at4er bral2am.
INDEPENDENT AND PECKiIiESSIVE
LANCASTER CITY, t'A
- -
FRIDAY, JULY 30, 1809
Economy, Retrenchment, Faithful Collection
of the Revenue and Payment of the Pnblic
Debt.—GAAN T
OUR BANNER!
REPUBLICAN STATE NOMINATIONS
For lioTernor,
GEN. JOHN W. GEARY.
For Judge of the Supreme Court,
HON. HENRY W. WILLIAMS.
OF ALLICtIkIENY COrNTY
CAMPAIGN OF 1869.
GE ARY, WILLIAMS
AND
VICTORY!
FATHER ABRAHAM
FOR THE
CAMPAIGN.
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Address, RANCH Zir, COCHRAN,
Lancaster, Pa.
OVER FOUR THOUSAND.
The circulation of FATHER ABRAHAM.
is now over YOUR TIIOUSAND, and rapidly
increasing. As an advertising medium it
is unquestionably the best in the interior
of the State, which fact business men
should bear in mind. Every advertise
ment in the paper is read by at least ten
thousand people.
POOR OPORGE!
Monday was another fatal day for the
Thug leader—the distinguished District
Attorney. Every proposition made by
him in the County Committee was un
ceremoniously voted down. Die friends
deserted him, and he could not muster a
corporal's guard. lie denounces some of
them bitterly, calling them such pretty
names as "cowards," &c. Poor George
—he hes at Last reached his level!
LIKE THEM!
It is the subject of general remark that
in the county committee, Monday last,
every man in the interest of George iiru
baker, led by the chief Thug himself, voted
against every measure offered, which looked
to an honest and t'air expression of the will
of the Republicans of the County, at the
primary elections on the 28th of August.
This shows who the parties are who de
pend on fraud and dishonesty to aueom.
plish their ollect.
PACKER'S CASH
Ilad the Republicans uominated a mil
lionaire for Governor for the purpose of
buying up votes—were votes needed to
elect—there would be some sense in it, as
any number of Democrats are always on
Land and for sale at prices varying from
twenty-live cents to a dollar and seventy
eve, according to quality. But, the idea
of Democrats trying to buy Republicans
is simply a good joke on "Old Asey."
All the buying will be among themselves
to keep their own scalawags from bolting.
BUTCHERING HIS FRIENDS
It is, reported. and it is no doubt true,
that the Thug leader is engaged in
slaughtering some of his friends— meu
who have stood by him and supported him
through all the hard contests in this coun
ty for ten years, resulting in his own elec
tion as District Attorney. And this is all
done to help his pet—some say his owner
—into the Senate. Every man who stands
in the way of any combinat ion to procure the
nomination of Joitx M. STEHMAN to the
Renate, must go overboard. His doom is
sealed, and the secret conclave of Thug
gery is at work to accomplish this result.
The plot is thickening, and in due time
all the tricks of these political bummers
and cut-throats will be laid before the
public. The people must be posted, and
they will be.
A VINDICATION.
Forney's Prom comes to the rescue
against the "offensive language" so freely I
used against the Philadelphia "Demo- '
crats," at the late copperhead State Con
venth:n,by Frank Hughes and lion. Wm.
Hopkins, who styled them pickpockets
and roughs," and other unparliamentary
names. The Press says:
"We are locally proud of our Democracy
such as they :ue. We will pit the Fourth
ward a, , rtinst the Five Points and ask no
odds. We can show as noisy and dan
gerous a convention as New York. We
have as many candidates who can boast
criminal indictments as brevets for gal
lant and meritorious party service. The
quarter Cessions is almost as strong a
power in our local politics as in those of
Gotham. We killed and wounded as many
men last year on election night as ever did
New York. We honor and regard a
Democratic whisky still next to a Demo
cratic judicial decision. The local repu
tation of the Democracy is second to none;
and finally, to conclude the whole matter,
we unhesitatingly aflirni that at the worst
they are not more disorderly or law-break
ing or worthless than the Democracy of
any other city of similar size."
THE REGISTRY LAW.
The Copperheads howl dreadfully over
the Registry law, on the principle that
" No rogue e'er felt the halter draw,
With good opinion of the law."
A contemporary pointedly puts the case
in this wise : The thief says that the law
which makes stealing a. felony has been
framed in the interest of n party to which
he is opposed, and is therefore unjust.
