The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-09-11
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF POLITI-
CAL LIFE,

LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF POLITI
CAL LIFE.
On last Saturday, Judge Conrad, Of one o
the Philadelphia courts, sentenced a man
named Rump, to prison for two years anC
eight months for the perpetration of fraudl
by which James Buchanan was elected TO IN,
Presidency last fall. Mr. Buchanan now oc
cupies the White House ut Washington, anC
Rump is domiciled in cell at Moyamen
sing!
Our readers are of course familiar with the
gross and outrageous frauds referred to-
Their enormity has never been equalled in
the country. Not even those of the famous
Plaqnemine parish, Louisiana in 1874, by
which Henry Clay lost his election and the
country the services of its ablest statesman in
the Executive chair, are ut all comparable
with them. Tksy were indeed sufficiently
startling and gave evidence of the deep and
utter degradation of LocoiOcOism-of the
vileness of the means to which that party
would resort for the accomplishment of its
objects; but even beyond the lowest depth
there has been found still lower deep in
political infamy. 1t was reserved for the quasi
Democracy of Philadelphia to perpetrate the
most enormous frauds upon the purity of the
ballot box that have ever disgruced the eiec-
tive franchise Of the nation.
These frauds were practiced at the State
election in October, and gave the State Of
Pennsylvania to the candidates of the Demo-
cratic party. The influence of that election
is well known. 1t was anticipated through
out the nation with the deepest Interest,"
Upon it hung the national result. Had the
Democracy then been defeated in the home
of its candidate the battle would have gone
quite differently in November. The Buchanan
leaders well knew the Importance Of the Oc-
tober contest, and they left no means un-
touched to accomplish that which was of vital
importance to their interest. On the day of
the election Philadel phia was a perfect cal
dron Of seething, boiling, noxious corruption.
Rowdyism was rampant. The voting places
were accessible only by force. Ballot-boxes
were stuffed. Democratic judges Of election
acted with an eye only to partisan success
Bribery and chicanery and all the elements Of
political vilainy were brought TO bear upon
the lower classes of the population. In that
manner the vote of Philadelphia was secured
and Pennsylvania rendered Democratic.
What followed it is needless FOR us to
state. The South foolishly imagined Buch-
aEan to be their only hope, and n general re
action took place throughout this section of
country, most terribly disastrous to the cause
of Fillmore and Americanlsm.
This is the simple, true story. 1t needs no
establishment. The startling nakedness of
the facts is sufficient to bring home to every
true American heart a sense of depression
tr hill 10 .k,ith hud Har for fba
safety of n government whose destinies can
thus be so lawlessly controlled. There can
be no question of the fact but that the>present
owes its elevation to power to
a gigantic scheme of fraud and violence,
winked at, encouraged, and authorized, too,
by men who assume for themselves hOnOra-
bic positions in society.
There is some atonement to injured justice
and The outraged rights of freemen in the
punishment that is being meted out to the
villain0us authors Of these wrongs. But it is
no wise adequate. Rump and his confeder-
ates might linger in prison during the re-
mainder of their lives, but will that deter men
high in authority from the commission of
similar crimes through the agency of such
wretches! As long as the Demo-
cratic party has vitality enough to make bat
tie, its leaders will resort to just such agen-
cies for the accomplishment of their purposes.
1t is the party of radicaism, of turbulence, o!
revolution, of individual ggrandisement, and
shrinks from the commission of no felony
that success may crown its efforts.
This Philadelphia case has great moral,
but it is too patent to the rejecting frecmen
to need elaboration. We leave it to the good
sense of our readers. They will sea how for
eign scoundrels, under the authority of De-
champions, ruled the elections and
turned the scale last November, defeating
true Americansm and its candidates. Mr..
Buchanan in the White House and Rump in
his Moyamensng cell are widely separate in
position, but thereis between them the smallest
iye, an almost imperceptible line of disiinc-
lion to the pure political moralist Both have
the American people.-Lou. Jour.