New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-07

1t is painful 10 see that even in Ohio a strong
disposition is manifested among tho Democrats
to uphold and carry through frauds committed
for the benefit of the Democratic party. That
spirit used to be- and ought still to be, compare
lively unknown in Northern States. Good
citizens may differ in opinion regarding the
results of an election, and may believe that a
return is honest whereas in fact it is fraudu-
lent. But when there is no room for doubt
abopt it, every decent citizen ought to desire
that the fraud shall be defeated, and that the
will of the honest voters shall prevail. Yet
there appears in The CIereland Plain Deater
Il journal of large influence among Democrats
IN Northern Ohio, a deliberate statement that
the Senate of that State shall not be organ
lied until the Democrats who claim seats from
Hamilton County have been seated, no matter
whether the courts decide that they are entitled
to seats or not. The meaning of this declara-
ton is that the persons fraudulently returned
rs elected shall be upheld in stealing their
seats and in robbing the people who really
elected somebody else, until consider able part
of the session has passed Moreover, II the
spirit exists to uphold fraud so far it may be
expected that the Democratic members VIII
vote against unseating either of the persons
frauduentiy returned. Three of these, voting
with the Democratic members against unseat-
ing the fourth, will in each case make
majority. Thus il is hoped that the fraud may
prevail altogether and that control of the State
Senate throughout the session may be secured
in defiance OF the will OF the people.
For, be il remembered, in this case there is no
room for question that the persons returned
were fraudulently returned. In single
precinct where about 400 more votes were
returned than were registered, and where the
palpable alteration of figures in the returns IS
proved, there can be no possible doubt that
fraudulent change sufficient to defeat the will
of the people was accomplished. Time Fas
when no decent mau of either party IN the
Northern States would excuse so shameless an
outrage, nor would any decent man accept an
Office obtained by such means. But the spirit
of the Democratic party in that respect has
greatly changed, and not for the better.
The Cincinnati court has decided against the
Democratic claims, so far as it is possible for
that court to decide. 1t has issued its manda
mus to the County Clerk, requiring him 10
count only the returns lawfully mace and only
the votes lawfully cast. The effect of this
order, if obeyed by the clerk, is to throw out
the fraudulent and palpabe addition to the re-
turns, leaving only the properly returned and
lawful votes and of these all the Republican
legislative candidates in Hamilton County had
a majority. But it is openly declared that the
Democrats will appeal to the Supreme Court Of
the State to have this order revoked. They
hope that the court will 90 even this Shameless
thing, because a majority of its members are
'Tbn,, linn, hos fa IN
bring the case before the court prior to January
|, because when the judge elected III October
shall have taken his seat the Democrats will
no longer have q partisan majority. Let it be
considered what this means The lower court
has decided that a papabe fraud shall not be
unawfully counted, in order to defeat the will
of the people But it is hoped that the highest
court in the State will decide that it shall he un
lawfully counted. and that the will OF the
people shall be defeated
Is il strange that such things rs these are
wtnessed7 For years, all the Democrats and
part of the so-called Republicans have been de
feudlng crimes against the purity of elections at
the South. denying their existence, or Snccring
at every mention of them, and calling il a re
vival of " the sectional issue Is it strange
that the minds OF men once decent are becOm-
ing demoraizcd? Is it strange hat partisans
begin to think that notorious fraud may as well
prevail at the North as at the South