The murderer says that the law which
punishes murder with death discriminates
against him, and is therefore made in the
interest of those to whom he is opposed.
But if the thief and the murderer were
virtuous, honest citizens, the law would
be their protection and shield instead of
their punishment. The inequality is not
in the law, but in the parties. Just so in
the other case. If the Democratic party
puts its trust and hope for success solely
in the superiority of its principles over
those of the Republican party, and in the
clearness and vigor and energy with which
it presents them to the people, the Regis
try Law, which it so much fears and hates,
would be as much to its advantage as to
that of the Republican party. Jett so!
GEARY AND PACKER
Mr. Packer is said to be the wealthiest
man in Pennsylvania. How much he is
worth we do not know, or care to know.
It is enough to say that he is a Railroad
King, a contractor, and a stock-jobber,
and has been eminent in the lowest order
of intellectual ability—that of a money
getter. While Geary was shedding his
blood to preserve our government, Packer
was intent on pelf. When our armies were
defeated, and our candidate was bearing
the smarts of defeat and wounds with sol
dierly fortitude, Packer was keenly watch.;
ing the fluctuations of the stock exchange,
and buying iu shares which our defeats
depressed. When.victory rested on our
banners and Geary was bending ou the
victorious field over the body of his dead
soldier son, Packer was adding to his hoard
by sales of stocks which the wounds of our
heroes had caused to advance in value. Re
traded in patriotic blood, and the patriots
in whose blood he traded will neither sup
port his ambition, nor accept his bloo '-
money. They are made of sterner stuff
than he and his managing bullies imagine,
and the second Tuesday of October will
teach the speculator how he has miscalcu
lated the force of their contempt, and the
power of his purse. Buying a Democratic
convention, led by a law breaker, is one
thing ; buying the governorship of Penn
sylvania is another matter, as he will find
toll's sorrow. —So says the Befwer Rad
DOCTOR OATCMf46
This gentleman turned up ogee more,
on Monday last, in'the ConntY Commit-
tee, of which he is a Inemlx:r„ He, made a
speech in defenso.of the House of Repre
sentatives in appointing the twenty-seven
extra pesters and folders, in open viola
tion of law:, HuridicuW,theideP of pews.-
paper publishers setting tneinseistee up as
reformers. And with all their 'clamor
about the pesters And iblders,he said there
wasn't one--not even " Daddy Abrahani"
who could now tell how many of these
officers wore employed.
We admit that we do dot know bort
many there were during last session. We
only do know that Dr. (atchell and
"sick like" openly disregarded and violat
ed the law, by appointing twenty-seven
additional pastern and folders, not because
they were needed, but only fur the pur
pose of filching money from the public
treasury.
Thus publicly to boast of being lon
Smart for the editors of Republican papers
who endeavored to expose the system of
treasury robbing, which gave the last
House of Representatives the reputation
of being the most corrupt Legislative body
that ever disgraced Pennsylvania, ►nay
have been fun tier the Doctor, and com
thanded the admiration and respect of
George Brubaker, but we venture to say
that he won't think it quite so smart and
funny when he comes to foot up the prima
ry election returns next month.
IWAttention is invited to the card of Mr. I. Newton Peirce, of Philadel-
Major R. W. SmorK, published in another phia,has advertised his purpose to organize
column. We are glad that he has placed I w political temperance party in said city.
himself right on the record. i Is he a candidate for I ;overnur?
THE OLD HUARD.
Our Republican friends abroad must
not for a moment suppose that because
we have a little local contest to attend to
in Lancaster County, the glorious "Old
Guard," that the interests of the Repub
lican party are neglected. Betbre the
close of next month, the little ring of poli
tieal Thugs will have been etliTtutkily
disposed of, when, after a short and sharp
campaign of six weeks, the entire strength
of the party will be ready and made good
for AT LEAST SEVEN TIIOUSAND NrA408.6
ITY FOR OUR STATE TICKET. But,to
enable us to win such a victory, Thu
must be crushed out and entirely 4
by the Republican voters of the county
HE WILL CONE DOWN !
For the comfort of Asa's friends here
abouts, we give to them the gratifying
news that he has consented to cone down
with the stamps. He told the " ASA.
