The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-05-12
DISHONESTY
IN ELECTIONS
%fIBt- s4g7i %s fgs.FEE ElEsrL HH.
PAYNE AND WILLIAMS MAKE
J. COUNTER CHARGES lNzHousE.
REFERENCE TO PAST
Congressman From New York De-
clares Negroes Were Disfranchised
In Maryland TO Give STATE Demo-
cratic Plurality.

IN maryland TO Give State Demo-
cratic Plurality.
Washington, MayS9.-Sectional lines
we're sharply drawn In the house to-
day and for a time charges and coun-
ter charges of dishonesty IN elections
by both political parties were heard.
The floor leaders, Messrs. Payne OF
New York and Williams Of MISSISSIPPI
pi were the principals.
/, Mr.. Payne got the floor and criti-
cised the minority leader for having
had the hardihood to say he was in
favor Of honest elections.
.Since when was the democratic
party in favor Of honest elections?"
he inquired! in stentorian tones. was
1t when 1t was depriving a certain
class Of citizens Of suffrage by every
means, by perjury, fraud, intimida-
ton, murder, riot, and everything else
under the sum-" He wantedFto know
II the democrats favored honesty in
elections in the state Of New York,
when time after time they carried
the elections not by the honest ballot,
but by fraudulent votes deposited In
the ballot boxes and by fraudulent
counts"
To Overcome Majority.
The democrats, said Mr.. Payne,
were in favor of honest elections only
when they got q majority that way.
"Is it necessary for the democratic
party in Maryland to disfranchise the
black man'??" he asked. He declared
that the republican party had an hon
est majority in Maryland. and in order
to overcome it the democrats we're
bending every effort to deprive every
citizen Of the right Of franchise "and
thereby make a democratic state Of
Maryland"
/. Mr.. Williams replied that he had
listened to the lecture upon honesty
in elections from the leader Of the
republican party, "the party OF fresh,
new crisp two-dollar bills: the party
Of blocks Of five; the party Of the
city Of Philadelphia, the party Of. lee
turing boards back in 1876. the party
that carried the election in 1896 by
wholesale bribery; the party that
even as late as 1904 denied, that It
had been receiving money from cor
porations for political purposes and
whose officials were convicted for
falsehood in their trials; the party Of
Herods."
Quaker City Scandal.
II there was anything that was .
stencil in the nostrils Of all human
ity. he said, It was the city Of Phila-
delphia. ''It has such q bad SMELL"
he declared, "that even the republic
cans themselves could not stand It all
the time"
Mr.. Williams admitted that there
was q time when there was intimida-
ton and fraud In his section Of the
country, but there was some extenu-
ation for It, when . great ace was
engaged in saving Ms civilization" i
'"There never was, however," he
Exclaimed. "any excuse. or axtenuae
ton for the republican party Il its
program Of Wholesale bribery n 1896,
1900 and 1904 when that party took
the money belonging to widows, and
orphans and never had the manhood
nor the Justice to return It."
Compliments RoossveIt
AT n time, he said, President
Roosevelt had the manhood to say
that the republican campaign COM
,mittee ought. to return the money
that had been hlched from the widows
and orphans and benehciaries and
.policyholders Of the New York Life
and New York Mutual Insurance COM
panies."
Crossing the aisle and pointing hds
finger at MI. Payne, Mr.. Williams
fairly shrieked: "Yes," said he,
there was q time in the history OF
the south when revolution stood in
the saddle, but" he added, "since
then those states have adopted new
constitutions"
The Acknowledgement laws, he de-
clared, were passed .ol the purpose
of preventing fraud and the supreme
court Of the United States has upheld
them" Still facing Mr.. Payne. Mr..
Williams remarked that 'tthe gentle
mans soul revolts at the Idea Of the
democrats being interested In honest
lections. "
r Party Of Whisky Fraud.
MI. Payne. he said, raj from the
party OF the whisky fraud, Of the
credit mobilier Of the star route
fraud"
sAh., he exclaimed. "I q handy