The Indianapolis journal., 1892-11-04

candidates. and IN their newspapers they
are full or contradictions false issues and
false professions Denying IN Massachu-
sstts what they advocate in Texas and de-
nounclng as unconstitutional To-Day what
they afnrmed as proper yesterday. they as
sumo that the voters of the country are TOO
dull and too careless 10 detect the decep-
tion. Upon not one OF tie great issues be-
fore the country IN this campaign can you
find such Harmonious expression as 10 au-
thorize the assertion that this is the clearly
defined Democrntic position. They are all
things to oil men. that they may by oil
means save some votes
lone OF the Oldest baldest most unblush-
ing of their pretcnses is the claim that they
alone faycr honest elections. Yet n0twith-
standing the Republican declaration of
principles Is on no point more explicit or
more emphatic. than in its demand for free
and honest elections; and notwithstanding
that IN Alabama. one OF the States hitherto
impregnably Democratic. the charge Is
made by half of the Democratic white
voters of the State that by the most IN
blushiDg frauds n candidate for Governor
or the Peoples ticket. elected by more than
forty thousand plurality in August last.
was counted out, and the regular Demo-
cratic candidate counted in. under the
claim that be was elected by negro votes,
which were IN fact never cast neither the
Democratic platform nor the letter of
ceptaDce of Dir. Cleveland contains one
word In favor ct honest elections or against
dishonest elections The only word in
either the platform or the letter on the sub
ject IS IN denunciation of those who de-
mand q free vote and an honest count.
THE CLEVELAND SLOGAN.
''No negro domination is the slogan of
the Cleveland Democracy of Alabama. as
well as of Tammany Hall. and yet it is
alleged by thousands. whose record as
Democrats has heretofore never been ques-
toned. that. by fraudulent jugglery in the
black counties. the votes of the great ma
jorlty of the white Democrats of that State
are overslaughed. Reading Democratic
newspapers. and especially the recent
manifesto OF the Democratic national COM
mittee. one would suppose that Republican
success IN elections is invariably the
result of crimes by RepubIican leaders.
Ii Is ut least an astonishing coincidence II
Republicans are the men who violate the
election laws. that Democrats are tn Q men
who 90 20 the peDitenitary for such oflcnses
And yet such Is the indIsputable fact.
From the time OF the great leader OF the
greatest Democratic organization on earth.
William Nj. Tweed. grand sachem of Tam
many IN 1870, and coming down to the last
wagon-load of eminent Democratic citizens
of JERSEY City. convicted OF election frauds
and shipped 10 the pcDitentiary IN this
year of grace 1882, the record is uniform.
with rare exceptions. the men elected TO
serve the country In striped aniiorm ns
convicts, for violations of election laws,
have been Democrats.
Take the cases which have found their
way TO the Supreme Court of the United
States. In ISIS seven or eight Democratic
election officers in baltimore were sent TO
the penltentiary. The same year one
August L. Clark. q Democr attic alderman
and election officer In Cincinnati. thought
ne could help his party by allowing the re-
turns contided TO his keeping 10 be taken in
possession by tally sheet forgers and was
fmpr rIsoned. In 1888 Jasper Marlborough and
seven other Democratic apostles IN Northern
Georgia went TO prison. In 1884 that
eminent Democrat. Joseph Maxim, and
feilow-cOnspirator In Chicago thought
returns and found themselves in the peni-
rentiary result. In 1856. Simeon Coy,
chairman OF the Democratic county COM
mittee at Indianapolis. and about n dozen
OF his associate cOnspirators, impelled by
the like benevolent motives TO help their
party friends. dcsDoiled, altered and forged
the tallysheets and pOll-books. with the
result that Coy and Bernhamer were found
rs TO several others the Jury disagreed.
The foregoing are only such cases in the
course of ten years found their way to the
Supreme Court of the United States. In
Gratis. the crimes committed were In Demo-
cratic conspIracies TO make Democratic
votes. to elect Democrats 10 Office.
CASES COULD BE MULTIPLIED.
eff time would permit, the number of in
stances of like Democratic martyrdom for
party's sake could be multiplied indefi-
nitely. 1t was Democratic conspiracy In
Indiana in 1878 tor the importation of vot-
ers that landed the Democratic county
treasurer of Jennings county in the peni-
tentiary. It was as the chief of Demo-
cratic conspiracy to compass frauds in
elections In Columbus. o., that n leading
Democrat achieved a national reputation a
few years since; and IL was series of
Democratic
1886 that made the name ELECTIONS
o by-word OF infamy In Cincinnati.
1t was the Democratic county boards OF
FaYette and one or two other counties IL
Tennessee. that "a couple of years ago actu-
ally made appropriations of large amounts
OF money from the county treasures to pay
the mes and costs assessed against
brother Democrats Oh pleas or guilty To in
dictments for election frauds. The records
bhow that as rule. with few exceptions.
frauduient nnturaiiZatious. the eeiZIng
md stufiing of ballot boxes changing re-
turns. and the beating and even killing of
Candidates and voters, IS the fruit of con-
spiracies of Democrats to swell the party
vote and TO eject Democrats to office.
But why go 10 the Southern States or
10 tho frauds of former yearsg OEly last
winter the organized Democracy of New
York, according TO the testimony of many
Df the best men. lawyers and laymen, of
New York, 'unlawfnliy took the Leglsla-
ture and rewarded the chief instrument of
the taking with n position in the highest
Judicial tribunal in that great State. And.
etill more recently. IN the chief Democratic
city of the heretofore unfaltering Demo
cratic State of New Jersey. we have the
spectacle of the actual shipment of Demo
cratic election WORTHLESS 10 the penitentiary
in omni ibus- loads-l had almost said car
1oads-there being near three score of
them now in prison garb in the service of
the State, And yet Democratic newspapers
and Democratic speakers talk of Repub-
lican frauds.
no dEPUBIICAN EXAMPLES.
."Gen.lcmen OF the Democracy. if the Re-
publicans violate tho election laws they
ought TO be prosecuted and punished. The
laws are rs adequate TO punish Republic
ans as Democrats; the courts are oDen: tho
prosecuting officers are at your command.
Yea. if that has any significance. much
more than half the judges and prosecutors
Of tho country are of your own persuasion.
Yet nowhere so far as can learn, has been
prosecuted to conviction Republican
conspiracy against an honest election. 1t
ls easy TO make charges: it is quite another
thing to make such charges good. We as
sert that tho Democratic party, notwith-
standing all it's professions. Is not the un-
wavcring friend OF honest elections; and by
the erecorCs of the courts and by living Dem
ocratic witnesses IN the jails and penlten-
tiaries we prove our assertion.
but Democrats have an unspeakable
horror of any federal supervisor of elec-
lions, and the mere mention of the name of
John l. Davenport throws these jealous
guardians OF purity IN elections into hys-
farice lut Va ha hA 1Oua7 Ia =