PACKER Club," which is made up large
ly of the boys who will not be put off with
promises, iu Philadelphia, the other night,
that "if we &it it shall not be through
anything wanting in me." This evident
ly means that he will honor all drafts
drawn on him. So all the boys have to
to do is to proceed to draw, and while
they are about it, they should draw liber
ally. It is the only way to find out wheth
er ASA means business.
PACKER A BOLTER
llon. Asa Packer, as we have already
stated, in 1860 bolted from the regular
Democratic Convention at Charleston, and
participated in the nomination of John
C. Breckinridge, as the open and avowed
secession candidate.
But, this was not the only time he bolt
ed the regular nomination of his pa'hy,
In 1855, when Hon. George R. Barrett
was the nominee of his party for Presi
dent Judge of the Carbon, Monroe, Pike
and Wayne districts, he, the same Asa
Packer, of Mauch Chunk, did all in his
power to defeat him, by running the late
John S. Bell as au independent candidate,
who also received the cordial support of
the entire Know Nothing party of said
district. Barrett, however, was elected
by a little over 1500 majority, and he is
now the Judge there, and enjoys the entire
confidence of the people of all parties,
who regard him as an impartial and corn_
petent
It will be remembered that Judge Bell,
formerly of Chester county, although then
a democrat—about the year 1850—took
very prominent part in defeating James
Camplitll, of Philadelphia, one of the
Democratic candidates for Supreme Judge,
because he was a Roman Catholic, and de
feated he was by this Know Nothing ele
ment of the Democratic party, and Judge
Coulter, on the Whig ticket, elected. Af
terwards Bell was appointed President
Judge of the Carbon (Packer's) district,
by Governor Pollock, to fill a vacancy,
whether as a reward for his support of the
Know Nothing cause we are unable to
state. Be this as it may, Barrett was
nominated over Bell because the latter was
not conaidend a sound Democrat, but a
Know Nothing and. supporter of Pollock,
whereupon he was run by Packer and his
Know Nothing allies against Barrett, as
above stated. Is Asa Packer a Demo
crat?
GRANT'S ADMINISTRATION
The beautiful organization composed of
rebels and their sympathizers, who have
stolen the name of "Democracy' , to" serve
the devil in," are constantly howling at
Gen. Grant's adruinistration,without sense
or reason. TnE PEOPLE are satisfied with
it and it will be sustained everywhere ex
cept, of course, in Kentucky, Maryland
and Delaware, for in these States the only
feeling of the majority is, sorrow for the
failure of the lost Cause. But in the States
where the love of the Union liven, there is
no likelihOod of a rebuke being. adminis
tered to a ruler Nitid hat compelled peace,
and staUnched the wounds of tlib Sbuith ;
whoa holds the helm of state with so steady
a htuid that industry strives in sure hope
of reward; who has infused into the pub
lic mind such faith that capittil seeks in:
vestment,aud even its sensitive pulse. 419101
proofs of the public health; whose stern
integrity has forced the collection of the
revenues, where heretofore systematic
plunderers reveled ;and whose wise manage
ment has caused a stream of treasure to
flow into the Treasury, until its plethora
shows our magical wealth and its amazing
increase.
Nor will the nation quarrel with that
other, and remarkable action of the ad
ministration, which cuts down the expen
ditures to the legal standard, and steadily
refuses to reward its own partizans, by
making places for hungry aspirants. The.
soldiers have not tired of their sucbessfUl
leader, and the mihole mass of our citizens
rest secure under a policy which accords
to every man his legal rights, and protects
him in their enjoyment ; which solves the
problem of the payment of the Public Debt
by pt ., yin!" it at the rate of two millions I
week, or one hundred and four millions
per year. And while doing all this, does
it so modestly and unostentatiously, that,
while no shock is felt by the country, no
vaunt announces the great result. Our
enemies hope to make Pennsylvania re
buke this wise rule. Wait and see !
COMFORT!
The New York World mournfully as
serts that the election of General Sheridan
to the Presidency of the Potomac Army
Association is only a preliminary to the
Republicans running " Little Phil." for
President of the United States in 187".
In fact, the Worded says the election of
Sheridan Over McClellan wails just that,
so significant does it regard "Little
Phil's" easy defeat of " Little Mack."
Well, if Sheridan runs in 1872, the Demo
crats have Jubal Early to put up against
him.
