Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-12-11
Exposing Democratic Frauds.

LILO OoNOCIBtc uetiuB Ueou oApSSou,
by means of the Federal election laws, in
an outrageous attempt at fraud in Chi
csgo. will no doubt be strengthened in
their determination to wipe out the Fed
ersl statutes on that subject. In fact,
the Hon. Wm. N Springer has already
publicly denounced the interference of
the United States District Court and
Grand Jury as entirely uDwarranted
and ancalled for. and an invasion of q
domain 10 which they had no business
TO interfere" This opinion has been
expressed in even more emphatic Ian
gusge by Mayor Carter Harrison, late
the Democratic candidate for Governor
Of Illinois. Ex-Governor Palmer. an
other conspicuous Democrat, has been
employed as counsel by the men who
were to profit by the fraud. Other lead
ing Democrats are engaged In denounc>
ing the Federal statutes and, like Mr..
Springer, calling upon Congress to re+
peal them; but voice has been raised
on that side against the continued eff
forts to make this forgery and attempt
ed fraud available for the purpose to
which it was designed.
The story of the fraud is well known,
and the facts are admitted. Nearly two
weeks after the election it was announc--
ed that the Illinois Legislature was so
closely divided that the Republicans had
only one majority on joint ballot. Then
the Democrats circulated story that an
error had been discovered in the With
Senatorial District in Chicago, by means
of which Brand, the Democratic candi-
date. was elected. instead of Leman, the
Republican, whose election was before
conceded by over 100 majority. This
would change the complexion of the
Legislature, and probably give the Dem
ocrats United States Senator. An in
spectien of the returns in the precinct in
question showed that the figures had
been tampered with. Erasures had been
made and the figures so changed as to
put Brand ahead in precinct that gave
the Republican candidates about 200 ma
jority each.
As this affected the votes for q mem>
ber of Congress, all candidates being vo-
ted for on one ticket in Illinois, it came
under the Federal statutes, and the mat
ter was taken before the United States
Grand Jury. The law in that State re-
quires that the ballots shall be number
ed. each number corresponding to the
number of the voters name on the poll
books. When counted they are put to-
gether on string in the order of their
numbers, sealed up and placed in the
custody Of the County Clerk. Hence, by
an inspection of the ballots the Grand
Jury was able to tell for whom every
voter cast his ballot. The ballots agreed
exactly with the claims of the Demo>
Gratis as to the alleged error in the re-
turns, but 1t was found that even Mr.
Lenan's closest relatives and friends
were by this forgery returned as voting
for Brand, the Democratic candidate. A
sufficient number Of men came forward
to testify that they voted for Lemsn to
give him the full vote with which he
was credited on the original returns. To
remove further doubt it was discovered
where the Democrats had the fraudulent
tickets printed weeks after the election,
and all Ae details Of the plot are said
to be known to the Grand Jury. In