New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-01-25

IS PUBLIC SENIInEN DEMOh1LIHHD
A few weeks ago, when the evidence was iirSt
disclosed regarding the frauds III Hamilton
County, Ohio, by which four Senators were re-
turned IN spite of the votes of the majority,
prominent Republican and an equally pr0nl-
npnt Democrat. both of long experience, III
public affairs, were talking together. Fhe
Republican said that il seemed to HIM that
special legislation needed to prevent anu
uupish crimes so dangerous to the Liberties OF
the people The distinguished Democrat re-
plied that such laws were not needed; that the
crimes would be punished by inevitable defeat
and disgrace; for said he. There Is not an
honest ora decent Democrat in the State Legs
lature who will not instantly vote to turn out
3persons whose only claims rest upon such
obvious frauds" it was answered that So
fragrant crime had indeed never yet been up
held or shielded by either party, but that party
spirit seemed to run higher than ever III ONO
aThot makes no differcnce,n said the Demo-
crat This matter goes beyond party no
"matter how intense the feeling, the Demo
"crats of Ohio are not scnundrclS, ana they VIII
mot act like dishonest and unpatrlotic men IN
defending a palpablc wrong" That WAS not
many weeks ago. But every Democratic mem
ber of the Ohio House of Representatives has
already voted to keep in their seats the repre-
sentatives frauduently returned, and now
every Democratic memOcr OF the Senate Is at
tempting revolutionary diS0rganlzalon OF the
State Government in order to defend III their
seats the four persons whose claims have no
other basis than this same palpable fraud,
which the distinguished Democrat believed no
honest or decent man would defend.
This is an illustration of the spirit which APP
penIs to good citizens to render the Democratic
marty, net only unfit to be intrustcd with
mower. but III the strictest sense an enemy OF
free government. For there ought to be some
where a line of division between the things
which IN honest man and law-abiding citizen
will do and the things which he will not do for
the Ike of party. Behind all disputes there is a
right and wrong, which, if he can only sec it,
every decent citizen will regard rather than the
interests of party. In nearly all cases there Is
room for doubt. A great many upright citizens
cannot clearly STE which is right and which Is
wrong, and hence there is earnest dispute In
such cases both are honest and patriotic,
though one or the other is in error, and perhaps
so clouded in mind by prejudice that he de-
sa--es severe censure. But in this case, speak
ing with the greatest possible accuracy, there is
no room for doubt and there is no doubt Every
democratic member of the ONO Senate knows
! that the four claimants from Hamilton County
are entitled to nothing by the votes of the people,
or Iy the returns originally made, full OF fraud
"A those returns were. They we've defeated,
until somebody changed 700 into 900 votes for
each of them, in so bunging a manner that the
change Was instantly apparent whenever the
returns were examined. There is not a man in
! Ohio who is not aware that this forgery is the
only basis of the claim that the pretended Sen
ators were elected. Other frauds of larger
effect were scarcely less obvious when the testi-
II ory was given, but this one needed no testi-
mony. No man can be mistaken about 1t.
The defence and upholding of this crime is
by far the most shameless thing that has vet
been done in all the election controversies in
this country by either party. That is simply
because there is not here the room for honest
doubt which in other matters of dispute has
existed. 1t marks new departure in political
q. mes, when a wrong 50 obvious is upheld by
every member of the party which had hoped t.
profit thereby The duty of all goOd citizens OF
ONO is PLAIN. 1t is to overthrow and punish
! this crime with the least possible delay, that
the known will of the people may be 0bcycd.