44 DEMOCRATIC " TESTIMONY.
The Pittsburg Leader, edited with as
much impartiality as can be expected from
a Democratic source, says of Packer's
nomination and acknowledges its weak
ness as follows :
"Packer went through without difficul
ty. In the contest, the Case men were
poorly led, so far as Democratic political
leadership was concerned. Philadelphians
demanded Packer's personal influence and
great wealth to help them elect a rascally
and excessively unpopular county and leg
islative ticket. In short, it was not the
man, but his wealth, that commended him
to the most powerful interest enlisted in
his support. Packer as a poor man would
have been a nullity; as a millionaire lie is
the Democratic candidate for Governor.
The outside pressure was for Packer, and
it was great in nturbers and zeal, and well
supplied with the necessary appliances to
produce a change of heart. Packer nom
inated and Packer elected are two entirely
different things. Packer will have against
him the opposition of the Pennsylvania
Itailroad Company, which will be used to
its utmost limit to prevent his election;
the fact that he is more largely identified
with New York than Pennsylvania inter
ests will hurt him in some sections; the
terrible nominations of his party in Phila
elphia may cost him several thousand
votes; and the registry law will cut down
the Democratic vote in Philadelphia."
THINOS IN PHILADELPHIA
More troubles lin. the Board of Aldermen—The
City contested election case—Democracy and
its troubles-New papers and new parties—
" Heavy" men, &c.
PHILADELPHIA, JULY 28, 1869.
DEAR ARE : The Board of aldermen, who
are engaged in carrying out the law preventing
the copperhead "repeaters" from voting two,
three, and a dozen times throughout the city,
find it a hard matter to get things in working
order, owing to constant impediments being
thrown in their way by our noble (?) board of
city commissioners. Last week it was found ne
cessary to again ask for the interposition of the
court, in order to compel the commissioners to
supply the canvassers with the necessary
books and papers, they (the commissioners)
refusing upon the flimsy pretext that coun
cils had made no appropriation for the pur
pose. Of course, this is all gammon, and only
calculated to retard the officers in the perform
ance of their duties. Nothing was left the
Board to do but make application to the courts,
and on Monday last Judge Peirce, after hear
ingthe arguments in the case, compelled the
commissioners to knock under. The cops
can't stand this Registry act, as they know
that under its provimionnthe gallant (?) fourth
ward can no longer roll tip its three thousand
fraudulent majority.
In the contested election case, the examina
tion was resumed on Monday, and testimony
in rebuttal offered. To show you how the last
election was conducted in our city, and to al
low you to judge for yourself of our prospects
for winning the case, I will show you how
things were done in one precinct, as proven
before the examiners. Two boxes were pro
duced containing the ballots of the sixteenth
division of the twentieth ward. The returns
were referred too, which show that Mayor Fox
received 61 majority, and:Malloy, Receiver of
Taxes, lie majority, and the remainder of the
Democratic ticket, (according to the returns,)
elected by majorities ranging from ten to' ifty.
The ballot box was then opened and the tick
ets counted, when, lo and behold, it turns out
that according to the votes polled, Tyndale has
six majority, and Peitz, the Republican can
didate for Receiver of Taxes fif majority!
and all this in a box which was objected to be
ing opened by the Democratic counsel, "be
cause nothing was stated in the spectications
regarding the sixteenth' division of t p twen
tieth ward!"
Democracy is in a splutter. Joseph N.
Peirsol, late candidate for City Treasurer, is
out in a card, signed by one hundred and six
ty-one delegates to the late city convention,
some of whom swear they saw roughs vote on
their names, whilst others affirm they: saw
men vote for Fry, then go into the back
part of the hall, change hats, and come for
ward and Votes secotid time. Ln this, man
ner the whole democrittic ticket, Oonipoted of
the worst elements Of the city, was,,,iiiiinina
ted, so that it - is DO wondeethat some of the
more honest (!) shontd kick In the traces.
Ward meetings, boo,.ara being held nightly,
and resolutions ofChnistrongest kind,ooridemn
ing convention, candidates and party, wised;
all of whioli has the eifeet tatoake:oar demo
cratic friends feel rather Uneasy..
On the ether hand the .140johlican
,City
Executive Dmittnittee IS now , thoxotigh i . or
ganized; its severestib4nimittees'asottipieil,
and work in earnest centaiiencetr whe first
job undertaken is an 'eflbrt to secure lie re
moval of a few copper-jOhnsong *who still
hold minor positions under the government.
