The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1915-09-24

| August that repeated violations OF
the law we're committed. The peo-
pie having a legal right to particle
pate in that primary were not allow
ed to determine for themselves what
its results should be, but In dozens
and probably more than hundred
instances their voice was stifled by
the deliberate premeditated act of
election thieves who commit any form
of theft or perjury that is necessary
to effect their purpose.
You have been told of the abuses
resulting from ignoring OF many 9th
err provisions of the law. Those
which affect the purity and verify of
our elections strike at the founda-
tion of the Government, and the en-
forcement of all other laws rests up
on the Just enforcement OF election
laws.
When we have become so degener-
ate and so impotent as not to be able
to have the voice of the people certi-
fled as they express 1t in the election
returns. then we are no longer free
people or free Government. We
are victims OF tyranny more abject
and ~more infamous than that from
which we were freed when we be-
came an independent people. 1t is
one of the prices of our liberties not
only that we must fight to attain
them. but ever be vigilant in fight
ing to maintain them in their purity
and in their fullest vigor.
regret you have not a whole
month in which to consider this ques-
tion. I wish you to consider it most
] thoughtfully and most carefully as
the paramount Of a body of citizens
who alone at this time have the pow
err to afford to a suffering and affiict-,
ed people.
| Consider IL to the exclusion of
everything else so far as necessary to
get at the bottom of the facts. Bring
! to justice. as has been done in other
cases in other places in Kentucky
and out of it, every individual, no
matter how high or low'or how num-
erous they may be. who has been
party to this diabolical conspiracy
against your Government Let your
doors be opened and your ears at
tentive to any information that can
, be brought you. whether by witness
es summoned or by any citizen who
comes for the purpose of giving you
a truthful statement of the fact. II
these facts warrant an indictment
against anybody who has violated the
election laws, either in casting lille
gal votes or in inducing others to
cast illegal votes. certifying impro-
perly election returns, defacing bal
lots. marking ballots or. as has been
in some cases. by taking ballot
from the polls and having It filed
out by the election thief. for him
then to bring back blank ballot and
fill that out for another voter so
that they may get receipts for the
vote which they are purchasing or
influencing. or whether it occur in
any manner, and tampering with the
ballot so as in the slightest degree
to affect the returns, it is your duty
to find indictments. The law has
safe-guarded with more care, and
with more elaborate system than al
most anything else. the ballot to the
end that 1t may be pure and that we
may have indeed government of
and for the people. Where cleo
tons are controlled by election
thieves they are not conducted for
the welfare of the masses of the peo-
pie: they are conducted in the inter
ests of thieves who attain a wealth
and power through the manipulation
of elections which makes them in
deed a menace to the safety of any
community where that business pre-
walls.
Our citizens are quiescent; they
go to the polls once or possibly twice
in the year for primary and general
elections. The election thief works /,
the year round. II our so-called Ii |
berties are worth having our good !
citizens must be equal to the cunning |
Of the election thief. 1t has been a
long time since there has been an
example made of such violator of |
the law of this community. except /
in some very minor cases. IT. you /
had in the penitentiary today all of
those who have committed felonies
in elections in recent years in this
city 1t would probably be necessary
to enlarge that institution very great
ly. But IL you can And few and
make an example of them and let
the word be spoken by an aroused
and outraged populance that the