The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1888-03-01
DISHONESTY IN POWER.
now Public Morals Have Deteriorated
Under Democratic Auspices.

Il
aov Public Morals Have Deteriorated
Under Democratic Auspices
Two Democratic managers were
sentenced to States Prison at Indian
apolis recently for forging returns, in
order to secure a Democratic Legis-
lature and United States Senator from
that State. Mr.. Turpie votes in the
Senate to-day. bogus Senator in a
stolen seat. because these crimes were
perpetrated. No one expects him to
have the self-respect to retire from a
place and power which do not belong
to him. No doubt he is too honest a
man to steal dollar from his neigh
boris pocket But he has stolen and
keeps the share of power in the Senate
which belongs to 240. 900 neighbors. the
Republican voters of Indiana Does the
man not know that his keeping and
using of stolen property make his own
all the crimes by which the pretended
Democratic majority in the Indiana
Legislature was obtained.
Ex-senator Thurman, one of the
worthiest and most honest Democrats
of the past half-century, brought into
court conclusive proof against Demo-
cratic managers at Columbus, fasten-
ing upon them the crime of forgery in
order to elect by fraud a Senator of the
United States from Ohio in place of
Mr.. Sherman. The fraud was discov-
cred in time and defeated; the Senator
who had honored the Nation by his
splendid services as Secretary of the
Treasury was elected. But the duty of
prosecuting and furnishing the crimi-
nal remains. Ex-senator Thurman,
who has consented to lead the prosecu-
ton, holds that he would not be worthy
the name of Democrat if he should re-
fuse to punish crime by Democrats for
the party's sake. How widely he diff
fers from the men in the Senate. and
in the present Administration, who
have plotted, and labored, and insti-
gated crimes of many kinds, in order
to steal majority in the Senate! He
declares that there can be no escape
for the accused; that he has absolutely
fatal evidence against them. Then
they will lie behind prison bars, while
the men who set them on to defraud
the people posture as great reformers
in high offices or other places of re-
sponsibility.
The fact comes out that Senator Cor
man, whose long career of fraud in
Maryland has been exposed by men,
bers of his own party, and who never
theless is the chosen confidant of Re-
former Cleveland, has been placing the
wires to capture Oregon by methods
peculiar to himself. Every respectable
Democrat knows what that means.
Money will be used freely to hire re-
peaters and to bride election officers,
and false returns will defeat the will
of the people if possible. Yet where
is the respectable Democrat who raises
an effective protest? In the House of
Representatives, it is said. four Demo
cratic members refuse to violate their
oaths by voting that Republican
member is not entitled to his seat
But how is it with the great majority
of members of that party? Do they
refuse to take part in a fraudulent de-
cision by which the people will be
robbed? Do they refuse to hold in his
stolen seat the person from Florida.
whose pretended election was effected
by disgraceful means?
A distinguished gentleman declares
that the public morals have sadly de-
teriorated; that even Mr.. Garland's
telephone scandal seems no longer to
hurt the Administration. Is that true?
Are men who account themselves up
right and honest in private life ready to
uphold and defend every kind of dis
honesty that may be committed by
prominent Democrats? If that is true,
they who excuse are on a level morally
with those who steal, or forge papers,
or prostitute their public trusts for pri-
vate gain. But are there not among
Democratic voters many who are III
deed honest and upright, who wait in
the hope that the party itself will dis
card this rotten Administration, but
who have made up their minds, if it
does not, to satisfy their own con-
sciences by voting against such a
party?-M !. Tribune.