The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-11-20
FEELING THEIR WAY CAUTIOUSLY


1t is to be hoped these are sensation
al things which have crept into the
public prints regarding conspiracy,
led by Jay Gould, to defraud the Am
erican people out OF rightfully elect
ed president. The story, told in an
other column. taken from the New
Y ork Sunday Mercury, while it may
be without foundation has the best of
confederation. The statement, made
therein as to the proposed claim Of the
vote of Virginia, is precisely as it did
occur. That state was claimed, and
so was West Virginia, and other
southern states. While we hope such
conspiracy was not entered into it Is
by no means proven that it was not.
If the story, as stated, be true,
then high treason has been plotted
against the government and somebody
should be made to suffer for it. Has
it come to that pass that news COM
pany and telegraph company may
conspire with corrupt leaders of a
party 10 falsify returns, to so manipu-
late the results of an election as to de.
feat popular will in a country so great
as this? We have stated the strong
est reasons for believing that an I'M
derstanding existed between Mr..
Blaine and his more daring friends, the
Associated Press and the West
ern Union Telegraph company,
before the election, to claim a vic
tory after the election at all hazards,
and to make good the claim if they
could The telegraph company did
its part by Withholding the true re-
turns, and hurrying forward the false
ones prepared by the tools of the
alleged conspirators; the Associated
Press did its part by preparing fraud
ulent returns to mislead the public;
and Mr.. Blaine did his part by send
ing out dispatch claiming his cleo
ton, and calling upon the republi-
cans Of the north to stand by him.
The part which Mr.. Gould took in the
game was that of compelling the tele-
graph company to support Mr.
Blaine's claim and keep the public
bewilderment in his interest, and he
did his work so effectively that, it is
stated, he had to hide in New York
hotel to escape the fury of an appre:
hended mob. If all that is told be
true, it was certainly one of the most
daring schemes to perpetrate great
public wrong that was ever concocted
one that reads like the daring conspi-
racies OF men who overturn and seize
the governments of Spanish Ameri-
can states. Blaine and his coadjutors
had planned to steal the presidency as
it was stolen in 1876. Jay Gould was
the first to apparently weaken, but it is
surmised that he simply played game
of deception, and that he is even yet
engaged in secret attempts tc
aid in robbing the people VI
the presidency. The democrats
of the country became satisfied
as did republicans, that Cleveland
was elected. 1t was conceded on all
sides. At the north the feeling grew
to be intense, and then it was allayed
and 1t will remain so allayed, unless
the deyilish purposes of the schemers
be revived. They will be active tc
the last. But masses of people at the
north have expressed themselves il
no unequivocal manner. That the
people are terribly in earnest admit!
of no doubt, as Elkins and his sort
we do believe, will learn if they at
tempt to repudiate popular will. Tit
conspirators are, after all, cowardly
set. They are not ready to engage il
war; they are not ready to sheC
their blood upon the altar of corrup
ton. They are feeling of the public
pulse, continually making feints, ant
then withdrawing to distance to SCI
if they dare do more. They occupy
ground cautiously, knowing that the.
are not dealing now with South Car
olioa and Louisiana, not with Hamp
ton nor McEnery, but with the mos
powerful American state, whose gov
ernor has been chosen to fill the high
est Office within the gift of the Amer
lean people.