People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 October 1896 — INFAMY RUNS RIOT [ARTICLE]

INFAMY RUNS RIOT

In Gowdy’s Attempt to Disfranchise 30,000 Populists, And the Members of That Party are Thoroughly Aroused. Populists to Their People. An Address Prepared by Gathered in This City. Gowdy’s Attempt Will Go Down to History as the Crime of ’96. The Populists, Aroused by the , HighHanded and Outrageous Plans Formulated by the Republican Hoss, Issue an Address Advising Their People How to Act—Gowdy'a Instructions Rightly Hranded as Infamous. From the Indianapolis Sentinel. The exposure in The Sentinel of yesterday of the infamous attempt of Chairman Gowdy of the republican state committee to override the law and through his election officers disfranchise 30,000 voters in this state whom he was unable to buy, created a political whirlwind as it aroused all to a realization of the gravity of the situation and the danger that is imminent. x Subsequent developments growing out of this exposure • proved beyond doubt that the fear was well grounded. On the heels of The Sentinel’s publication of the intended fraud came the admission of the repub? lican chairman, and from him was forced a copy of the letter which he sent to his underlings throughout the state instructing them to refuse to count the fusion votes and thus possibly secure on the face of the returns a plurality for the republican ticket. Mr. Gowdy last night said he intends to insist upon his instruction being carried out and this threat is significant. He is opposed by Attorney-General Ketcham and other leading republican lawyers, but he is determined that nothing shall stop his corrupt methods. Mr. Gowdy in instructing election officers not to add the vote of fusion candidates appearing on the two tickets takes a position directly opposed to the rulings of the courts in the matter; opposed to the calm and judicial investigations of the election law by the courts of the state; opposed to the rulings made upon the same question by Attorney-General Smith for republicans and democrats alike; opposed to the direct warning of Attorney- General Ketcham. Populists Are Indignant. Among the populists of the state the letter has aroused the gravest fear and the most intense indignation. Populist leaders see in the intended move a scheme to disfranchise them by throwing out every one of their votes. This would possibly defeat the democratic x state ticket and throw the state to McKinley, as the democratic electoral vote would be divided. Never has such an audacious crime been attempted, say the members of that party, and they are determined to defeat this scheme at all hazards. They will first of all render it ineffective by stamping the rooster and thus voting for their electoral ticket and for silver men for the state offices who can be elected. Where oefore there were a few who would have voted for their own state ticket through impartial understanding of the situation and the importance of their voting otherwise, now there is no doubt as to what the populist vote will do. It will make its vote count double for silver and against republican fraud by stamping the rooster and thus placing beyond all danger the counting of their ballot. Last night there met at the

state headquarters of the populist party a number of the leaders and the following address was issued, which deals directly and squarely with the situation: Tfie A ddrewt. “To the Members of the People’s Party of Indiana: “Since the former address by this committee many things have transpired, which, taken with preceding transactions, are conclusive that* it is time for all honest men to act in close and fraternal union and make the victory so large and conclusive that the branded enemies of our country may be overwhelmed Lest you may not now readily recall the many unlawful and dangerous acts, we will again place some of them before you. The first act of the usurping intent of the English money power was its open and complete control of the republican convention at St. Louis, when so patent and flagrant was that dominance that a large and influential section of that party, which loved country above and beyond party, walked out of that convention, and their patriotic example has been followed by a host of intelligent and honest members of the same party. “The next step of the English money bosses and their American minions was, if possible by any means, to prevent the people’s party from nominating Bryan. Failing in that the next step was by the use of money to corrupt prominent populists and newspapers and in conjunction to foster and furnish money to construct and build up a gold seism in the democratic party/ Now, as the campaign is nearing its close, the money power, finding itself baffled and as a last and final move the money bosses have determined that if they cannot prevent the patriotic union of all the financial reform forces, they will through their election boards practically disfranchise the members of the people’s party, whom they can ffiot buy, coerce, nor cajole into an abandonment of their united electoral ticket. Fortunately for you they are feeling so secure in their contemplated move that we have an outline of the latest conspiracy against the people furbished by chairman Gowdy and appearing in the Indianapolis News of date Tuesday, Oct. 27, as follows: “ ‘The Australian ballot law was intended to give to each voter the right to cast one untrammeled ballot, and to have it fairly counted. “« ‘Because of fusion between the democrats and populists in candidates for electors in the several districts of the state appear on the ballot under both the rooster and the plow—the democratic apd populist emblems respectively. It is clearly the intention of the law that the name of a candidate shall not appear upon the ballot more than once. We urgently request that you instruct the republican inspectors and judges to refuse to count the votes under the democratic and populist emblem together. In other words the votes cast for the candidate under the populist emblem should be counted as the total vote for the populist candidate and the votes under the democratic emblem should be counted as the total vote for the democratic candidate. The total should not aggregate the votes cast under both emblem. “ ‘lnstruct your inspectors and judges to firmly refuse to add the total votes together in any event under the populist and democratic emblem.’ The Great Conspiracy. “Here is outlined the great conspiracy of modern politics, and the boldness of the money bosses is appalling. We know that the masses of all parties if they know the facts will rebuke such infamous attempts to inaugurate a new system to prevent a fair vote and an honest'

