The sun., 1873-11-08

Tie CIetR whose maohiuations threaten
the liberties of our country is low
huowcl, Vulgar wrct. II. Au artist vino
should .cturr him truly would represent
hucA-muzzlcd sooundrcl. seated in some
secluded den of dcbauchcry in an atmus-
phcre murhy with the fumes of vile whis-
hoy aud clouds of rank tobacco smoke,
surrounded with coupcuial associates.
bearing every one Of thcm on his couu-
tcuancc iio true pcuiirufarv stamp. Aot
the impress of the brutal. daring ruf-
hln, hlt Tie morc d,,cstuIl" mari, ol "a
coWarly -ucak thief. The real C'->H
whom tine people of America have to over
throw b .Ac BAllot-l}oN ~tU0or.
1ic i.uglaL4n upon which vests The
whole fabric of our republican institute
uuu- IS llc ballot box. \ republic Is that
foam ot luNciunl,ut boo which me supreme
power is vested in the people. or IN repre-
s"utatiyos elected hy the poopl,; aud in
the United States the medium through
which thr Will of the people is expressed
is the vote by ballot. 80 long a> the purity
of tho ballot boN is preserved. go lon.; viii
the principle Of ropubicmni-m bc maiu-
tanned; lor, whether the people vote
N y
th, popular voice, and if tine representa-
tlto, to whom thoy doirgatr their power
"a % their dolceated authority fool.hly or
corrUpty, the power conferred ON such
unworthy representative. may m due
time be Withdrawn without revolution or
disturbance In short 81 long n elect lons
are conducted honestly, the people of
America exercise their constitutional right
of scli--oy ycrument; while the moment
that fraud is permitted in the casting or
counting of votes, Americans cease to bee
their own rulers ana become the subjects
of the most degraded class of criminals.
These propositions are so srlf-cVidcnt
that there is no necessity for argument TO
enforce them. Every man ana woman in
the country of ordinary intelligence knows
that the preservation of our liberties de-
ponds Upou maintaining the purity of the
ballot box; and il seems TO MS equally evil
dent that Whosoevcr abcts or encourages
election frauds, whether in casting or
counting votes, or in making false returns
of any description, commits the most un-
pardOnnble crime against liberty that can
hc imagined. Those who would dcbauch
the integrity of elections are as evidently
traitors TO their country as those who
should rise i'm armed rebellion, with the
difference that, lacking the courage to
fight for their troasonablc designs, they
employ the cowardly methods character
istic Of the lowest order of habiua
criminals.
No one who has attentvcly observed the
events Of the last four years can deny that
IL
creased to nn extent sufficient TO give cause
Tor the most serious alarm. No doubt
President GRANT owes his reelection
last year TO frauds committed in
North Carolina and Pennsylvania prey ious
to the November election, whereby the
impression was produced throughout the
country that the impending contest against
the oXNing Administration would be
futile, fadiug TO apathy and disorganza-
ton on the part of the Opposition In
Philadelphia popular elections have
become a moCkery, for in that city the
Ring managers are always prepared to
fnbrcate "A majority sufficient to neutral
ize the honest expression Of opinion
throughout the whole State Of pcnnsyl-
vania. Congressional Investigations have
disclosed the most stupendous election
frauds in Arkansas aud Texas and in both
these States when tho authorities have
undertaken TO bring some Of the rlscals
| implicated in these transactions to Justice,
| President GRANT has iutcrfcred with the
| action of the courts to protect them from
| the con- cquouccs Of their crimes. III
! P'EnsSlvm'ia too, enc solitary ballot-boS