The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-11-05

times ~ he wanted. One OF the judges
swore that he saw ono man vote seven
times; they did not quit until they got 996
votes In the ballot box. so they said. The
Republican Judge got hungry and went
away, but he took the key. While he Was
gone they broke open the box. tied il up
with q rope. took it to the lieutenant of po-
lice and left It in his custody. When the
Anal votes were counted there were only
eight Republican votes and 800 Democratic
votes. They called that fair election.
That was the most infamous crime that was
ever committed in the State of Ohio. Only
think of from three to four hundred illegal
votes cast in that one precinct Any man
who accepts certificate of election among
these fourteen ought to have the brand of
Cain upon his brow. / would not trust
him with a dollar bill out Of my sight.
Nearly every citizen of the United States
knows that that was an infamous fraud =
committed after the ballot-box was closed
bought with money.
my countrymen, about our Southern
brethren and their frauds unless Ohio cor
reefs herself, and she will IL / know her,
and il L don't know her don't know who
ought to; now, my countrymen. that is the
the Democrats of the East, of the West,
honest men everywhere, are denounc-
inglthese frauds. As great fraud was
committed Mt Columbus, at the capital of
the State. Upon the return Of the vote
depended the election of q member OF the
House of Representatives. One had been
SO badly beaten, by about /, 800 majority
Allen o. Myers-that they did not try to
resurrect him. The next man was Young
by name and young by nature. He was
only beaten 2l3 votes. Between Saturday
night and Monday morning some thief
stole from the county record Office the poll
book. They took these returns, aud they
added 800 taliies for every Democrat on
the list, changing the number voting from
2o4 to 504. They just put top on the fig
urs two so as to make it five. 1t was so
handsomely done that l must confess 1
would have been cheated myself. They
were actually about to count it, knowing it
was forgery, when a public indignation
sprung up in the city of Columbus. not
confined to Republicans, but including the
Democrats One of the most prominent
Democrats in the State said: NO, no; we
might be glad to see such result, but we
will not bring it about by fraud and COR
ruption." And so, bys voice of public sem
timent, they were prevented from consum-
mating that fraud. Cincinnati will have
the mark of Cain put on its brow. In other
words, to use an Irish phrase, it ought to
have been boycotted, not only In Ireland,
but all over the country.
1--WE have got to put stop to this If
Democrats commit these frauds much
longer, are you sure that the Republicans
won't find it profitable thing to do also,
and initiate your bad example? 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
il counted. / have thought great deal
about the remedy. l shall be glad, indeed,
to contribute remedy. One is, and l
think the most effective one, the law max
ing power of the great nation. 1t should
90 to work, without respect to 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 Con-
gress and electors are concerned What we
want is 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 four
teenth amendment. IL these people down
South will not allow free and fair
elections, We can not send troops
down there now to protect the voters,
but we do say that if they prevent the me-
groes from voting we will not allow them
representation for the negroes. There are
SIX million colored 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 right to gain
say 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 represented,
then the Southern Democrats shall not
vote the six million. Their representation
should be reduced by thirty eight. l 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. L have not raised any
bloody shirt, as my friend said. In that
very speech / said the war was over, and
the war should cease; said L would not
hold any Confederate soldier responsible
for what he did in the war, but l said, fur
ther, that / 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 instru-
ment; we will stand by the rights of the
lowliest in our land. The Republican
party is strong enough to do it. 1t will d,
it, although the remedy may be in the dis
tant future. There never was wrong bu
there was remedy, and that remedy will
be had by the voters at the polls.
|
A Railroad COngratulatiOn.