The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1891-12-12

Suppose David b. Hill carries out
the purpose to which be has been
bending all his energies ever since
public announcement was made that
the Republicans had carried by small
majorities both branches of the Leg
islature. Suppose that by the use
of such instrumentalities as he has
put in operation, by tampering with
Returning Boards, holding out in
ducements for classifying returns, by
promises Of immunity to the often
ders, browbeating Judges and inter
fering with the regular processes OF
the courts, he succeeds in reversing
the verdict of the people at the polls
and establishes Democratic major
ity in both branches of the Legisla-
ture. What then?
The Tribune could have answered
these inquiries very fully by turning
to the results of political thefts per
petrated by its own party leaders
during the last few years. Nobody
with a grain of intelligence and com
mon honesty can mistake what Gov
ernor Hill is doing. He does not
call it stealing any more than did
the Republicans call it theft when
they stole the Legislatures of New
Hampshire and Montana to consum-
mate the theft of three United States
Senators, or when they stole the Gov
ernorship Of Connecticut and of Ne
braska from the Democrats. He has
seen the Republicans steal Presi-
dency, Governors, United States Sen
ators and Legislatures with impunity
and he saw the last Congress turn
out Democrats who had been elected
by majorities of thousands, but no.
body then asked-"W hat thenp The
stolen power was maintained, the
stolen offices were held, and the hol-
ders of the stolen goods are still in
their public places.
No such inquiry came from the
Tribune when even more fragrant
thefts were perpetrated by its own
party leaders during the last few
years. When it could not excuse, ii
was silent, but now with colossal
monuments of Republican theft fac
ing the people of the country from
four States of the Union at this time,
it is frantic over the theft of Lngis-
lature in its own State against its
own party.
1t is high time that things are call
ed by their right names in politics.
Theft is theft whether it is a theft of
an office or the theft of money or
goods, and both parties have reduced
political theft to such complete
system that it is only necessary to
get the power to steal an office worth
stealing, 20 assure the contamination
of theft When men want to steal
political power it is easy to find
plausible technicalities to arm party
organs and party leaders with excus
es, and it has become so common
that when theft is consummated
by either party, the other is COMPEL
ed to submit because it's own record
has furnished precedents for the
wrong committed against itself.
A theft of the Presidency in 1867
was brayely denounced by the 1ri-
bane, but it was then a newspaper
and not the dependent organ it seems
to be now. 1t might have stopped
the theft in New Hampshire had it
been honest and courageous. 1t might
have stopped the theft of the Gov
ernorship in Connecticut had it sim
ply told the truth. 1t might have
stopped the theft of the Montana
Legislature had it spoken as a great
national organ should have spoken
when Republican Senators were shiv-
ering over the task of approving it.
1t might have stopped the theft of
the Goyernorship of Nebraska if it
had taught its party leaders that
honesty is the best of policy, and it
might have stopped the theft of half
a dozen seats in the last Congress
had it boldly warned its party lead
ers Of the perils they were inviting
to themselves. Instead of doing so,
however, it looked on while three
thefts were perpetrated aud either
actively or passively approved OF
them Now, Governor Hill proposes
to apply small dose of its own medi
cine, and for the first time during all
the last few years, it shrieks over the
Democratic imitation of Republican
robbery.
The Tribune supposes that Gov
ernor Hill will take possession of both
branches of the Legislature of New
York in defiance of the verdict Of the
people, and it innocently asks
"What thenW 1t should have been
fully able to answer that pertinent
inquiry itself. With a Democratic
majority installed in both branches
of the Legislature, there will be no
remedy for the crime unless the gull
ty parties can be convicted in the
criminal courts. The Legislature is
the sole judge Of the qualifications
of its Own members, and if it shall
open with Democratic majority, it
will continue. The first thing such
Legislature would be likely to do
would be to respect the Constitution
that the Republicans of the State
have disregarded for many years, by
making new enumeration and APP
portionment of legislators, and it Will
doubtless initiate the Republicans
by making it as violently and unfair