The Committee this year is composed of the
younger portion of the party, And already such
activity is displayed by all the members as
will certainly result in doing much good to
the cause. With such men at its head as John
L. Hill, the president, our firm friends; Dr.
Seltzer anal John Donnelly, Vice Presidents,
and its efficient Secretary, Robert T. Gill, the
management of the City Committee is in the
best of hands.
Apropos of politics : Do you people up in
the " 01(10 uard " know that no less than two
new parties are talked of here? One, the
"Conservative " party, is to be championed
by the indomitable Joe Flanagan, of the de
funct Daily News, who is to start a new organ
•oi on extensive scale—in size only--to be as
large as the New York Tribune, sell for three
cents, and support Col. W. B. Thomas for
Governor; while the other is an exclusively
temperance move, and none but total abstain
ers aro to have a say. According to the pro
gramme laid down, the latter convention is to
meet in Horticultural Hall in August—the
fourth day thereof --and 18 to place in nomi
nation an exclusively temperance ticket,
whether general or only a city ticket is un
known. This latter move is by I. Newton
Peirce, but whether any one else is connected
with the affair the bills don't state.
Among the substantial men whose names
have been particularly noticed in the published
income lists during the past week, may be
mentioned, ff. C. Gibson, whose inCOM9 is
$280,000; 8 P. M. Taster, $115,000; I. T.
Tasks; $149000; R. I. Wood, $127,000; J.
Gilliagham eU, $198,000.
Weather hot, and still heating. Yours,
WAawICK
c f Atha 40wahanes Skipo.
KANsAs claims to be receiving )
new settlers a day.
Tin•; new Virginia Legislatute bas
seven colored members.
MIFFIANIICIU:, with a population of
1.000, has neither lawyers nor measles!
THE Insane Asylum at Harrisburg has
over three hundred inmates.
NEW YORK has 10,000 thicycs,exclusive
of city officials.
Trig proposition to introduce Chinese
Coolie labor into the South is beginning
to gain favor in the eyes of the Democracy
—it has the look of their old idol, slavery.
lir Packer had made MAO instead of
520,000,000, would he have been nomina
ted last week by the Democracy as their
candidate for Governor? Nay, verily.
ALBANY, N. Y., having been in the
hands of the Democracy for several years,
has reached the legitimate conclusion—a
bankrupt treasury.
Waits business men write their bill
heads, letters-heads, &c., instead of hav
ing them printed, it is a clear sign that
"time hangs heavy on their hands.”
Tim last card of the Democracy is what
to do with the Chinese. Having failed in
their attacks upon the freedman, they are
now arming for a crusade upon the Mon
golian.
THRICE are at the present time not less
than MO colored men in Rome preparing
for the Catholic priesthood. The majority
of them will become teachers of the Prced
men in the South.
To ',AAR the party again to the old,
rotten; worm-eaten platform which has so
many times carried the Democracy to the
bottom, was downright cruelty in the
leaders who engineered the late State Con
vention.
IT seems to be everywhere accepted by
the independent press, as well as Repub
lican journals, that Unlimited Bank Ac
count is in reality the Democratic candi
date for Governor this fall.
Fitt SALE—A number of coffee pots
useful for naturalization purposes in the
States where they have no Registry law.
Apply to Wm. A. Wallace. late chairman
Democratic State Central Committee.
TILE: Democracy appear to be gradual
ly going over to Grant. At the late Con
vention, in nominating Packer and Per
shing, they emphatically say: "Let us
have P's."
ASA PACKFA, like the Hon. Henry W.
Williams, is a native of Connecticut. Will
the papers which two years ago raised the
cry of carpet-bagger against our distin
guished candidate continue their howl?
TUE Cops went for each others pockets
with a vengeance at the Harrisburg con
vention. They will go for Packer's the
balance of the campaign. Money is the
measure of merit with them.
"Slum, my daughter marry a nigger?"
has long been the orthodox Democratic
cry. No, sir. Neither need you or your
sous sleep in Bedford street, although all
its blear-eyed patriots consistently vote
your ticket.
A SMALL-BRAINED MAN is known by
the amount of profanity he uses in ordin
ary conversation. The poor fool, having
no other object of respect, makes a deity
of the devil.
TIM Maryland Republicans are actively
organizing with a view to securing bodily
the negro vote, which will enable them to
carry the State after the adoption of the
fifteenth amendment. Large meetings,
addressed by colored men, have been held
at Frederick and elsewhere.
