New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-04

measures to secure purity Of elections have
without exception been almost unanimously op-
posed by Democrats and defeated wherever
they have had the power. II is known that in
several Northern States prominent Democratic
managers have been convicted of crimes against
the ballot-box that similar crimes in many
Southern States have been rewarded by seats
in the Senate and the Cabinet and that the
entire Democratic party has joyfuly accepted
the proceeds of crime in the stealing of seats
in the Senate from Northern States
The fear which Republican managers admit
is shared by other parties The Greenback
candidate for President some years ago re-
turned from the South with the declaration
that freedom of elections and freedom of speech
had both been destroyed by the Democratic
party in order to crush all opposition. The
Prohbitionists have not hesitated to declare
that they were robbed of many votes in Demo-
cratic counties in Ohio and other States, where
constitutional amendments in their favor were
thought likely to be approved by the people.
The Labor party beginning with Mr. george,
has declared that it was robbed of thousands
of votes in this city by Democratic frauds. The
convictions of these various organizations have
not been without some reason, and conclusive
proof of it is that the leaders who were most
able to expose Democratic methods
have been induced to serve tho
Democratic party as its instruments.
Mr. Weaver had his reward in several cleo
lions to Congress by Democratic votes. MIR.
George is engaged as stump speaker for Mr.
Cleveland. The Prohibitionists who know
most of Democratic frauds are serving the Dem
ocratic party as effectively as they can by dis
honestly assailing Republican policies and
methods of dealing with the temperance ques-
ton.
Behind all these apprehensions as to the
future, and all these strong convictions as to
the past, there is substantial reason. The
Democratic party has placed in positions of
trust the very men who have been most no
torions for participation in fraud from Barnum
and German down to Higgins, Thomas and
Raisln. 1t has steadily resisted the punish
ment of every Democratic Offender against the
election laws, North or South. 1t has resisted
with all its power every measure to render
election frauds more difficult and dangerous.
Men who do not rely upon using fraud to their
own partisan advantage are not likely to hight
desperately against measures to prevent it.
The best hope of the Republican party is in
the fact that laws in many cases have been
enacted which render fraud more difficult. New
Jersey politicians of both parties reckon that
the new law in that State which is to be en-
forced for the first time this year, is likely to
make a difference of several thousand votes in
the returns. Indiana has a we-organized
association Of citizens for the express purpose
of enforcing the laws and guarding against
election crimes, and the men engaged in the
movement believe that the crimes which Presi-
dent Cleveland rewarded by the appointments |
of Thomas and others to profitable Office can
not now be repeated in that State. New York
has no new law because Governor Hill served |
his party and himself by vetoing bill for tho
prevention OF fraud. But the power OF the
honest citizen to defend himself against cleo
ton frauds under existing laws is not to be de-
spised, and Governor Hil's veto has given
such warning that the necessary precautions |
will hardly be neglected this year.