The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-28
PUBLIC OPINION,

The Comments of Republican and Demo-
cratic Citizens on the Outrage.
The action of the Democratic commissioners
in breaking open the ballot boxes and beginning
second recount without any legal authority
an insufferable outrage, and it caused much
Indignation among the better class of citizens
Some of the expressions of opinion, as gathered
by Journal reporters are given below:
Senator Harrison-I do not know anything at
all about the rulings on ballots My impression,
from what has been said to me, is that they have
counted for Mr.. Ripley. what no Democratic
lawyer in the State of any responsibility, will
say properly belonged to him. 1t seems with all
this they did not get enough votes. and finding
the result showed that Pritchard was elected by
one vote, they wanted to go back and reverse
their own ruling and count for Mr.. Ripley bal
lots, which they had deliberately decided be-
longed to the other man. AS adjunct to a
proceeding IN court Of justice it is scandalous.
reopen the boxes there was only one course that
was decent, and that was to have Submitted the
question to the judge, under whose direction the
recount was being made. The use of the ak to
open ballot-boxes was brutal and infamous. and
it is a great wonder that it did not result
then and there in an alteration that
might have led to riot. The people are very
tired interruption by Mr.. w. II. H. Miller, who
was presents "Oh. no, they're not: if they were,
these things would not be accomplished without
bloodshed-somebody would get hurt!"l I think
of this sort of election methods, and some of the
instruments in this sort of work will presently
find that it is not safe.
W. Fl. Fl. Mer-I think it is evident from
the course OF the proceedings that the Demo
cratic commissioners started into this recount
with the determination to find make enough
changes to elect Mr.. Ripley. When, having
made the count, they found they were ono short,
the ass Of gisa''n and Of s
conduct, to go over the matter again
and fnd at any cost. the necessary vote In
order to get at the ballots l understand they
chopped open the ballot boxes with an AK If so,
it is the most high-handsd piece of scoundrelism
that has ever been perpetrated in an American
community, sosfar as my knowledge extends. 1t
shows that the party of reform in Indianapolis
does not propose to be outdone by the reformers
of Chicago and Cincinnati. If it is ever proper
to use violence. it would be in defending the
ballot box against just such outrages.
What do you think of the new and improved
method of opening ballot-boxesl" was asked
Congressman Bynum by Journal reporter.
Mr.. Bypum.
Judge Taylor expressed himself with great de-
liberation and gravity II have the utmost con-
fidence," he said, sin Judge Ayers If there is
anything that should be done / have no doubt he
will do it. The matter is not in my jurisdiction
at ALL"
William Wallace have no doubt that the
first recount exhausted the order of the court,
which did not mean that after the ballots had
been fairly counted the commissioners could
continue recountlng ad infnitum. The course
pursued by the Democratic commissioners is
arbitrary, and wholly unwarranted, and unjusti-
fable.
Granville S. Wright-There is no law for the
action of the Democratic commissioners It is
certainly unwarranted under the order
of the court | understand it. In the
first count, understand that after completing
the canvass the Democratic commissioners pro
posed to Dryer that the ballots should be sealed
up, and that he should hold one key to the boxes
and Holt one key, which was agreed to and done.
The Democratic clerks believed as / am told,
that Ripley had majority of four five, but
when it was found that Pritchard had majority
of one they would not abide by the
result. l regard their proceeding as
outrageous, but believe that Judge Ayres is
not man who would permit anything like fraud
in such case to go unpunshed We were boys
togther, and know him to be man of scrupu-
lous honor. 1t is serious thing when the will
of the people can be unlawfully thwarted in such
an outrageous manner by a few men, 1t renders
property, life and liberty insecure.
X. 0. Hawkins / have been through those
ballots. We have counted them through the