CHIEF JUSTICE CHASE has got Presi
dency on the brain very bad. lie is in
constant intercourse with the Rebel Con
servative leaders, and daily using what
ever influence he possesses against his
Republican friends.
GRANT'S administration has been pay
ing off the national debt at the rate of
fifteen or twenty millions per month. Tht
Copperhead convention is opposed to this
kind of thing and demands reform. It is
the true rebel idea they have got—they
are opposed to the payment of the debt at
all.
Wst. A. GALBRAITH, of Erie, les
into the chair lately occupied by the eh n
pion on "coffee-pots" and " cottgratulato
ry proclamations" over " brilliant de
feats." Lawyer Galbraith first, " .A:der
man" McMullin second—greenbacks and
pugilism hand in hand again.
Fon such men as•M,eMulleu, the Phil
adelphia bruiser, such pockets as "Judge"
Packerls have irresibtible attractfons; that
lust is, indeed, the highest motive of which
such fellows , g}re capable. The "Demo
cratic" party , is made up of such.
ASA PACKER is M'MulleiVs candidate.
Whether this shall nirget,hitn favorably or
ill, the fitt:t retuaius., The glcater,t, black
guard now outside the walls of prison
unerdentof 4the-Devrenern
tieing*. 4 ,
be . ly
bad barphu.
To think or thr. eyes of tints *sired
thousand Peniocists-4very one of whom
expects "something to be done " for his
ward or township--ssturn,ASA's strong
box, is enough to Ulliat o the reason of
the strongest minded, if not produce a
more fatal result.
WHEN buzzards are seen hovering
about, it is generally a pretty good indi
cation that carrion is near. When pick
pockets and worse characters were observ
ed ou the outskirts of the Democratic
Convention at Harrisburg, it was conjec
tured that there was corruption within,
and the result proved the conjecture true.
lION. ULYSSES lifuscun, of Towanda,
came on to Harrisburg, it seems, to look
at the Democratic convention, and paid
for his temerity: by having his pocket
picked of four hundred dollars. This
should teach him to be more watchtlil
about the company he gets into.
PRIMARY ELECTION FRAUDS.
As certain prominent Thugs have been at
special pains to villify Mr. Billingfelt for the
stand he has taken against the perpetration
of frauds at our primary elections, in justice
to that gentleman and the honest Republi
cans of the county who think with him in
that important matter, we herewith print his
remarks in full in the County Committee on
Monday last. It will be seen that he fully
makes out his case, and clearly establishes
the perpetration of fraud, as 'frequently
charged in this paper. With the facts now
before them, it behooves the people to be on
the alert, and see that the ballot-box stuffers
are not allowed to repeat their nefarious
work with impunity.
REMARKS OF MR. BILLINGFELT.
When I requested you, Mr. Chairman, to
point out in what 'particular my propo
sition conflicts with the already established
rules for the government of the primary
elections of the Republican party, I did not
expect it would bring out a discussion of this
kind, and that the whole field would be gone
over. The discussion has taken a wide range,
but the question I asked has not yet been an
swered. It is not material, now, whether it
is answered or not. The gentleman repre
senting the 11th Ward of this city (Mr. Bru
baker) made a long statement and raised a
great many points, to the greater portion of
which I do not object, excepting one. That is
in relation to the laws governing the elections
of this Commonwealth. When I asked him
whether the laws of this Commonwealth reg
ulating our elections were applicable to our
primary elections for nominating candidates
for office, instead of answering my question
he made a furious attack upon me and the
proposition I introduced, in which there was
pointed out an effectual remedy to prevent
fraud and the stuffing of the ballot-box at our
primary elections, denouncing them as "ri
diculous," " nonsensical," and apply
ing other inappropriate epithets. As a
lawyer, he must admit that the laws govern
ing our elections in this Commonwealth do
not apply to our primary elections, and afford
MI no protection whatever. There is no law
to punish any of the officers for violating their
oath—even if taken ; no law providing that
each political party should have an inspector;
no law compelling those officers to make out
a true return. There is no law in existence
which throws any protection or safeguard at
all around our primary elections. There is
even no opportunity given to investigate any
alleged frauds, nor to control the same, since
only Sunday intervenes between the time for
holding the elections and the return day.
