New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-03-21
AN EXPLICIT AVOWAL.


an honest election whenever United
States officer. such rs the President or Il
member of Congress, is to be voted for.
At present the people vote for State otfi-
GERS at the same time that they vote for
national reprcse natives. The object OF
the law in throwing these two elections
together was to save the people from the
expense and excitement of attending to
two contests in the same year. 1t was
concluded that they could vote for presl-
dent at the same time that they voted for
Governor and members Of the Legislature,
and since this could be done it was thought
by the Democrats themselves that
ii WIS better that it should be
done. as it saved time, money and OK
element Another reason was urged
that the holding of all the elections on
the same day prevented gambling on the
result, which AT one time grew to be a
great evil. Pennsylvania voted one day,
and New York voted five or six days later.
When the result was announced in Penn
sylvania bets would be made as to the
result in New York Immense sums were
stakcd, and t. effect the result money
was spent i'll moving men from Pennsyl-
rania to New York. The system was
the ruin OF men and the degradation of
politics. 1t WA, changed by common con-
sent. and most of the State elections
were declared upon the same day. If the
rule could have been made universal,
there is every reason to believe that il
would have been the best thing that
could be done.
Ii is an admitted fact that the elections
Of New York and Pennsylvania have been
carried by fraud. No honest and Mtelli-
gent observer of public affairs will doubt
this assertion. The chief organ Of the
Democratic party in New York admits its
truth, and protests against its results, but
calls on the people to correct the evil.
But as the people did not correct the evil,
and as it threatened to demoralize the
entire public virtue in time, Congress en-
acted law to protect the election of its
own members from this great fraud.
New York took exceptions. and de
ciared that it was an attempt to
overrule the popular will. At the only
election ever held under the bill. the
entire assumption and design of the
statute were indicated, and its honesty
was approved. by three facts. The
assumption of dishonesty was proved by
a reduction of the Democratic vote fully
twenty thousand in the city of New York.
where it was admitted that fraudulent
practices had largely prevailed. The
design of the law was sustained by this
reduction, for it had been proposed and
passed in order to reduce fraudulent ma
jorities. Its honesty was approved by the
fact that in New York the Democrats car
ried the day under its provisions, and in
Louisiana the opposition accepted it as
their only safeguard against illegal
voting.
With such a history of results before it.
the national Congress has added some
further improvements to the bill, and it is
to make the law effective in all
future elections.
What is the answer of the Democracy
1t deliberately proposes to change the
election days SO IL, to defeat the operations
of general law i'll favor of honesty. The
World declares, i'll so many words, that
the movement in the New York Legisla-
ture has no other design than to defeat
the law of Congress- With the Democ-
racy this is game without disguise
Plainly stated and boldly expressed, the
proposes to vitiate by legal
cunning the design of the national legis-
lators. And in order to accomplish this
result retreat from the wholesome ad-
vance of the present must be made to the
acknowledged evils of the past. 1t is no
longer a question whether the people
rule but We have descended to the abyss
where cunning can thwart the will of tho
people.
This is game that two can play at,
md it is one that ultimately endangers
he safety of the weakest party When
New York and the United States com
nence cheating each other, it will not be
long before they will come to blows. If
the Legislature can be induced to do this
thing, Congress can checkmate by altering
he days when presidential electors and
shall be chosen; and if
he Legislature still further moves in the
natter, Congress can pursue. SO that
wen this latest invention of the Democ-
'acy is not likely to prove blessing.