Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 October 1884 — A WORD TO VOTERS. [ARTICLE]

A WORD TO VOTERS.

Three Powerful Documents Issued to Lovers of Honest Government Republican Corruption at the Polls as Evidenced by the Result in Ohio, The WBl of the People Trampled tfeider Foot by Desperate Men. Demeerate Urged to Force the Fightfatg with Vigor All Along the Line. TACTICS EXPOSED. An AdOrem by the National Democratic Committee. To the People of the United States: The result es the elections in the States of Ohio and Weat Virginia is before you. Ohio ohoee Republican electors in 1868,1872, 1876, and 1880. West Virginia chose Republican Presidential electors la 1868 and 1872, and Democratic electors in 1876 and 1880. Garfield obtained a plurality in Ohio in 1880 of 31,227 votes. The Republican candidate in the late election for Secretary of State was a gallant soldier and a reputable man. The vote of the Republican party in that election was broken down by the weight of Mr. Blaine, a factional seeker after the Presidenoy. The people then elected a Democratic majority of the Congressional delegation of the State. We may confiden ly expect a majority in Onio for Cleveland and HendncKs in November. West Virginia has by its splendid and decisive majority for a Democratic Governor at the October election already declared its purpose to give its electoral vote for our candidates in Nov mb r. The B aine managers employed extraordinary methods in both States. They expended not less than $580,0 0 in Ohio, and more than sloo,ooo in West Virginia in their political work. They did not use money only. They called from every State the officeholders beet fitted to do the woik at which they were put. They crowded these two States with such men. They employed on political jobs the mon engaged in the postal service of the United Stales. They left the veterans who had saved the life of the nation without the pay to which they were entitled, under the pretense of having an insufficient clerical force in the 1 ension Bureau, and then used the Commissioner of Pens.ons and a great number -of his clerks as parts of the political machinery in the late elections in Ohio and West Virginia. I has been openly < harg u, without demal, that the payment of the veterans by the Commissioner of Pensions has been delayed bv him for the purpose of coercing th. m to vote tor Blaine. These abu-es of politi. al power have been committed under the overlooking eye of Mr Blaine and with his lull san nion. They snow the manner in which, if he were elected, public offices would be subordinated to his personal service and the bounty of the country be made the means of advaneng his personal interests. They made the Marshals of the United States and their deputies, who ought to be guardians of the rights of every c.t.zen of the United States, a part of their mach ne force. They armed them, and incited them to violence and outrage. They expect to pay for the weapons »?d services of these men o tot the Treasury or ttie United States. They made Mr Blaii.e one of their county and wardworkers in Ohio and V* est V irginia, and he entered with zest upon the familiar dut es. Th.y devised with his knowledge methods of compelling workmen to vote as their employers dictated. They kept him in daaly association with the worst elements of their political organization. Thev made film tneir counselor in every disreputable plan which they dev.sed to promote his success. Ho could not have been a stranger to their purpose to make gains in Cincinnati at the late ejection by using armed Deputy Marshals and armed negroes to drive voters from the pol.s. '1 he m thods of the campaign in Ohio and West Virginia and the share of their candidate in those methods have added to the opprobrium already renting upon his name, an I have assured his defeat at the general elect on in November. Mr. Blaine has been a member of the House of Representatives, a Senator in Congress, and a Secretary of i-tate of the United States. He has been accused of corruptly using his influence as Speaker and as a member of the House of Representatives for his individual profit. His misconduct has been proved by his own letters. These have confronted him wherever he has gone. He attempts no explanation. The phrases #f these letters are so w.ell kn wn that they are by-words on the streets and jests upon the stage. A Speaker of the House of Representatives or a member of that House who would barter his influence tor money or property might avail himself of the larger opp rtunities which the office and powers of a President afford. These are not words dictated by party rancor. The sun up the judgment of that independent press which is and always will remain the bulwork, of good and constit tional government. They ex pres, the convictions of the leading Republican j urnals and the belief or those distinguished Republican sta esmen :nd citizens whose love of country has forced them to declare that the nomination of Mr. Blaine was one not fit to be made. There is teason for our confidenc- that we will ach’eve a victory in November. The army of officeholders engaged for a month past in the business of manipulating votes in Ohio and West Virginia must now disband. Each man of the number must go to h s own place. The Commissioner of Pensions and his bureau clerks can not be concentrate i for political uses in the November ole tions. W hen they are acting individually in their several States they will be unable to do mischief. The marshals of the United States. by reason of the powers which they exercise, may again do harm in November. They ought to unde stand that for what they h-ve done and lor what they mav do they will be hereafter hold to the strictest account by a justly indignant people. The hopes of reward an the pr m see of indemflitv which hav been hold o t to them will not a\ ail them in tne days which arc close at hand. The country is fully aroused. It is alarmed by the corrupt influences surrounding Mr. Plaine and will relect him as President. Mr. Bia n has grown rich The m n around trim have grown rich. Tne speculators whom he his aided by framlnr laws to suit them are rich. Tne corporations which be h»s helped have monopolized the public lands. 1 t trade is stagnant. The commerce of the country has decayed. Mills are stand.ng idle. Where wages have not been stopped, thev are reduced. Mechanics and labore s go about seeking employment in vain. Women and children are begiun ng to want bread, and yet the farmer can find no profitable market ior his grain. These circumstances afford conclusive proof that a few interests have been cared for by the Republican managers at the expense of the interests of the great body of thepeojle. lhe tre itirnin this, favored land of such extremes of wealth and poverty and the evil days which have overtaken all who engaged in labor are n t your fault. It fa ts been and is the fault of those selfish men who use the powers which you gave them f r their own advantage, leaving you to fare as be‘t you could, it is for you to det rmino wh ther these evils shall continue and increase, oroiminish a dend in general p osperity shared ii by all alike. Vou have a right to expect that your party leaders to whom you have given support and acc- rded honors in pas years wdl lay aside all differen es and estab ish a lasting claim upon your gratitude by making common cause in your supreme effort to obtai the blessings of a good government. Vou wll not be disappointed. Rem mber that victory in November over the unscrupulous men who are now endeavoring to seize the Presiden- y can only be assured by your oomi lete organization. When men are of one mind and want to impress their opinion upon the commun ty in which they live, they must stand together and work tog ther. The highest and best organization of which men are capable is th t in wh ch eve y man wants to do that part of the common work which he can do, and does it with all his might. Your organizations ought to be of such nature, and if th y are, Gov. Cleveland will bo elected in November by an unparallelsd maiority. W. H. Barnum, Chairman. A P. Gobman, Chairman Executive Committee. BIAND BY ioht GUNS. Address of the Ohio Democratic Committee. To the Honest and True Patriots of Ohio and of the U uited States: The result of the election in Ohio for State officers should arouse every citizen who loves his country to a realizing sense of the dangers which menace our free institutions. The men who stole the f residency io 1876 mean to repeat Ifceir methods even with more audacious desjier