Hence, sir, it must be apparent to every one
that, in order to effectually prevent any
ballot-box stuffing—any fraudulent counting,
or making out fraudulent returns at our pri
mary elections—it even requires more strin
gent measures in our rules than what the law
atlbrds to protect the elections held in pursu
ance thereof. Desperate cases require
desperate remedies, and although 1
doubted the practicability of the plan
propo"ed, believing it to be unpopular with
the masses, yet having been repeatedly re
quested to suggest some plan whereby any
future repetition of fraud might be prevented,
I could suggest no other plan that would
effectually prevent the stuffiing of the ballot
box than the one proposed—namely, to count
the votes before they are deposited in the
box.
I contend, sir, that I always have been, am
now, and ever will be, opposed to repealing
the secret ballot system, and will protect the
(sacredness of the ballot-box so long as there
exists a law upon our statute books providing
for the punishment of officers violating the
same. In this case, as in all others, I am
willing to bow submissively to the will of the
masses—to strike out any objectionable provi.
sion or withdraw the whole and support some
other effective or acceptable plan to bring
about the desired end. But here we have a
system, around which the law throws no pro
tection, and is alleged to be openly violated to
such an extent in some of the districts, as I
thought would justify me in submitting those
extraordinary measures to prevent It.
And though I never insisted upon their
apoption, and will not now, and am
willing to withdraw them to make room for
some other plan less objectionable, I am
glad to learn that my distinguished friend,
Mr. Dickey, admits that the remedy therein
proposed would be effectual, and scarcely any
one disputes it. It is casting no slur upon
the Republican party, as some allege, to ex •
pose a fraud and endeavor to prevent it. Far
from it; and the masses of our party desire
that all our elections be fairly conducted, as
I believe they have been and will be again in
a majority of the districts. The question,
however, arises is there any truth in those al
leged frauds ? If not, there is no necessity for
any additional safeguards. If there is, we
cannot too strongly guard against a repetition
thereof. It self-confession is the strongest evi
dence, then there has been fraud ; since,
besides the information obtained. from
other sources, I was present when a
prominent Lancaster politician admitted and
openly boasted that he knew how cheating
had been done, by stuffing the lining of the
hat Used as a ballot-box with tickets of a eer
tain kind before the poles were opened, and,
at the close of the election the bat containing
the tickets was , up-turned and , the *See
counted and returned. Others have 114-
knowlatiged to Me that they hove *MIMU4
making oat rotors* for several districts by
adding over one hundftd.erdes to each Morn
more then' seerd polled. We haVe kffiliwitts
to prove how in West Hemptteld townsh*t
certain Peraoo . Itllad thy hablotrbox w
an expert official clerk wrote down the na es
of personwas , hsvtit sristed *ho did not st
olid the, 'polls. Sevenil other', ituittsriees'l
might name of fraud `Perpetrated., BA the
most astounding revel/40km frimd, at, our
late primary election, was made tocust hY th•
senior editor vet the Lancaster Reirifel.,' 'this
day four. weeks obi, S 4 .the 'between
Harrisbrirg ' and Lanciaiter, aftectihg more
than one-half of , the votes returned. in some
of the districts.
Mr. Gftest—DoeTi the getnremieri ?toy ft Kea
?
Mr. IdtlittleettNo ; I Stated distinct
ly AO :.",telsier, editor of 4lite 'kg/tie:sr ;, 9 I
meant the editor longest connected with that
paper.
Mr. Brubaker—There are some persons tyl4o
accuse me of being connected with that paper.
Does the gentleman refer to me ? LLaughteX.i
Mr. Billlitigfelt. No, sir t in this inatenee
I excuse you, bat in this aloue. [Laughter.]
Yet that very same editor has devoted nearly
a whole column of his paper in abasing 'and
slandering me because I introduced a propo
sition to remedy the very evil of which he
himself complained. 1 know that my enemies
take advantage of the proposition I offered,
and try to make me appear ridiculous in the
eyes of my friends—by men who would slan
der and abuse me though I were as pure and
perfect as the angels in heaven. lint, air,
they way villify, slander and abuse me and
call me corrupt, as some are now doing, yet I
dare them to point to one single act in all my
political or official career that is tainted with
any corruption. And so lung as God spares
my life and gives me strength, I shall con
tinue to expose and denounce fraud and cor
ruption wherever it may be found, and shell
use my utmost endeavors to protect, defend
and advance the true interests tf the people
to the best of my ability.
JOB PRJRITUI6I.
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