The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-12-22
A REPUBLICAN PROTEST..

l4INNfl0aa-Hr IT,
Hayes Not 90 DE Counted Ia by such
J nOnstrous Fraud.
: TO ne Editor Of ne Chicago Tribune
Any result OF the pending Presidential
election which shall be reached without
harm 10 the processes under which our elec.
tons are held and our institutions main.
tanned will not only be acquiesced in by Tho
people, but welcomed by the larger portion
OF both political parties. Any result which
shall be reached by undermining those pro-
ceSseS will be fraught with peril 20 the cOun-
Try and will bring cOndign punishment up
on the party guilty OF 80 grave "A crime.
Among the processes by which our insti-
tutiOns are maintained, the most important
Is that Of frequent popular elections, and
the most important Of all il the Presidential
election. We are now brought for the first
time 20 a state Of facts which threatens TO
substitute, in place OF popular elections,
the views OF n Returning Board This /
call a threatened subversion OF the process
es by which our institutions are maintained
/ IN comparison with which the election Of
Hayes or Tilden is OF no consequence.
Whether Hayes or Tilden is elected 1.-The peo-
pie can, within four years, resume their
/ prerOgatiVe OF choosing another President
! provided the process of declaring their
/ choice has not been tempered with. They
\ can correct any errors that may have been
/ committed meanwhile by Hayes or Tilden,
I provided the system OF popular election re-
! mains. But II the process has been tamper-
I ed with, and the system itself undermined
then any thing may happen. The Ameri-
can Republic may become as unstable, and
property here rs insecure and social dis
order as undesirable, as in Mexico or Yene-
zuela.
We are told that the interference Of a Re-
turning Board in Louisiana l. necessary on
account OF the intimidation OF voters. II is
precisely this interference which / challenge
- a subversiOn OF the processes by which
our institutions are maintained. II j. pro-
posed 10 throw out the vote ~ A b because
& ID is supposed 10 have intimidated r r.!
10 is only necessary TO make thi, the rule
hereafter and TO secure it, general adoption,
IN order 20 dispense with elections entirely
and 10 substitute in their places the views OF
thirty seven Returning Boards. Intimida-
tion viii become the only element OF any
value in politics. Instead OF discussing the
civil service, the currency, the last war, or
the next one, me ofiice-seeking class will
contine themselves wholly 20 intimidation.
Intimidation will multply.like the grasshop-
pers, and in short time raysge the whole
land.
What is iniimidationy 1t is a word Of
very broad scope. IL embraces every
thing from the fear OF death TO the loss OF
social position. II opens the door TO every
species Of degradation that can be conceived
OF in politics, from individual cowardice to
combined perjury. And over all IL places
an arbitrary and irresponsible tribunal 10
weigh the cOwardice and 10 gauge the per-
jury. from whose judgments there is no
appeal, not even 10 the people themselves.
After \ y and other honest citizens have
cast their votes and gone about their BUSH /
ness, & ID and r r confederate together.
the one 10 intimidste and the other 10 be .
intimidstcd, with view 10 yitsting the I
election; that is. 10 disfranchise all the \
honest voters in the precinct. why notY /
That i thelogic Of the new system Of car
rying elections by intimidation.
assert that there u no way TO throw out, |
on the score OF intimidation, the votes OF .
legal voters duly pOiied, that does not adj /
init and invite this species OF rsscalty. l. /
there any mode OF electiOneering so mex /
pensiye and certain a. thisi l. there any /
mode so likely 10 become popular with the .
class who live by politics. l. there any
mode which 20 clearly and completely sub
Nerts the processes Of popular elections or
which 50 directly attacks the foundations OF
our Government! But, say some, it can
not possibly spread. II l. too absurd and
contemplate 10 find Judgment among the
superior beings 81 the North. Not To en-
cumber this article with didactic reasoning
a. the danger OF admitting 80 evil prece-
dent into our system, | observe that the
case now before Us has spread. to all intents
and purposes, over the entire land, since
upon its determination rests the whole
Presidential election, from the Atlantic 10
+. /
4 ne voters IN Illinois are a. much bound UP
In IL a. though the case were awaiting de-
ci-ion before Returning Board sitting in
Chicago instead Of one sitting in New Or
cans.
Again, | ask, what is intimidation, and
" ho i To Judge Of its weight In a contested
electOus IL i not difficult 10 determine
" neither fraud has been committed,
" neither person has voted who WAS not en-
Titled 10 Vste, whether a poll has been alter
ed after the votes have been counted, etc.
These are all questions 81 fact. But i'm
tinidation l. matter Of opinion, Of guess
WORK, or uncertainty. In il best estate.
the Interference Of "A Returning Board in
such cases taxes from the intimidated class
The very faculty they stood most in need OF
that % self-reliance aud Independence in
heir political actions. IL says To them:
Don { 20 To the polls IL YOU think you will
be bull -dozed. or II YOU aprrehend loss
~ employment or 81 caste. BE towards
and ignoramuses 90 the end ~ the chapter:
We VIII make ali right by throwing out the
votes 81 the courageous and Intelligent
This, / say, is the doctrine, in it, best estate.
when exercised with good intentions and
proper motives. IL l. = premium on
imidity .and lsziness-a stigma on dill
yence and self-respect. When exercised
With other intentions and with different mo- I !
ives, Il l. the convenient avenue for fraud,
perjury, revolution and social decay. II il a
At war with our whole system of govern .
nent, and our system can not survive II n q
Iuce gains Judgment there.
Now let Us take the worst case Of "bull-
loziDg' that any body can bring forward, :
hat OF West FehCiaua. II L. claimed that
he negroes we're an actual majority In the y
,arish. 10 Is admitted that the Republicans G
lad the state government and the local gov ,
rnment; that Republican supervisors OF y
lection were everywhere. aud that plenty y
y Onited States troops were here. or IN :
hey were not there "a vas the fsult Of those d
Who now claim that their voters were iutim- b
lated. Nevertheless, 90 is alleged that the