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

h CINCINNATI FRAUD.
The Cincinnati election frauds were of mag
nitude and character to attract attention of
are to prevail, and the candidates in whose in
terest they were perpetrated are to enjoy the
benefit of them, it is vain to hold popular
elections, which might as well be relegated at
once to the tricksters and thieves that manip-
ulate elections to the defeat Of an honest vote.
Ordinarily, frauds like that attempted at
Chicago and those practiced at Cincinnati
would have no more than local in
terest, and there would be no excuse
for outsiders to interfere by voice Of protest
or suggestion. But in either Of these in
stances there can be no outsiders within the
United States, and the voter in Texas or Cali
fornia is interested secondarily only to the
Ohio citizen. In each case the crime aimed
to steal the Legislature, not for local reasons,
but with the well-defined object in view of
thus securing control of the Senate Of the
United States. For this reason every voter
is interested in the outcome of the impudent
and daring frauds practiced in the October
election at Cincinnati.
If any one has doubts about the matter,
and is inclined to ascribe the charge of fraud
to partisan prejudice, orthe desire to mislead the
public, a moments examination of the returns
will make all plain. Take, for example, the
returns from Precinct A, Fourth ward. To
begin, the registration this year indicates
gross fraud, in that it is greater by ninety-six
than the entire vote cast for Cleveland, Blaine,
st. John and Butler in 1884. 1t is preposter-
Gus to claim that this could be in an ''off
year." But this is only the beginning of the
fraud. The perpetrators seem to have been
foiled in the attempt to- get as many spurious
names on the list as they wanted or thought
they needed, so they made up for it at the
polls, as the vote shows. In this precinct,
the boundaries Of which have not been
changed since last year. 624 votes were cast
in 1884, at the presidential election. In the
State election this year a total vote of 996
was polled, or 372 more votes than for Presi-
dent last fall, and 276 more votes than
ined that the fraud was a joint
crime between the parties, it may be
stated that Foraker received 100 fewer votes
than were cast for Blaine, while Hoadly is
credited with no less than 484 more votes
than were cast for Cleveland, or forty-two
votes more than twice as many! The public
is left to judge how many Of 372 votes, m
how gained over last year, and the 276 more
votes than were registered, went to Mr..
Hoadly and the Democratic candidates for the
Legislature. This is but one precinct, though
there are several others in which the same re-
markable facts obtain, showing a preconcerted
effort at fraud. But this precinct is enough
to prove not only that the grossest fraud was
practiced, but that the Republican candidates
would have been elected-every one-on a
fair vote and honest count And if other
frauds, equally palpable, be rect.fed, the en-
tire Republican ticket of Hamilton county
would have been returned elected by maiori-
ties ranging from 500 to 1000. AS it is, the
ten representatives are awarded certificates of
election, and the four senators probably will
be, unless the court interferes to prevent the
infamy.
This fraud must yet be rectifed. IF in no
other way, the next Legislature should refuse
seats to the men who owe their certificates to
fraud and scoundrelism. The encouragement
given the Chicago villains in their attempt to
steal the one needed seat in the Illinois Legis-
lature, has emboldened the Cincinnati gang
to attempt the steal of seats by the dozen. If
the courts allow these scoundrels to escape
their deserts, State and national elections will
soon degenerate into a farce, the plaything
and tool of designing and INSCRIPTIONS men.
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