National Republican., 1882-04-22
MIR. BlsnEE,s REPLY



To the Editor ofTun REPunncANi
Thursday mornings Post published an editorial
on the Bsbee. Finley contest copied from the jack
sonville Uhioa 10 which ask you for space for
reply. The Florida Union is edited by an un-
sorupulous Bourbon Democrat, who sustained and
defended the frauds committed at the election in
the Second Florida District In 1878 by which was
doffauded out Of my certificate Of election, and
h will be remembered that l was afterW ard
awarded my seat by q unanimous report Of
Democratic Committee on Elections. Besides,
the editor of the Florida Union is my personal
enemy, and has sworn to deliver me from public
life, and any statements from him should be con-
sidered accordingly. In answer to the assertion
in the editorial III question that we do not be-
lieye an unbiased person can be found OF either
political p1ry %ho was mere ero AT ,ng Fnex Ti ns s
not legally and honestly elected wluBay that
HAVE BEFORE NE NOW
letter written by n Democrat, an old resident Of
the State who resides in the Second Florida DIS DIS,
hisletter is dated the 9th instant (and Is ad-
dressed 10 the writer of this ardcle), and IT, upon
the subject of the late election. He says; wns
always ,atised OF very serious frauds being prac,
ticed In SuwaHee, Hamilton, and Madison, but
had no idea Of theiT, magnitude. 1t would
had it not been that some
few Of us set our faces against It In time to
committee OF this district is indirectly responsible
for all this schief II lies under MS door,
and II is great pity that he could not be made TO
suffer for 1t. 1 heard him discuss his plans, ana
| at once saw the chairman of the committee oil
| this county, and uIged and pressed upon him not
70 embark in any such scheme, l cautioned al
| of our young men not to have anything 10 DO
with it. The frauds were
THE MOST oLARING AND SHAMEFUL
Further on the writer of this letter says; 81 see
General Finley has been interviewed upon the
case. He says that Il will not give him moments
uneasiness. He shall moi lose all hours sleep from
II. lie will return TO his ntle farm near Lake
City and enjoy peace and quiet; He said this once
before, OH very memorable occasion, when
many doubted his sincertyi but l think he Is
interview by changing that he loses
his scat owing to partisan prejudice
| upon the part of the subcommittee, aud that viii
be the cry. The Union OF Jacksonville isati al
ready. But how an honest committee could de;
| cide otherwise cannot see. want this internal
| fraud aud cheating at elections crushed out, ano
can see no more eifeClual way than to make
| these frauds known, aud especially TO deprive
| them of all emoluments Of Office"
HERE ARE THE VIEWS OF DEMOCRAT,
| who In the past has been prominent and in1uen
tnl in his party. They are in marked contrast Il
| those of the editor of tho Florida linton, The
quotations from this letter to me sustain all tina
| Ihave claimed before the Commitleeon Elections
| TO wit, that there was general scheme devised
for the commission of fraud in every locRlit!
where IL Wss nossbe; tnst lhis scheme orig
Committee, aud was executed under It's di
rection. The Florida UniOn trys to shelte
its party friends from shameful frauds and crime
by charging that lost the votes OF some oi the in
dependent electors, who at prior elections ba'
voied lOr me- So far from this being true, re
ceiyed the votes of more Independents than eve
before, and the official returns show that in tn
counties in the eastern portion of the STATE wher
the election was reasonably fnir and no fraud !
charged, made a net gam, comparing the elec
ton with that OF 1879, Finley being then my op
IL. BISBEE, JR.