ation ii 1884. To them nothing is sacred ; liberty is a farce, and the ballot-box a burlesque. Never since the e periment of free government was begun cn this continent has the wor.d witnessed such a degradation of the ri-ht of franchise, such desecration of citizens nip, and such desperate, corrupt, and polluted methods as were resorted to by rase ds who wer "not citizens of Ohio to ■ itefeat the honest will of the people at the ballet-box. A million dollars rais d by wealthy stock jobbers and “monopolists was sent into tne State. Witu it came the scum of the country, thieves, ex-dete tires, repeaters, and Government officials headed by W. W. Dudley, Chief of the Pension Bureau. Although thousands of. widows, otj hans, and maimed soldiers have been waiting patiently for y-ars for pensions promised them and due them from the Government, large num burs of employes and special agents from the Tension Office, beaded by their chief and non-resi-d nta of oho, spent .our weeks in the State under Government pav, engaged tn preparing for the frauds committed last Tuesday. In addition 2,t»uO men. many of them outlaws and desperate characters, and but few of them citizens of Dhto, were sworn in as Deputy United States Marshals in Cincinnati. Armed with weapons purchased by the corruption fund furnished by. Dudley and his gang, they surrounded the polls in that city, voted where they pleased, bulldozed, beat, and shed blood at plea ure, interfering with our citizens in the discharge of their most sacred duties. The enumeration of male inhabitants of Cincinnati in 1883 shows but 66,2 -8 males, of which number 1,683 were colored, and yet over 72,000 votes were polled at the election in that city. The enumeration taken in 1883 nclud d all persons over the age of 21 years, whether they were naturalized i itizens or not. Yet within a period of fifteen months from that date we fin 1 cast in that city 7 OiX)' more votes than there were citizens a year previous. At least 6,000 votes cast in Hamilton County were fraudulent Republican vot siast by United Stages Marshals and non-r&idents. Notwithstanding these shameful metnbds the Republicans have only succeeded in securing a plurality of about 10,060 for the head of their ticket on a total vote cast of nearly 800,oo0—a loss of -y.OJO in majority as compared with the vote for State officers when James A. Garfield was a candidate four years ago. On the day following the election t ie Republican Committee of Ohio, with a reckless dlsr gard for truth and imitating the example of their Illustrious chief, caused to be spread broadcast over the country a statement that they had carried Ohio by 33,000 majority. For political effect they were willing to exaggerate and lie. We feel it our duty to lay these facts before the people of the country. The result of the election in Ohio need not discourage Democrats here or elsewhere, but. considering the fearful odds against us, must and will give cause for encouragement to the people of Ohio to continue this fight. The battle has just begun. The men, the money, the methods which gave the Republicans ihelr unholy and discreditable but meager majority on Oct. 14 have disappeared. We mean to carry Ohio in November tor honest men and an honest administration of an honest government. It will take the same men, rlie same methods, and the same money to give James G. Blaine one-half t e majority in November that the Republican State ticket secured in October. Their entire gang must be brought back to maintain their iil-gotten victory. Ohio will give a Democratic majority in Npvember for Cleveland, Hendricks, and honest government. Let every Democrat in Ohio from this day forward again enter upon the fight and cease not his exert.ons till the polls close on the evening of the 4th of November.

G. H. BARGER, Chairman.

Henby Bohl, Secretary.