The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-10-23
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER %.
A Party of Fraud.


less political organization that ever ex-
listed in this or any other country.
The high-handed proceedings that are
now being witnessed in Montana illus
trate its chronic lawlessness, and its reck-
less defiance of public opinion.
At the recent election the democrats
carried Montana for their state and legis-
lative tickets by substantial majority. The
republicans elected the member of con-
gress. The election was conducted under
the Australian system of secret voting,
which affords every possible legal safe
guard against fraud and bribery, and was
probably as fair an election as it is possible
TO hold under the existing conditions.
The democrats, like good and patriotic
citizens, acquiesced cheerfully in the cleo
ton of republican congressman, but the
republicans set to work to steal the legis-
lature, which carries with it two U. S.
senator's and number of other attractive
political prizes. Incidentally to this en-
terprise of crime, they proposed to snatch
the governorship and other state Offices.
The latest advices from Montana in
dicate that this nefarious con-
spiracy is likely to succeed. The
yer Bow county, which gave a de-
cided democratic majority, has been
thrown out, and the defeated republican
candidates for senator and representative
have been returned as elected. This high
handed outrage is sought to be justified
upon the ground that number of Italian
laborers, who could notread or write, went
into the voting room at one precinct and
presented cards to the election board, on
which was written: '1 cannot read or
write the English language and / desire to
vote the straight democratic ticket" The
objections to the returns in the other pre-
cincts are, as we are told by republican
authorities, "purely technical"
As no educational qualification is i'm
posed upon voters in Montana, and as the
Italians had, so far as appears, the requis-
tie residence qualification, they of course
had a perfect right to vote, and to vote the
democratic ticket. There is no proof-in-
deed, no allegation-that they were bribed
or improperly influenced in any way. Yet
the vote of their precinct is thrown out,
along with that of other precincts where
none but technical irregularities are even
alleged. The democrats have applied to a
court for relief. but if the judge happens to
be a republican, there is little reason to
hope that Justice will be done. The prob
abilities are that the legislature will be
stolen by the republicans and along with
IL the two Z. s. senatorships
We have no doubt that what SMILEY V.
CHAMBERS would call "leading citizens" of
Montana are engaged in this dirty
business We have no doubt that
church deacons, and ruling elders,
and class leaders, and Sunday
school superintendent are either actively
concerned in the conspiracy, or are giving
lit all the aid and comfort possible. We
have no doubt that the crime will be sus-
tanned and applauded by the entire repub-
lican party of Montana, and that the chief
criminals will, in due time, if their plot
succeeds, be officially recognized" by
President HARRISON.
The republican party is accustomed to
carrying elections by force and fraud. Re
publicans who, outside of their politics"
are exemplary men, do not hesitate to en-
ploy the most desperate and lawless meth
DDS when the interests of their party are
at stake. The average republican is, polit-
ically, fanatic. His party is his fetch.
It has come to take the place, in his i'm
agination, of Con, and church, and coun-
try. 1t can do no wrong. It saved the
country, so he has been taught, and freed
the slave, and it is pious duty to keep it
In power by fair means or foul. The end
justiies the means. So, all over the
United States, in every campaign and at
every election, republicans in good stand
ing as citizens-merchants and bankers,
and lawyers, and physicians, and even
ministers of the gospel-will lie and buy
votes and perjure themselves and COM
NIT all manner of frauds and forgeries in
the interest Of their party, and appar-
emily without any wear and tear of con-
science. They appear to be laboring un-
der the delusion that this sort of thing,
when done for the sake of the grand old
republican party" is Cons work. The
sublime nerve which they exhibit in these
matters, and which compels the surprise of
democrats, and even certain kind of ad-
miratioz, is born OF thatinsane fanaticism
which deadens their consciences, and
which differs only in degree from the
frenzy of superstition which leads the
Indian mother to throw her baby into the
Ganges in order to propitiate the favor of
her divinity.
The republican party deliberately stole
the presidency of the United States in
1876, its great national leaders taking an
active part In the crime. In 1880, and
again in 1888, it obtained the presidency
by a system of open and shameless
bribery in the debatable states. In 1884
It attempted to repeat the fraud of 1876,
and only abandoned its wicked purpose
when public indignation compelled it to
do 50. This was the only occasion in its
whole history when its nerve" ever failed
it; and it is worthy of note that no man
ever lost standing in the republican party
because of his completely in crimes against
the ballot-box. JOHN SHERMAN, JAMES
A. GARFIELD, STANLEY MATTHEWS, ZACH
CHANDLER and the other conspirators OF
1876: WILLIAM WADE DUDLEY, WILLIAM A
WooDs and all the others whose names