count. This latest conspiracy can be effectually thwarted by the people, it is respectfully submitted, in two ways, viz: One way is to retain the control for the future of all election boards for ourselves and allies by voting the rooster electoral and state ballot straight. This will stamp out the modern conspiracy, preserve our liberty and effectually preclude present complications. The other way is when the plow and hammer is stamped to require the election officers in every precinct to be on their guard and be courageous, vigilant and persistent in demanding that the law shall be honestly followed. Sec. 52 of the election law provides for such emergency, and reads as follows: “ ‘The board shall then proceed to canvass the votes, begining first with the state bailors and completing them before proceeding with the local ballots, by laying each ballot upon the table in the order in which it is taken from the ballot box, and the inspector and the judge of the election, differing in politics from the inspector, shall view the ballots as the names of the persons voted for are read therefrom. In the canvass of the votes any ballot which is not indorsed with the initials of the poll clerks, as provided in this .act, and any ballot which shall bear any distinguishing mark or mutilation shall be void and shall not be counted, and any ballot or part of a ballot front

which it is impossible to determine the elector’s choice of candidates, shall not be counted as to the candidate or candidates affected thereby: Provided, how ever, that on protest of any member of the board such ballto, and all disputed ballots shall be preserved by the inspector, and at the close of the count placed with the seals of the ballot packages in paper bags, securely sealed, and so delivered t’o the clerk of the county with notification to him of the number of ballots so placed in such bags, and of the condition of the seals of the ballot packages. The poll clerk shall also record on the tally sheets, memoranda of such ballots and the condition of the seal of the ballot packages, and in any contest of election such ballots and seals may be submited in evidence. On completing the count and recording the same on the tally sheets, all the remaining ballots, except those marked, mutilated or otherwise defective, as in this section herein before described, shall be distroyed by the election board by totally consuming by fire before adjournment, and thereupon the election board shall immediately make a memorandum of the total vote cast for each candidate and deliver a copy thereof to each member of such board. No person other than the members of the election board, poll clerks and election sheriffs and United States supervisors, if any be appointed, shall be permited in the election room during the election, except for the purpose of voting or during the canvass of the votes,’

Can Checkmate It. “Under the provisions of such section any attempt by inspectors or others to violate the law can be successfully checkmated. Make all such ballots contested and disputed ones, and require that they be preserved for evidence in the courts; and do not be intimidated or cajoled from such duty. Both-methods we submit will most surely accomplish desired results. The evident object of the money bosses is that in case the election is so close as to make the Indiana electoral vote the deciding one then to count in McKinley and repeat the Til-den-Hayes fiasco and fraud. Freemen, such desperate, cor rupt and monarchical methods must be met with intelligence, courage and the highest qualities of patriotism, Liberty is the

stake, and if this last crowning infamy is permitted to succeed we are thenceforth slaves and serfs. In view of the new danger to which we are exposed how important that all election boards and courts be secured to ourselves and allies, and thereby kept out of the hands of our enemies. It can be readily seen that if the whole election machinery was now in the hands of the money bosses and their tools we should have no rights respected and would be utterly helpless. Under such apparent and pressing danger party lines and party names are nothing—but principle is the overshadowing thing. Leave all questions of party names and party organization to take care of themselves in the future after we have settled that the people have rights and the courage to maintain them. “We make no claim to dictate the course and action of others. We have • therefore, given you some facts and confidently rely upon your intelligence, your patriotism and zeal for the common good in meeting Ichis new emergency with that calm, many self-reliance which has always characterized the true populist. May the country not safety rest assured that the flag shall not be trailed nor polluted by our patriots?

“Julius Rosenheiner, Chairman. “F. D. Craig, Secretary. “Approved by “D. F. Kennedy. “M. C. Rankin, “S. M. Shepard, “R. Gregg, . “L. W. Hubbell.”