Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-12-31
The Mississippi Fraud,

MEssRs BAYARD, THURMAN, GoRDoN
and others Of the Senate arc again on tho
tip.tOo Of apprehension and dismay.
Again they see an attempt 10 tear down
the fabric Of freedom and consolidate all
power In the Executive. so they warn
their cOunirymcn, rs they have warned
them again and again during the last
twelve yoars, that liberty Is to he stifled
and justice outraged All this exhibition
of terror grows out Of n proposition to In
vrstigatc the manner Of the late election
IN Mississippi, and see whether that cleo
ton was fraudulent or otherwise. There
would hardly appear ~ be cause for such
feeling and such gloomy predictions In
This fact, hut these gentlemen are easily
disturbed whenever II is proposed 10 look
Into Democratic misdccds, and they never
fail 10 see IN "A proposition Of this Charac-
ter another attempt to destroy our republi.
can institutions. But there is reason to
believe that they are deceived. We re-
member they told us the same thing when
preparations were made to force the rebel
States back into the Union. MIR Bayard's
State tDchwarc) especially declared the
moment such an attempt should he made
the nation would DG broken into Ofragments.
II WAS So with the Emancipation Proclama-
tinu, So with the constitutional amend
nents, sU with the Reconstruction laws (;
indeed, we have seen the country de.
sirnycd In prospective 50 often in the
opiuiOns Ol these patriots TINT the prOph-
ecy is growing extremely mOhUtonous.
There " me- danger to the country in doing
right. II is right tO rcbuke fraud upon
the ballot lox; ami If it has been prac-
ticcd in Mississippi the country Is In far
more dangW from Ignoring and winking
nj than from investigating and Furnishing
1t. Mr. Morton. III submitting his rcso-
lutions providing Tor such investigation,
prudnCcd some curious facts. lie said
1n 1859, at the election on the adoption Of
the Constitution, the total vote was ll4,2S3;
IN 1877, at the Presidential election, l2y ,463;
In 1873, the last Congressional election, 1l7,-
ylS, aud at the recent election, lB3, ,565-an
increase OF more than ~ ,0Or over the highest
vote ever given before. The Republican ma
jority in the State In 1863 was IS ,0S9; In 1872,
"a, ,SS7, IN 1873, 22,g16, and at the recent
election the Democratic ajority was 80, l47.
The total Democratic vote in 1860 was 49,.
Ul1; in 1872 II was a. ,,lSS; in 1873 II was A.
2S6, aud IN 1873 II was vB,YO6.
lie read from Democratic newspapers,
showing the intimidation that existed in
Mississippi, and showed some of the re-
markable changes that had taken place in
lllG NOlt VI NCIlhiD IlINGlHCNo. III uEOOY
for instance, the Republican vote in 1879
was 2,437, the Democratic vote All. AT
the last election the Democratic vote was
4,044, the Republican vote II Other
places exhibited similar gains and losses.
Now does anybody believe that these arc
the returns of fair voter Does not every
sensible man know that such result could
only be had by intimidation or gross fraud?
And is il proposed to wink at such scan
dalOus performances, and make no sign
of rebuke or condemnation But, as if
such absurd returns were not sufficient To
show the glaring nature of the fraud, il iS
shown that 10000 more votes were cast
than there were registered voters in the
Statel Yet Messrs. Bayard, Thurman,
ct al. object TO looking into the matter, as
the act would be another step toward
Capitalization This is decidedly cool
Pray, who will be hurt by obtaining and
publishing the facts in this case? Will
anyone save the rogues who have perpe
trated the iniquityg Ought they not TO
suffer II they have thus prostituted the
ballot box to their own base purposes
1t is possible these Democratic leaders
may make capital out of an opposition to
the proposed investigation, but to un-
prejudiccd eyes il looks like an attempt 10
cover up the tracks of accomplices a hid
ing of stolen goods. by which the parties
so hiding them become accessories TO the
theft - Inter. (lrs1n