Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-11-21
By MAIL.
TIE ELECTION AND THE VOTE.


From tie Little Rock Gazette.l
An earnest effort is being made by the
desperate adventures who have ruled
this State to the verge Of ruin Of every
interest during the last seven years, 20
produce the impression abroad, and es-
pecially upon the minds Of members Of
congress, that the large Democratic ma
jurity at the recent general election, was
the product of fraRas perpetrated BY
Stste-supervisors and other election OIL
GERS. At home no importance whatever
Is attached to the figuring OF these rnath-
ematical ehalkists. lt is as easy TO brush
away their characters as it Is To wipe out
their demonstrations from the political
black board. On the other hand the
ee ltiemen who constitute the State board
OF supervisors are men of the first stand
ing at home, morally, socially and profess
-ionaliy. against whom the afftiavits OF a
legion OF such fellows as accuse them of
peTpetrating election rauds would avail
AS little IS the croakinss Of flock Of
br8nE II their whole lives did not af
ford a refutati0n of tn SANDER, show
ing OF the manner Of kOeedure Will and
The first step they %9k preparatory 20
holding the elections was to appoint a
the State, where a Gecent Republican
could be found, TO supervise and hold the
In addition, the United States
courts, in advance OF the elections, did
appoint ia many counties, and were open
for such appointments 10 all, supervisors
10 attend and ferret out and prevent such
frauds as might be attempted or prae-
ticed, in the elections. II there Was any
failure in such supervision it WIS the
failure Of Republicans themsels es.
While it would be impossible to pre-
vent all fraud in elections, no decent
man in Arkansas viii, and no other
can Iuthfully, Sssert that the
late elections in Arkansas were
not conducted with more than
usual fairness and regularity; or that
their results do not proclaim the septi- |
msBts " an overwhelming majority Of |
the people. The single plausible ground |
OF lmputatiOn against the conduct of
the election, consists in the magnitude |
Of the votes east. We admit the well |
known fact that In ordinary times, even
iD the most excited political contests, q
large percentage Of voters do not vote. !
There sre always enough sick, absent, \
employed, timid and Indifferent voters
70 account for this fact. But the circum- |
stances at surrounded the late cleo |
tons IN Arkansas were exceptional in |
their character. At these elections the |
eerpetuity OF the very liberties Of the |
people was involved. A people who had |
been DISTINGUISHED for seven years to |
their great Injury, almost ruin, were /
aroused By appeals to their patriotism |
and every feeling that could excite them !
to &C jOu. Every man entitled to vote
bad come to believe il was duty he |
owed 20 his Sod, fsmily and country 10 |
vote, aud, Of course, the total
vote at the close Of the cleo
ton represented the magnitude
and universally OF the ruling temper !
OF the people, and made the election q I
very ground swell Of popular sentiment, /
unprecedented IN toe history Of the /
STATE. This Tremendous impulse Of the |
peopie alone had prodigieas influence |
Bur it is not necessary TO assign to it'll
AL the agency Ia producing the uRpre- I
Large vote OF l03, 00O-Or from I
ten 70 fifteen per cent. greater than ever /
cast before. It Is only necessary to /
refer 10 the census tables to show that 10 4
every decade from 1870 to 1850 there |
was al average increase in the popuia- |
ton of Arkansas of about one hundred I
per cent. From 1850 b 1870, the total |
Increase ot population was reported at /
only ten per cent, while most people |
qualified 70 judge believe 1t should |
have been nfteen or twenty per cent. /.
But however that may Os, Il is not un-
roesoRable to suppose thst between |
iss0 aud lsi4, nov near its slose, there |
has nSsa an inoresse aeovs 1870 Of !