New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-13
Tile nHLn CASES.

Ohio needs to purge itself Years of Demo-
cratic rule have brought that state into such
condition that there seems to be douOC
whether Justice or decency remains. Two
courts have been hearing arguments. on pre-
csclv the same question: at the same time
The Circui Court, being duly applied to, be-
gan the hearing of the case some time ago.
OF the propriety of its action in that respect
there can be no question. But because ma
iority of the Judges of that court are Republic
cans the Democrats have taken the same ques-
ton before the Supreme Court of the State, in
which the Democrats have Temporary MAJOR
ity, asking from that court decision before
the other court can reach one. This In Itself
suggests to every mind degree OF shameless
ness which is happily rare in communities called
civilized The fact that the Supreme Court
also will cease to be controlled by the Demo-
Gratis, as soon as the Judge elected III October
can take his seat, makes the attempt to use that
body for partisan purposes, and against the will
of the people expressed in the latest election,
peculiarly indecent.
But the subject matter of the Democratic aD-
plicatiOn Is more indecent still. The Circuit
Court had been called upon to decide whether
the County Clerk could lawfully cast up anu
count election returns not legally made. 1t
had decided that he could nos, ard had then
proceeded to require him to show the returns
received and their nature and condition. In
his testimony 1t had appeared that there could
be no possible doubt that certain of the returns
were, not merely illegal or technically informal,
but grossly and utterly fraudulent In great
number of cases the returns were illegal and
tha f,rtnS of law dis
regarded, but it was not upon these informal
ties that stress was placed by anybody. The
far grayer fact appeared that, after the returns
had been officially made and signed, hundreds
of votes had been added in single precincts for
Democratic candidates, and such changes had
been made so audaciOuSly that the different Ink
used called attention at once to the alterations
of figures, and to the long lists of names thrust
into the poll. lists after they were signed In a
great number of precincts the votes counted
and returned for candidates were more than
the number registered, and more than the
official number returned as having voted. All
these facts came out in the testimony OF the
Clerk himself, who WAS compelled 10 place be-
fore the court the official returns. and to eX-
plain how he had cast them up. There was not
an intelligent man in Cincinnati who did not
know, the day after this testimony. that in
famous frauds had been committed, and what
they were, and that the County Clerk proposed
to complete these frauds by including them in
his official statement, and by giving certificates
based on them.
Yet the Supreme Court entertains a motion
to require The County Clerk to do that very
thing-to give certificates thus plainly based
on fraud and on nothing else. The plea is that
the Legislature alone can judge of the qualfi-
cations of members, and that the CLERK not
only may lawfully treat the papablc frauds as
valid, dsregarding all forms required by law,
but must so treat them. 1t is not remembered
that a more indecent application has ever been
made to any court in any civilized state or
country, and yet this court not only listened to
argument upon it, but dad so with avowed
haste to reach a decision while the Circuit
Court is still investigating the matter com
munity which tolcrates such things deserves to
be robbed. They could not be tolerated unless
a great nunbcr of citizens, commonly called
decent and respectable, were willing to wink at
Infamous crimes for the sake Of their party.