The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-02-22


Gravesend in that state. He had been
in the business for a long time, accord
ling to the evidence. He was a Demo-
crat before 1883 and worked in the in
terest of the Democratic party. But
he worked Kings county for the Re
publicans in that year and helped
elect Benjamin Harrison, who received
him at the White House and consulted
him about the federal patronage in
that county.
1t has transpired that mo longer
than two years ago last fall the Re
publican managers in that state made
Ia bargain with him, the existence Of
which he openly avowed before cleo
ton day, by which he was to return
his town for Fassett. running on a
platform of opposition to Tammany
and boss rule. And he actually did
turn in figures by which Fassett was
credited with 1,O9S votes against only
1870 for Flower-although, to oblige
friend who was running for local
office, he returned on the same day an
even larger majority for the county
ticket of the other party"
The Republicans knew of his trick
cry. They knew that the turnover of
Gravesend-a Democratic stronghold
to RepubIicanism was fraud. They
knew the character of the man and
had previously denounced his meth
DDS. But as long as he used them for
the Republican party he was all right,
and the federal election laws were
never invoked for his punishment or
that of any of his confederates That
was not what those laws were for.
They were devised and retained in the
interest of the Republican party.
McKane has been convicted under
the laws of the state Of New York.
He has been brought to justice by
Democratic influence. He had turned
his coat again and worked for the
Democratic party, but that did not
save him. Democratic papers and
Democratic officers demanded his pros
ecuuon, and his conviction is proof
that state laws are sufficient, and evil
dence that the federal election laws
Were in such cases a miserable fraud
and failure.
In the course of McKane we do not
claim there was. up to the movement
for his conviction. a pin to choose be-
tween the Democratic and the Repub-
lican attitude toward the Brooklyn
Boss. 1t was understood that he
turned the tide of the voting in his
district hither and thither by methods
that would not bear the light. But
the same Democratic influence on the
side of reform that turned down May
nard has also gripped McKane.
Both Democrats and Republicans
were engaged in the prosecution, but
it was the Democratic influence in New
York state which brought about his
conviction. Republican papers which
have 50 much to say about the case,
do not mention that fact nor breathe a
word about his frauds for their party
in 1883.
The lessons derived from the cases
which have been successfully prose-
cuted in New York is, that the state
laws viii be enforced and are ample
against persons guilty of election
frauds. The repealed federal laws
were not only shameful and an in
upon state rights and a vio-
lation of the principle of local self
but they We're not useful
for the purpose for which they were
designed. And to claim
that now they are repealed there will
be no remedy against fraudulent cleo
tons. is the hollowest kind of Repub-
lican stage thunder
A horde of deputy marshaIs in the
various states with their gangs of
will no longer draw their
doses of government pap. And they
will no longer be a menace against the
state authorities in the conduct of
elections The probability is that, as
in New York, more vigorous efforts
win be made to enforce the state laws
in the respective election districts, and
against ballot suffers, bribing bosses
and swindling bulldozers. Force bills
and federal manipulation Of state vot-
ing are now dead issues. 1t is folly to
try to resurrect them.
In connection with this matter, the
following clipped from the Indianapo-
lis Sentinel is pertinent:
In connection with the repeal Of the
federal election laws 1t should be re-
membered that the experience Of IN
diana had much to Go with arousing
public sentiment to the iniquity Of that
legislation of the reconstruction period.
lhe crime of Dudley, his protection
from punishment BY Judge Woods, the
release by the federal au
thorltles here Of more than one hun
dred Republican rascals. We're all 20
tent agencies in awakening the minds
and iconsciences ofthe people to the
wrongs perpetrated in the name If
Justice under these laws The repeal
Dill IS largely monument to Dudley
and Woods.
THE ITATA AND OTHER BLuNDERs.
Tho f6llav-f,,ev -. =.