| OCR Text |
Show , PURITY OF ELECTIONS. Immediately following the election there Tcere numerous allegations of fraud made in Chicago. These allegations became so loud and so specific that the grand jury of Cook county undertook to investigate the matter. The grand jury made a report last week in which it said : "We find and report a deplorable condition of affairs in certain wards not creditable to the officials of-ficials charged by law with the conduct of elections elec-tions and disgraceful to the city of Chicago, which has permitted such election frauds to go on almost al-most unquestioned until this time. We find and report that no confidence can be placed in the reported re-ported results of elections. From the facts coming com-ing to our knowledge we express serious doubt whether there has been an honest general or city election in Chicago for years past." The Chicago newspapers were, almost unanimous unani-mous in the opinion that never before was such a sensational grand jury report given to a court and the public. And while it will probably be a moot question as to how the whole matter should be dealt with, there can be but one opinion as to the necessity of maintaining or restoring the purity pur-ity of our elections. The election of our representatives repre-sentatives in congress and our state legislatures and our city, county and state officers by popular vote is the very foundation of our governmental system. Once let it be known that fraud and corruption cor-ruption rule , the elections, and popular government govern-ment will become a faree, for then it will be known that the people do not rule; that the government gov-ernment of the nation is in the hands of corrup-tionists, corrup-tionists, arid hence the whole thing rotten to the core. The way to have purity of elections is to start with purity of intentions. Let every honest man and woman in the nation vie with every other in maintaining the inviolability of the people's right to a fair election and a fair count, for in these things is our government rested. |
