Mexico weekly ledger., 1903-11-26

htito VI SthSituns
The unseating Of Mr.. Butler has
placed some of our Democratic officials
in a most peculiar position. Buffers
plurality was 1853. Folks majority
was 1928, the votes Of Judges Douglas,
Ryan and Hough being about the same
number as that of the circuit attorney,
the Democratic sheriff's vote being the
only one that ran far ahead of the rest
Of the ticket.
The %unseating of Mr.. Butte. was a
high-handed and outrageous proceed
ing, which at once raises the indisputa-
BILE statement that, If Mr.. Butler was
not elected, then the three circuit
judges and the circuit attorney were
not elected. No SAINT mai in the City
Of st. Louis can argue that our three
circuit judges and circuit attorney are
entitled to their election and present
positions If Mr.. Butler was not entitled
to his. II they retain their present
positions, and are honest men, they do
so because they believe that they were
elected. They can not hold on any other
theory. If they believe that tLey were
not honestly elected to Office, they should
not have accepted the positions, and, II
they believe so now, they should re-
sign. Personally | believe that all OF
these gentlemen were honestly elected
to Office. l know that Mr.. Folk and the
circuit judges agree with me: other
wise they would not retain their Offices.
Failing in their contests, and the pa
pers being filled with outrageous ac-
counts of intimidation of voters, re-
peating at the poles, and other cleo
ton crookedness, one hundred citizens
representing both political parties, sub
scribed 500 each, making in all the
sum Of $4,000, for the purpose of ex-
posing and Furnishing those persons
guilty of corruption in the election,
either in the intimidation of voters, in
repeating or other dishonest election
work. Rewards were offered and paid
for evidence tending to secure such
convictions. There were, If my recol-
lection serves me correctly, lis cases
reviewed by this committee. OF this
number but 16 were considered worthy
of presentation to the grand jury.
With a solid press demanding the
exposure ana punishment OF eiectloh
crookedhess' Win q Slo'Voo iund 10
push this exposure and to bring to
the par OF justice those engaged IN
| such work, 1t does seem that, In a city
having a total oil lSo'oVo voters there
must nave Deen gross exaggeratlons,
poth as 10 the extent ana III Oh
crimes, ior a grand jury composed
largely OF Republicans 10 nave re-
turned indictments only against SO rev
persons
A the same time Republican orators
were busy and Republican papers were
filled with accounts OF police inumi-
dation at the polls, or police lnterier-
ence, and police outrages In and around
election booths. While day after day
the stories were circulated n printed,
1t is a strange fact, and n call upon
my Republican friends to deny, that
only in one case were charges hled
against a police officer for the violation
Of his duty, and they did not secure
either indictments or warrants against
a single officer for improper conduc
at the polls.
1t does seem strange that, with pa
pers filled full of charges of this kind,
no citizen should have brought the
charges before the proper tribunal.
The reason know full we'll to be, is,
that the charges were false n that
Republicans making them were moi
willing to submit them to the test OF
a judicial decision.
If they were true, why did not Re
publican politicians and Republican
newspapers, claiming to have evidence,
present It to the proper authorities,
so that the guilty might be punished!
The Police Board publicly requested all
citizens who had evidence OF improper
conduct of the police at the polls to
present 1t to the Police Board. None
was presented. Abuse against the 20
lice Department continued unabated'
1t was the cry OF stop thief!" 10 take
attention away 0 the real perpe-
traitors Of crime.
That the Republicans IN TINS eiectiol
were bold n determined can not Dc
denied. n St. LOUIS Star, Win lhuon
glee, a day or TWO before the eiecuio
stated that Sheriff Poniman hao sWorI
In l,oOo deputy sherins 10 De useu d
the polling places on eiectloh uay
Mayor ziegenhein issued permits win
out number to carry concealed weap'
ns. Us ,ha ,sv 10 onne,r IN q,
ronns a. no,1ins ,loces Mavo,
1,oramho,n had no r,sht ,o .issua ner
-,.s a. oar.u ooncoaled woanons And
-. u,s,h 49, ,scts starine them II
~ go ponnh,,con nanors crv abouI
it, in~,,u;dat,or and armed force a
- liz
49, toroo ~ ,bo no,ls ,ndeea'
r1A-H - vhito haired mon Il
sas.nn !. u,nht who rerambe,
49, - h no1ls IN ,ee am
~. ~ a. - -,umadioteIv follow,
~ ~ Thoua we've armed force,
Iii. - and wherever IN,
- unSor a,,isa Of IN,
49,. a. - NOW aide 10 son,
$50 mon ~ The nol,s II has done SO
49, .honsaad ormad den
~ p.-,s. oanoa-ad and melted ava,
NY e,,nn sar e. ! natter for discus