The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-26

committed at Columbus, at the capital of
the State. Upon the return of the vote de-
pended the election of a member of the House of
Representatives. One had been so badly beaten.
by about /. 300 majority-Allen O. Myers-that
they did not try to resurrect him. The next
man was Young by name and yoang by nature.
He was only beaten 2l3 votes. Between Satur-
day night and Monday morning some thief stole
from the county record office the poll-books
They took these returns, and they added 300
tallies for every Democrat on the list, changing
the number voting from 204 to 504. They just
put a top on the figure two so as to make it q
I'VE. 1t was so handsomely done that l must
confess would have been cheated myself. They
were actually about to count it, knowing it was
a forgery, when a public Indignation sprung up
In the city of Columbus, not confined to Repub-
llcans. but including the Democrats. One of the
most prominent Democrats in the State, said:
mo, no; we might be glad TO see such result,
but we will not bring it about by fraud and cor
ruption." And so. by a voice of public senti-
ment, they were prevented from concentrating
that fraud. Cincinnati will have the mark of
Cain put on its brow. In other words. to use an
Irish phrase, it oughtto have been boycotred, not
only in Ireland, but all over the country.
we have got to put a stop to this. If Demo-
Gratis commit these frauds much longer, are you
sure that the Republicans won't find it a profta-
BILE thing to do also. and initiate your bad exam
plef That thing must have a remedy and the
time must come when every lawful voter shall
have the right to cast one lawful ballot and have
1t counted. | have thought a great deal about
the remedy. l shall be glad, indeed, to contrib
ute a remedy. One is, and l think the most
effective one, the law-making power of the great
Nation. 1t should 60 to work, without respect
10 party ties, and frame a wise election law. and
by that law regulate the election of members Of
Congress.
Sometimes it is said that we have not the
power. 1t is perfectly clear that we have the
power. The Constitution confers that power
upon Congress, and Congress may change the
time, place and manner of these elections so far
as members of Congress anu Electors are con-
cefned' what we want is a just and honest
law, to be framed by men of both parties. all to
be done under the surveillance of the courts of
the United States. This is one remedy. There
Is another remedy provided by the fourteenth
amendment. If these people down South will
not allow free and fair elections, we cannot send
troops down there now to protect the voters,
out we do say that if they prevent the negroes
from voting we will not allow them representa-
ton for the negroes. There are six million col
ored people in the South who have just as much
right TO vote as you, and the law gives it to them;
they have a right to it, and nobody has a right
to gainsay that. BY the terms Of our law thirty.
eight members of Congress, and thirty eight
Electors votes are represented from the South;
If, therefore,, six millions of people are not to vote
or to be re represented, then the Southern Demo
Gratis shall not vote the six million. Their repre-
s%entation should be reduced by thirty-eight. ]
want to leave that upon your minds, Democrats
and Republicans, and l appeal TO you as patriots
i appeal to you to bear witness to what | have
said. have not raised any bloody shirt, as my
friend said. In that very speech l said the war
was over, and the war should cease; L said l
would not hold any confederate soldier RESPONSE
BILE for what he did in the war, but | said, further,
That L never would surrender what our soldiers
won for US in the war, and one thing they won
for us was the right to vote. No hand dare tear
down that sacred instrument; we will stand by
the rights of the lowliest in our land. The Re-
publican party is strong enough to do it. 1t will
do it, although the remedy may be in the dis.
tant future. There never was a wrong but there
was a remedy, and that remedy will be had by
the voters at the polls.