Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-10-24

action Of the Democratic party in the con-
duct Of elections, not only In Ohio but In
other parts of the country. 1t is very easy
to say we are for fair elections, but do we
conduct them fairlyi
l do not count much upon promises, but
upon acts, and am compelled by the truth
to say that the Democratic party of Ohio
has in the past six years done more to de-
grade and depravs purity of elections than
has happened since the state was organized.
Now, the main facts are known by every
intelligent citizen of Ohio. They COM
menced in the election of 1855 at Cincinnati,
when at the Highland house convention
reckless and desperate gang substituted
list Of delegates who were not elscted for
those who were elected, and thus seized tbs
machinery Of the Democratic party. 1t
NAV be said that this was fight in the
Democratic party with which we Republi-
cans had nothing TO do, but it was just as
corrupt and corrupting as if they had seized
the ballot-boxes and changed the ballots,
for these preliminary movements of parties
are a part of the necessary machinery OF
elections. This was followed By open
BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION
In the election of Mr.. Payne as senator of
the United States / do not care to dwell
upon this, for it was admitted and de-
nounced by leading Democratic papers,
and, If l am not mistaken, by the Demo-
cratic papers published in this county. do
not say that Mr.. Payne participated in the
bribery, but that it was done to promote his
election may be stated as an established
fact. In the election of 1884 the same Grim
inal gang were guilty Of repeated outrage,
violence and fraud.
The senator next referred to the dis
graceful part taken by Mike Mullen
and others in the elections at Cncin-
natl in 1885, and quoted from Governor
Hoadly's speech delivered before leay-
ing Cincinnati, in which Hoadly ad-
mitted the frauds and strongly de-
nounced them. He then referred to
the frauds in Louisiana in 1874, by
which the vote of that state was given
to Polk instead of to Henry Clay, also
the frauds practiced by the border ruff
fans of Missouri, and the infamous
frauds of the Boss Tweed gang of New
York in 1868, showing clearly that
every great fraud against the elective
franchise in the United States had been
committed by the Democratic party.
Speaking of the
REGISTRATION AND ELECTION LAWS
OF Ohio, the senator said they were
made necessary by the crimes commit
ted agains the ballot, and continued:
The question now is whether the party
which created the necessity for these laws
shall be trusted with their amendment or
repeal, or shall they-in substance-stand
as the law of the Land, until modified by
those favorable to thsir object. This is the
great local issue of the campaign.
The election of Mr. Campbell, under the
circumstances, accompanied by the election
of Democratic legislature, would lead to
the substantial repeal of these laws. The
many men who led in the crimes in 1885 in
Cincinnati are now leading and prominent
actors in the local and state conventions of
the Democratic party.
TO CoNDoNE THE oFFENsEs COMMITTED
By them and their associates would be to in
vite recurrence of the same offenses. We
have had since then the benefit of two Re-
publican legislatures. Their work is before
you They have passed many wise laws to
promote temperance and good order, have
the state from its financial en-
barrassments without increasing taxes. |
They have, aided by Governor Foraker, ad-
vanced the credit of the stats. You may
feel certain that another Republican legisla-
ture will follow in the same line of policy as
fast as public opinion will allow, while
Democratic legislature will naturally seek
to undo all that has been done by Repub-
lican legislature.
A