Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1871-03-04


PuRITY OF THE BALLOT Box.-rhe leaders
OF the democratic party are q little exercised,
and when they are exercised 1t Is pretty well
known that their rage Ia like that Of the raging
sea. which we are told. casts up mire and dirt.
Their trouble just now arises from Il PROPOSE
tion In Congress TO amend the election law of
the Inst sesshn, so as 10 make II more sifeclivc
In many OF our large cities, like that of New
ISrk, frauds are perpetnated upon the ballot
box by the Wholesale /; with an honest vote In
her large cities, The Sale Of New York would,
probably, be Republican to-day The object of
the amendment is To throw around the ballot
box the necessary safeguards to insure right. No
true lover of our free institutions ought TO oh.
jeot to that, and that Is all the law or its friends
propose or wish 10 accomplish. But the DE
mOcFaey" see in this nothing but ruin and cor
ruption, as they did when the government un.
dertOok to put down the rebellion and check
the encroachments of the Democrats OF 'Gl.
Aiaw, such as Is proposed, ii honestly and
vigorously enforced, while Il would not drive
fson. the polls n single bona fde voter, nor de-
privc one such OF his ballot, would nsverthe.
less materially eut down the imlnease Demo
cratic" majorties obtained in New York City
and some other places, through 'repeatersh
and other species OF fraud upon the elective
franchise IL would also put an end, IN great
degree. TO the terrorism and violence prcva.
hnt In many parts of the South, by which
honest. legal voters are kept from the polls, or
driven frsn them. And This Is just where the
"shoe pinchcs" tho Democracy" They want
tho power. and don't greatly care how II Is
oAeDinetk N by fair ~ cans, well, II not then
by foul. They know that thousands upon
thousands Of Illegal votes are cast In the IN.
terest of their party in New York City at ev.
cry important election. but IL Ia not their COX
that is goTed" and. 50 they are content They
know tina, the Ku klux ride rough shod In the
interest Of ihe "DsmOcracy" ever the loyal
people al the Ssuih, but we hear no complaint
fsoai this very "Demecrauc' party. But the
nenoat proposition Is made to remedy these
ryas ahsir lfe Is aroused. and no denunclations
are ,ocSssul 10 bo hursd.at those who would
simply dealosi equal and exact Justice TO all
men. They kcsw that this system-of wrong
exists, and in New York that party have the
poser TO spply the remedy, and yet they raise
not hAAd OF u voice foE lis accomplishment
They Will neither do Il themselves nor allow
Il 10 be done by Others, Ii they sanpsvent H.
The reasons are obvious.
Z The bsll In question provides THAI certain
acts shall hSnceiorth be regarded as crimes,
aud vanlahed accordingly, viz: Fraudulent
registration, hihdrrins registration, interfering
with aRoftscss of registration, false registry
by an oficer, kn0wn neglect Of duty by which
the registry suffers or the returns are falsined.
II gives jurisdlctlon ~ United States Courts so
as 10 prevent the local Judges frnal shielding
their partisan rcpssiers. What is there IN all
fllls fora siEeere lover &C hIs country to CON,
plain or What harm wili come from Il 10
any honest votcri What tlsat should produce
1war and blood.shed"Y as has been declared
ppon the floor OF Congress by q Democratic
n,smbsrs Itwould seem that this party learn
nothing Asm, experience. They hardly real
ize thai times lesa changed, and that the day
for blood ana thunder taik has gone by, and
tnaiiaidasions and threats hsye had their cui-
ninnilon. and that Democracy vent under In
che struggle. There Is power aud justice