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

been duplicated and supplement by the
frauds in Cincinnati which sent eleven
bogus representatives and senators TO the
Ohio legislature, and the criminal violation
of the tally sheets az Columbus. And it is a
sad commentary upon our own attitude
toward this great question, now assuming
National importance, that not only the men
whom all understand having committed
these crimes are outside ths penitentiary,
but. as l have already said, are the honor ed
and conspicuous leaders of their party in
their state. And IL is a sad thing that the
exigencies Of political action and personal
ambition have brought the Democratic can
didate for governor into the position where
he was compelled TO recognize as leaders and
managers of his personal campaign for the
nomination. the men to whom / have re-
ferred. His flesh must crawl and his very
being revolt when he marshals before his
ewes the men who nominated him and who
must be, in the nature Of things, potential
in his counsels, and then considers their his
tory and attitude toward the mighty ques-
ton which We are here discussing.
Gen. Grosvenor here proceeded with
a full account of the Cincinnati tally
sheet forgery cases, growing out of the
election of October, 1885. and the pro-
ceedings had in the various courts. to-
gether with Judge Follett's connection
Herewith as a Judge on the supreme
court bench, showing how the Demo
cratic party seated the four senators and
ten representatives from Hamilton
county, thus giving them majority of
the legislature on joint ballot
Proceeding he said:
The dissenting opinion of Judge johnson
ought to be in the hands of every voter in
Ohio to-day, for it is warning cry of a wise
man now passed to his reward in better
world, that notifies the people of Ohio that
their liberties are in danger. 1t may be said
that have used strong language in my con-
demnation of this opinion. Let me read the
language of Judge johnson delivered in the
presence of this court: In conclusion, my
regret at this decision is deeper than
can be expressed in words. 1t is an
apparent, if not a real, sanction to
frauds of the most atrocious character;
crimes, that if continued, will eventually
sap and destroy our representative system
of government. 1t is not a comfort to say
that contest by the senate of Ohio fur
nishes adequate remedy, especially since all
counted in by fraud are to be benefited, and
thereby getting control of the body which is
TO sit in Judgment on the contest. They OBJ
taine1 this from certificates by means of
fraud and forgery, and thus entities them to
be members of the contest body"
There is another phase of the case that
shows the depth of degradation to which
politics can drag the highest-minded tribu-
nal in the country This opinion was deliv-
cred by divided court-three on one hand
and two on the other. One of the three
judges was Gibson Atherton, who is dead
now-peace to his ashes-and l will not
speak evil of him. His term of office had
expired before this case reached the supreme
court, and William Key Spear had been
duly elected and was entitled to take his seat
Immediately after the election and so soon
as the returns could be counted, and it was
made the duty of the clerk of Hamilton
county to forward these returns within a
few days six, believe), after the canvass
Immediately following the election. In this
case these returns were held back, and the
case from which 1 have quoted reached the
supreme court at period long after Spear
was entitled to have his seat-long after
Gibson Atherton had ceased to be legally a
member of the supreme court,
Yet because this return was held back
Atherton retained his place on the bench
and Joined the majority of the court in pro-
nouncing this decision. The terrible days
of Cordosa and Bernard in New York fur
nish no example of greater iniquity, and
greater wrong, and more palpable injustice.
than this case. 1t will never be upheld in
Ohio. The time will come when the mem
bers of the bar of this state will point to
that decision as the highest demonstration Of
what deoradation can ha xvortyad vvbar y,oli