Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-09-02
The PerIIs of Hour.
By HORACE GREELEY.


do hot doubt that a decided maior-
ity of the legal voters of our country
prefer the election of Grant and Col
fax to that of Seymour and Blair. I
believe this will be proved by the re-.
turns of the Presidential election next
November. And'yet l feel that there
is danger-grave danger-that the ma
jority will, through apathy and mis-
management, suffer itself to be defeat
ed by the minority. Here are some of
my easons.
l. The counterfeiting of naturaliza-
ton papers, the nsturalizsting of per-
sons not entitled to citizenship, and
the polling Of illegal votes by means
of '~repeaters' or ''rounders." have be-
come IN essential portion of Democrat
ic strategy. By fraudulent votes in
this State and Louisiana, Henry CLAY
was beaten, so long ago as 1874. By
fraudulent votes, Abraham Lincoln
was very nearly deprived of the vote of
this State in 1864, though at least TWEEN
ty FIVE thousand majority of the legal
votes were cast for him. By fraudulent
votes the Democratic majority in this
city, consequently in the State, was
swelled many thousands last fall. Such
crimes always tend to become fragrant
and p%ervssive until conclusively ar
rested. Unless extraordinary and sys-
tematic efforts shall be made to arrest
them, forty thousand illegal votes will
be cast against US this fall in our State
alone, and New York thus carried for
sham Democracy, as Pennsylvania was
last October. Organization, vigilance,
work on a scale hitherto unknown are
i~mperatively required to prevent this
calamity. They have in Pennsylvania
a regular mandatory of counterfeit
naturalization papers, with the stolen
seal Of a court, and everything complete.
They have cheated US badly with these
papers, they will cheat us worse this year
if they can. So they will in nearly every
other state. The raw material whence
sham voters are manufactured Is nea
ly ali in their hands, the blackIegs who
forge as a business are Democrats bv
instinct. The criminal population of
city, numbering not less than 80. 900
persons, will poll a very large vote and
at least n~inety-nine hIndreths of it for
Seymour and Blair. They like the
men and their principles, and will throw
accordingly a good many more votes
than they are legally entitled to.
IL. Our friends seem to be almost ev
erywhere resting in the conviction that
General Grant cannot possibly be beat
en-. This is at once untrue and peril
ous. He not only can, but i0iH, be beat
en-, unless The Republicans work with
more energy and efficiency than they
have thus far done. Indiana is the on
y doubtful State which seems TO be
contested by them with adequate zeal
and industry. l trust that Ohio can
not be lost, but, if there be no revival
on cur side, the ballot-box will close on
the night of the October State Election
with at least Ten thousand more Re
publican than Democratic votes un-
Perhaps we can stand that
disparity, and perhaps not. 1t is not
'afe to take the risk.
So of Pennsylvania. We were heay-
ly cheated there last October; we are
likely to be worse cheated now. Her
laws are tolerably good; but
he judges in strong Democratic dis
set them al defiance, taking all
he votes that are offered-especiaIly
Ill the bad ones. They will cheat us at
east ten thousand in October. We
beat them still, if every Republic
vote is polled. But will they be ?
Will Allegheny give her 10000, Lam
saster her 5000, and others in propor-
Will Berks, Northampton, Mon
zoe, Columbia, &C., give no more thqn
heir legal majority against us2 Ihope,
put fear.
Now let US suppose that the enemies
If human rights-no matter by what
neans-carry Pennsylvania and Ohio
n October, winning likewise some 10
al triumphs in other States; what
hen? Shall we not see the very men
Who now shirk effort, on the plea that
Grant cannot be beaten, lying down in
naction because (they will sayl he is
beaten, and cannot possibly BIO
How swift will be their tran.
,ition from blind pre- sumption to COW
despair.
The States are entitled to choose BIZ
whereof l59 are a msiority.
There should be no doubt of General
Grants carrying at least these: