The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-06-09
Zeal for Purity of Elections.

HE RepuOllcan press mas uCChitu IL 10
be good policy To say something by way OF
cOmmendatiOn of the negro election law,
DUBBED a bill for the enforcement of the
Fifteenth Amendment, but is evidently
perplexed as to which of its provisions
shall be commended. The eulogies which
have been passed on the measure are very
general in their terms, and deal with the
avowed purpose of the bill, instead of its
real enactments.
1t is said that we need stringent law
to prevent illegal voting; that the pre-
JUDGES against the negroes will shut them
out from the polls unless they be granted
special protection; and that the repeating
system will be extinguished by the measure
under consideration. Great stress is laid
on this point by the Republican newspa-
pers of New York city, which claim that
with honest elections there the Democrats
viii De l"und to be in a ,minority,in the State.
This claim does not harmonic very well
with the admission made by those same
newspapers only few days ago, that the
late judicial election in New York must be
construed as a rebuke of the Administra
ton and of Congress. To say now that
the Democracy won by illegal voting in
New York city is to directly contradict
what those making the statement have
just alleged to be fact containing many
edifying and instructive lessons
Admitting all that may be said concern
ing the necessity of laws which will make
our elections honest expressions of the
popular will, and permit all of the people
TO come freely to the polls, and it will
form no justification of any such system
OF tyranny and of intermeddling by the
Federal authorities with matters which be-
long exclusively TO the States, as are pro-
vided Tor in that bill There are right an
wrong ways to correct evils, and proper
and improper persons and authorities to
undertake the task
How long is it since the Republican
party had possession of all the depart
ments of the State government of New
York? The same charges with regard to
reporters and illegal voting in New York
csty were then made by the Republican
press as are now made by it. Why did
not Governor FentOn and the Republican
Legislature pass laws to prevent fraudu-
lent voting, and preserve and secure pu-
rlty OF elections? They had full iuTisdic
ton Ia the premises, and at that time Con
greSs did not assert that it had the right
To medile with the election laws of the
States as 1t mas meddled with them in
this BILL 1t is the business of the gov
eminent of each State to guard the ballot,
anu FentOn and the Republican Legisla-
ture were criminally neglectfll of their
duty II they paid no attention to this bust
ness.
There is something in this newborn
zeal In Congress and the Republican
party for purity of elections which looks
suspicious. For years the national legis-
lature has been exclusively occupied in
partisan legislation, and the enactment OF
ROC N
triumphs by trampling on the rights of
voters, and by bribery of classes and CAPT
talistS. This has been apparent, not only
In ali the stages of the reconstruction in
fanny, but in all of the financial legislation
of Congress
Among the manufacturers, and bankers
and rallr' ads men u whom have been
voted millions of money and hundreds of
millions of acres OF land, and bOndhold-
ers and others profiting by class legisla-
ton, there can be found many Democrats
In name, but they all vote the Republican
ticket. They have been bribed to vote it
by laws which were framed to benefit the
Capitalists of the country, in granting to
them special privileges, and thus bring
them To the support OF the ruling party.
he man whose profits are doubled by
laws passed for his exclusive advantage
or the advantage OF the class to which he
belongs, will work for the party enacting
such laws.
With legislation of the character above
described smeariHg almost every page OF
the national statutes Tor the last ten wears.
1t is inexpressible effrOntery in Congress
now To- gabble OF regard for purity of
elections.
Outside of such legislation, the party in
power has shown determination to per
petuate itself by any means, however
criminal, necessary to this end Not long
age. the Times referred to the brutality
and crime OF Stanton in imprisoning Com
misslOners from New York, one OF whom
Is now C1lei Justice of the Supreme Court
of that Stale, who were carrying Demo-
cratic tickets to the army of the Potomac
he refused transportation TO Democratic
soldiers. He withdrew regiments fl m
the army, and sent them into States wbt re
they did not belong, 10 vote the Republi
can ticket tie dismissed an officer Ia dis
grace from the service for distrit utinc
Democratic votes. He told manufac .urers
Ia New England that they must dismiss
ali men who would not vote for the party
IN power, or the Government would make
no purchases from mills refusing so to do.
In all this he was defended by the politi
cans ana press of tie ruling party.
One of the most prominent Republican
Senators Ia the United States Senate said.
only few days ago, that the people OF
the Southern States We're compelled to
vote Tor negroes or carpet baggeTs, or not
at all, because they were denied the priv.
lege OF voting for the only men qualified
to conduct public business
Such IS the Congress, and party. and
press Which now moralize ON purity of
elections, and Affect TO lament over vices
and corupiiOns growing out of such
wicked legislation and abuses of power as
@re here SET tor.b.-C tic0gO Times, June 4.