St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-13
oHIo,s DISGRACE.

Not since the days Of Louisiana recon-
struction has the country been compelled 10
witness such a disgraceful political move
ment as that accomplished in the Ohio leg
islature yesterday. The manner of it was
so redolent with Louisiana carpetbagism
that it was easy to detect the skillful hand
of ELIZA Passions best friend in the
whole proceeding. There is but one man
in the country capable of instituting such
trayesty on political honesty as was done In
Columbus yesterday, and that man is JOHN
SHERMAN. For man who had been
the principal conspirator in the theft
of the presidency in 1876 it
was an easy matter 10 secure
his own reelection TO the United States
senate by rObbing nine members of the
Ohio legislature of seats to which they held
title by the suffrages of the people of Hamil-
ton county and Endorsed by the highest
judicial tribunal Of the state. 1t is not
necessary in the discussion of this gross
crime against popular suffrage to 20 behind
the returns to ascertain whether there had
been fraud committed in the election. We
grant that it is hardly possible that an
election can occur in Cincinnati with
out fraud being practiced. Nor is
it confined to one party. They all
do it. To such an extent does
corruption prevail in that metropolis.
So far as this particular case is concerned
the issue of fraud had been raised, and
upon that the contest for the legislative
seats was carried TO the courts. After an
investigation of the matter the supreme
court of the state declared that the Demo-
cratic candidates were elected and entitled
to their seats. That was supposed to be,
and ought to have been, an end to the con-
trOversy. In a community where judicial
decisions are respected it won Id have been.
But Ohio is an exceptional state. There
the ends justify the means, and might makes
right. The summary manner in which
the Democratic members were elected
by the Republican majority in the Ohio
legislature is an illustration of the lawless
spirit which prevails in that state. Denied
the opportunity TO plead their own cause
the Hamilton county delegates were driven
from the hall amid the yells of a mob, while
nine men who were not elected were i'll
Quoted into their places to cast the nine
votes of Hamilton county for JOHN SHER-
MAN for senator. No more disgracefui
scene was ever witnessed, and could have
occurred nowhere else except in a state
where dwells RUTHERFORD i. HAYES,
the beneficiary of the greatest fraud that
was ever practiced on a nation, and JOHN
SHERMAN, the henchman, who planned and
carried into execution the fraud, receiving
in COMPENSATION for his services the Gus
tody of the keys of the national treasury for
four years. 1t is lamentable evidence Of
the decadence of public morality that such
things should not only pass without rebuke,
but that even reputable newspapers are Sc
blinded by partisan prejudice as to com
mend the act. In state where such utter
disregard for the forms of law and the re-
Spect that is due to judicial decisions is ex-
hibited in the legislative halls, it is no
wonder that lnobs burn court houses and
murder innocent people i'm the states
metropolis.
Thieves for their robbery have authority
When judges steal themselves.
The fact that the state of Ohio has not ere
this been deluged by stream of molten
lava has tendency to bring discredit upon
the ancient story of the fate which over
took SodOm and Gomorrah. If Nature
has no more walls of wrath with which TO
purge Ohio politics, then it might not be
amiss for congress to exercise its constitu-
tional prerogative by reconsUructing the
state and guarantee to it a Republican form
of government.