The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-02-12
THE FORAKER DISGRACE.
A Political Conspiracy Which Stands Alone
in American History.

THE FORAKER DISGRACE.
Political Conspiracy Which Stands Alone
in American History.
If common and notorious criminal is
found consorting with those of his own
class, no one is surprised; if, under
stress of examination before a court of
law, such man admits that he has used
as tools men even meaner than himself
expecting to profit by their rascality
the world says: "Why, it is only
case of Fagin and The Artful Dodger'-
employer and employed, the one promis-
ing support, advancement and protec-
ton; the other returns" From GRIM
inals we all expect cIme, and long IA
| miliarity with its manifestations has
dulled the edge of surprise.
When, however, the scene shifts from
crime to politics and we find a man but
yesterday prominent candidate of one
of the leading parties for the nomina-
ton to the Presidency of the United
States-thc browning honorable ambi-
ton Of every statesman-conf to
| having dealt with trickster to compass
his election as Governor of Ohio; con-
Tossing to the long series of lies, eva
sions and tergiversations which marked
the earlier history of the episode of the
Wood letter, it is enough to bow the
head of every American with shame
that such things can be, and lead him
to pledge Che efforts of his life to purg-
ing, not alone the party now involved
but the political system of tho country
Of such evil.
1t is scarcely worth while to go deeply
into an analysis of the case, and the
Free Press will not attempt it. Two
Enthusiastically in this atrocious
political fraud-combine to place Mr..
Foraker before the American people,
convicted as charged. These are Wood,
who concocted the forgery, and Joseph
Benson Foraker, the beneficiary con-
templated when the crime was Matched.
Imagine a man, a leader in his State,
prominent in the National councils of
his party; lawyer-one who had been
judge-imagine him being deceived
by such person as Wood. The wish of
Mr.. Foraker WAS the devil which stood
at his elbow and inspired both thought
and act. The thought in his mind may
have been this: 81 am Governor; wish
to be Governor again, that l may one
day be President. ] feel defeat in the
air. If am defeated, my end is come.
/ will risk all on this last device"
And so the man recommended to him
BY an obscure political heller was re.
tanned to produce certain evidence; and
he did so. 1t was delivered to Mr.. For.
akcr The candidate did not intend il
for publication-not at all; it was toe
shalxy for that. He intended it to be
shown to this one and that one "about
Headquarters. TO be talked of by
Democrats and Republicans; to elbow
it's way into the press in the form of in
situations and innuendoes-and to kill
Mr.. Campbell-whom Mr.. Foraker in
his heart knew to be innocent, because
it would not take form definite enough
to be answered; before it was too late t.
counterfeit its influence.
The testimony shows one thing witt
the utmost clearness. 1t shows tina
neither Halstead nor Foraker was above
using a paper upon which the name o
one Democratic candidate appeared &C
companied by those of Sherman
! Mckinley, Butterfeld and other, Re
publicans as weapon against tina
Democrat, while the signatures Of tn
Republicans were suppressed.
This brands Foraker and Halstea
alike as political tricksters.
The testimony shows another thin
:. to the satisfaction of every thinkin
: man-that Foraker was party, froI
first to last, to the fraud which wa
, planned to defeat Campbell and compass
: his own election. This is shown in tn
:, stories he told at the time of the origina
exposure, when he denied that he kne,
at certain date that any other nam
. than that of Campbell appeared upo
;. the papcr-a story contradicted by hi
: own testimony upon the stand; this
! shown by his easy deception by chca
:. adventurer; his payment of money
y that man to go upon a second missio
; for him, when Foraker himself so ser
. ously suspected Wood that he was led t
= hire another man to watch him; it
; shown by his tacit consent to the pr
conceived exposure and his failure
!, give any man whose name appeare
: upon the forged paper the leastchance
explanation.
Foraker is as dead as Rameses ]
Halstead should be also. But what
u Forakerism and what of Halsteadisn
. Do they die with those who will gi1
:, them name for all time?
u Let us be thankful that even Harr
son rather than Foraker is Presiden
and that Halstead is at home rath'
than at a foreign court. Then let l
put the heels on the head, not the tai
Ii of the Ohio-idea snake and be done viii
it.-Detroit Free Press.