Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-26
STEALING A SENATE.
That Is the Charge New York
Republicans MakeAgainst
Governor Hill.
OF NATIONAL INTEREST.
If Democrats Rule the Legislature a
Gerrymander Will Follow.
NEW ELECTION LAWS PROPOSED
Which Are to Make 1t Impossible for the
Unterrifed to Lose.
OF NATIONAL INTEREST.
NEW ELECTION LAWS PROPOSED
Which Are to Make 1t Impossible for the
Unterrifed to Lose.
ACTS THAT LOOK LIKE REVOLUTION
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArCH.I ]

States the campaign of 1891 closed ol
election day, November 4, but not so il
New York. 1t is since that date that th
most bitter contest has been carried on, anC
the end is not yet. The struggle is for tn
Legislature of the Empire State. Fo
years. no matter who elected the Governo
or other officers, the Republicans hav'
managed to retain control of one or botl
branches of the Legislature. Last year tn,
Democrats had majority on joint ballot
but the Republicans held the Senate, anc
of course were able to shelve all objection.
able party measures.
If the Democrats had majority in eacl
branch they would at once proceed to make
changes of national Importance. The State
would be redistricted for Congressman and
Legislators in a manner that would insure
Democratic maiorities in the future. and 9
Democratic successor to Senator Hiscock.
An immense amount of State patronage
would be secured, and to crown all, changes
in the election laws would be made, which
would make it prac ctically impossible fol
the Republicans to carry the State, even in
Presidential year.
Desperate Methods Employed.
These are the prizes at stake. The day
after election, in the face of the returns,
the Assembly was seen to be very close, but
slightly Democratic. BY the returns as
handed to the County Clerks of the State by
the Inspectors of Election, the Republicans
had elected IL and the Democrats IA Sena-
tors, while one-J. T. Edwards of the
Thirty-second district-wss an independent,
supported and voted for by independent
Republicans and Democrats. Under orders
from Governor Hill and the advice of Dpe-
uty Attorney General Isaac H. Maynard
proceedings were at once begun in several
Senate districts to throw aside the will of
the people and to permit the Democrats to
steal a sufficient number of votes to insure
to them control of the upper body of the
Legislature.
For two weeks several Senate districts
were so beclouded by the contests of both
parties, bv the unlawful proceedings of
Boards of County Canvassers, by the issue
of writs of mandamus, and by the reyolu-
tionary proceedings of the Boards Of Can
vassers in refusing to acknowledge the
power of the Supreme Court, that even the
best-intormed politicians of either party
were unable to form an idea as to which party
would organize the Legislature. The Dem
ocrats, however, inspired by advice and en-
claimed both branches, and predicted and
threatened that they would organize them.
Governor Hill at Work
On the face of the returns the Republi-
cans have certainly elected 16 members,
counting DR.. Edwards with them. Seven
teen votes control. Governor Hill can rely
upon IA votes, honestly elected. To secure
his plans it will be necessary for him to get
two more in order to tie the Senate and give
Shaa hon }ha
vote in that body. He gave orders to steal
one district, Senator Deane's, and he will
take his chances on the courts giving the
Democrats another, Sherwood's, district.
One more theft would give him an exact
majority.
1t is possible that the courts will decide
that Franklin d. Sherwood, Republican,
elected as the successor of J. Sloat Fassett,
is ineligible on the ground that he was an
officer of the City of Hornellsville within
100 DAYS of the election, in violation of the
Constitution; for the Attorney General, in
written opinion, declared him to be in
eligible, and copies of that opinion were
posted throughout the district.
There was curious figuring done in
Dutchess county. The returns electing
Osborne from that district now filed with
the Secretary of State are suspicious on their
face. Flower, who ran ahead all over the
State, is given but S,409 votes, while
Osborne for Senator is credited with S,462
Fassett has s, 1884 and Deane, for Senator, but
S,27S, while the blank votes for Senator
reach the unusual total Of 1S3 and but 70
blanks are reported for Governor. This
equals on its face anything ever achieved In
the palmiest days of either Albany or
Rensselaer, county.
Republicans Denounce the Scheme.
eff the people of New York will submit
to the Dutchess county outrage libertT of
the ballot is at an end, said Cornelius n.
Bliss 'It is the result of q conspiracy
which would justify revolution. 1t is use
less to talk of amendments of the ballot
laws, when men could be found who openly
and in defiance of law and public opinion,
and in obedience to the orders of Governor
who is a disgrace to the State, will steal a
Legislature. Democrats and Republicans
are alike interested to prevent the crime
from being consummated. If such a crime
can be successfully perpetrated our liberties
are in danger"
Ex-Congressman George West expressed
his disbelief in the possibility that any such
fraud as that attempted in Dutchess county
would be tamely submitted to by the
people 'fIt is not the first time that the
decision of the people has been reversed bv
Democratic trickery in this State,'' said Mr..
West, "but the chickens are sure to come
home to roost. In 1882 I was counted out
after 1 had been fairly elected to
Congress by the Republicans, and the
seat was given to Edward Wemple,
the present State Controller. Two years
later / was renominated against my ex-
pressed wishes, but my friends were deter
mined that the wrong should be righted,
and beat Mr.. Wemple by 1,S00 majority.
know Governor Hill well-served with him
in the Assembly in 1872-and would like
TO say to him that he is attempting too
much. He has not got the Senate yet, and
he will not get it either. He will find that
there is such a thing as law in this country,
and judges who dare enforce it. Mr.. Hill
has many obstacles to overcome before he
can have everything his own way at Al
bany."
Some Remarkable Returns.
TODAY there was made. public here by
Secretary of State Rice the remarkable
election returns sent by the Democratic
Board of Supervisors of Duchess county.
As is we'll known, Mr.. Hill dispatched
Deputy Attorney General Maynard to
Poughkeepsie to instruct that board as to
the ways and means of increasing the os-
tensible vote for Osborne, the Democratic
candidate TOR Senator, and to diminish
that cast for Gilbert A. Deane, the Re-
publican candidate. The election returns
stated that Mr. Deane had SO plurality
in the Senate district, composed of the |
counties of Duchess Columbia and Put |
nam, In Dutchess county, before Mr.. Hill |
began his manipulation, the election returns |
stated that Mr.. Osborne had plurality of |
80 votes. When Mr.. Hill completed his |
manipulation yesterday plurality had |