes, Bribery, and
the mos venl corruption characterized
the next year% and Il seemed as IL the
whole body polite was tainted with
h~ud, and given over to work iniquity.'
IKE PRAIRtRs.
The great Northwest is rich in both
prairie and wood land. Each is useful
and good, and each have their claim to
favor. Let 10 give q moments thought
to the prairie.
But fsw sights can excel in beauty that
Of . prairie IN . stale of nature, and it is
bat listls wonder that inhabitants OF the
eastern states, with their rough noun
tains and hills, their rocks and stones,
and thsir heavy timber, which required,
a. has been said, one mans life time to
improve Q hrm % - to make it tillable,
and whsre stumps and stones took up a
goodly portion Of the land. were delighted