The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-06
INDIGNANT CITIZENS.


A Committee Of One Hundred Formed to Fer
ret Out the Perpetrators of the Frauds.
The meeting of citizens called for the United
States courtroom last evening could not be
held there; Postmaster Jones refusing to allow
| the citizens to enter. The meeting was held at
the courthouse in room No 2 of the Superior
Court Before 1880 o'clock the lower floor of the
courtroom was packed with people Many were
outside unable to get in. until man climbed
over transom and opened the doors of the gal
lery. This part of the courtroom was at once
| filed and large crowd that could not enter
| the densely-crowded room went away Gen.
| John Coburn was called upon to preside. On
| taking the chair he spoke as follows:
| Fellow-citizens-Not having participated in
| the call for this meeting, it is hardly to be ex
| pected that could exactly state the object. It
| has been rumored and it has been stated by eye
witnesses; it has been published in the news
| papers that most extraordinary proceedings have
taken place in the returning board of the recent
electlon-so extraordinary as to startle every
| honest man who has regard for the public in
| terest; so extraordinary that the oldest citi
zen, whether of this town State or of another
| State. who now resides here if what has been
| stated is true, has known nothing like it in his
experience Heretofore. as have understood,
| and as the good people generally have under
stood, the proprieties of life have been observed
| here and the law complied with, and the votes
| as certified by the officers have been counted.
| But, if what is now said is true, the
| returns after they have been brought into
| the room of the returning board. were changed
| and altered by some unknown person, not by
| authority of the returning board, or of any off
| Ger, or by law or publicly but clandestinely
and secretly. This Is outrage upon law
and decency Lapplause and the good order
| of public affairs, which should be observed
| everywhere, and when the officers of the return
ing board had their attention called to this thing
without investigating it, without questioning
the correctness OF the returns. they went on and
| counted them-a most remarkable proceeding.
| will not repeat, for it has been in your ears,
| the numerous violations of law that have been
perpetrated do not propose to throw imputa-
| tons upon any one hastily and without proper
investigation.
| understand the object of this meeting-the
| object of every honest man-to be to see just
| what is the matter, what has been done. Why
| Is 1t that honest men walk out of the Circuit
| Court ROOM and say that outrages have been
| perpetrated theres l want TO know. We all
| want to know, and to see to it that the fair
thing is done, and the foul imputation of fraud
Is wiped out. In the great capital of Indiana, in
this intelligent community, such things will
| never be overlooked. We intend that Indian
apolis shall scour to the bottom of this, and in
dividuals, whoever they may be, who have
| tempered with the purity OF the ballot box
| be made TO suffer. The security of our
| institutions rests upon the purity of the ballot
box. The fact that you are here upon mo-
| ments notice is strong enough argument of
| the apprehension every man feels when he be-
lieves that the ballot box has been unlawfully
| tempered with That there may be full and
complete inquiry into tais you are assembled to-
| night. You are here not to denounca anybody
| but to see that do not rest single dav. not
q single hour in this matter We intend that
every man in this community shall have the
right to vote fully, fairly and freely, and
and that his vote shall be counted: that
| every man shall be a man in the city of In
| dianaDOliS and
what his party or what the color of his skin, he
shall have the right to put into the ballot-box
one vote-that vote shall be counted. and the
certificate shall 60 to the proper authorities and
| De returned by them untampered with. The
Jealous and free citizens of indianapolis shall
| never, for one moment submit to OutrageS of
| this kind [Great applause.
Ex-Mayor McMaster proposed William Hen
| derson for one of the vice-presidents of the
meeting. and he was chosen with the following
gentlemen: A. B. Conduit, DIR. j. H. Wood
burn, PeterF. Bryce, Chas l.. Holstein, Norman
s. Byram, D. B. Shideler and H. j. Prier.
| Granville s. Wright was chosen secretary.
| William Henderson, in answer to a unanimous
request that he speak, declined to come forward
| to the platform. but rose in the audience and
| said II wish it distinctly understood that
that I suppose most of the gentle
men have, and that is to know and inquire into
| the facts-whether there has been any fraud
committed on the ballot box in this city at the
election held here on last Tuesday in the can
vassing or returning board; whether gross frauds
have been perpetrated. If such be the case, Mr..
| President, for one am ready to
| join with you and any gentlemen here or in this
city IN the punishment of the perpetrators of the
faud and crime. [Applause.l have lived in the
city OF indianapolis for thirty-siX years and dur
| ing that time have recommended, and have at
| different times paid my money to punish the per-
petrators and investigate the frauds but that
| money has always gone down into somebody
nlc ALn& aud T.,
vestigation. cannot remember single
conviction, but l am willing to try
| the experiment once more. If there has been
| crime committed against the franchise of the
people. am willing to contribute my money
| once more to bring it to light, and punish
the perpetrators. Chicago has her Joseph
Mackin. Cincinnati has her election fraud,
and it remains to be whether
indianapolis has her criminals against
the election franchise. I am with you in this
investigation, and, if fraud has been
committed. to aid in ferreting out
the perpetrators, and Furnishing them
| | will remain here with my friend Christian. /
am sorry to see so few of my Democratic friends
here. would like to see more here but un-
derstand there is a meeting at the other end OF
town tonight. / have no doubt but they will
contribute as they are in favor of rebuking any
such frauds, and will contribute to that end"
The next speaker was W. II. Fl. Miller. He
said II have been struck gentlemen, since
came in here with the appearance of the faces
| see here. This is not an assembiage of men,
evidently, who have come here for fun, for
amusement for some trlfiing reason. This is
not an assemblage gathered here for any politi-
cal purpose. No political speaker that we have
in Indiana, upon such a short notice as this,
| could gather such an audience as
this Applause There is q determination
and terrible earnestness in the faces / see be-
| fore me that BODIES trouble to any man who has
been perpetrating wrong upon the right OF
| suffrage. Applause It is evident that the
| good people of indianapolis gauge correctly
| the value and sanctity of the ballot box. They
| recognize that there is the source and only So
curity for their liberty and their property and
| any outrage perpetrated upon that
| is utterly destructive to their interests.
Why what is this that comes to our earsf What
is this charge that is made. and is made circum
| stantiallv by eye-wituesses The charge is