Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-12-04
The Illinois Fraud.


The election fraud attempted in Illinois.
by which the democrats aimed to secure a
majority in the legislature and steal a
United States Senator from the republi-
cans, has met with the exposure and de-
feat which it richly deserved. If the per-
petrators can now be discovered and severe
ly punished as an example to deter others
from committing similar outrages against
the popular suffrage, the result may tend
TO promote honest elections and prevent
knavery a: the polls
By the failure OF this fraud, the Illinois
Senate, TO which Mr.. Leman. the republi-
can candidate ia now shown to be elected,
stands republicans, PC; democrats, q ;
independents, / The House has republi-
cans, rs democrats, 76 independents. /.
On Joint ballot the vote will be: republic
cans. t02 democrats, 100 independents. 2
II is reported that the House independent,
Mr. Haines. has expressed his intention
to vote with the democrats. while Streeter.
lllt luNfHfI'lbut SNhtht'as 10 NiNNi1 w WV
with the republicans if their candidate is
acceptable to him. This will, without
doubt return Senator Logan to the nation
al Senate at the expiration OF his present
term, result which will be exceedingly
gratifying to the republicans OF the whole
country Such stalwart, straightforward,
bold and able republicans as Logan, are the
kind OF men now needed in the SEN
ate, and the party has come to a sober
realization of that fact.
We repeat that we hope the perpetrat-
ors Of the fraud in Chicago will be
brought to punishment, and their crime
he made so odous that honest men
will shun and despise them, In Maine,
where five years ago. democratic conspir-
acy was entered into to count out thirty
seven republicans who were honestly
elected to the Legislature, and count in
thirty-seven democrats who were not cleo
ted. entirely reversing the decision of the
people at the polls in regard to the control
of the State government, the authors of
the great outrage still go at large, and
the democracy recently teted aud paid
especial honor, in this city, to the chief of
this gang of conspirators, and MIR
Cleveland. the reform President. will be
urged to give him some honorable
office as a reward tor his effort to steal our
State from the hands in which the honest
vote of the State had placed 1t. In this
connection we take pleasure in copying
the following editorial from the Boston
Globe of Thursday morning.
II il proves that there was fraud in one of
the Chicago legislative districts, by which the
complexion Of the Legislature would have
been chsnged-and II looks now as though
there had been-no democrat wants it
to succeed. On the other hand every true
democrat should aud will aiscountenance the
fraud. A democratic United States Senator
from Illinois would be welcome aid to the
party. but we want such aid only when hon
estly and fairly secured. Decent men of all
parties, and under all circumstances, desire
only an honest ballot and fair count The
country will live indefinitely under demo.
cratic Senate or republican Senate, but it
cannot live long under fraud, whoever COM
mts il.
We are glad to notice this healthy senti-
ment in such democratic quarter. We
hope the Globe has sincerely ropented of
the effort it made to sustain Garcelon and
his fellow conspirators in this State, Fraud
against the ballot-box is no worse in Illi-
nois than In Maine or South Carolina, and
we trust the Globe will in the future APP
preciate that fact, and succeed in bringing
the democracy up to the spirit OF the edi-
torial which we have copied from its col
umus, or at least improve their morals
and political Judgment so that the authors
of gigantic frauds against the ballot will
not be made conspicuous in democratic
professions and be held up as shining ex-
amples to be followed by the rising gen.
Grafton.