Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-01-05
The Mississippi Fraud.


MKssRs. RAYARD, THURMAN, GoRpox
and others of the Senate arc again on the
tip-toe Of apprehension and dismay.
Again tl@v see an attempt to tear down
the tabr,, of freedom and consolidate all
power ia the Executive. SO they warn
their co'intrymen, rs they have warned
them again and again during the last
twelve years, that liberty is to be stiticd
and justice outraged. All this exhibition
OF terror grows out OF q proposition to in
vestigate the manner of the late election
in Mississippi, and see whether that cleo
ton was fraudulent or otherwise. There
would hardly appear to be cause for such
feeling and such gloomy predictions in
this TACT, but these gentlemen are easily
disturbed whenever 1t is proposed 10 look
into Democratic misdeetls, and they never
fail to see IN proposition ot-this charac-
ter another attempt to destroy our republi-
can institutions. But there is reason IN
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 Mr. Bayard's
State tDelawarc) especially declared the
moment such an attempt should be made
the nation would he broken into fragments.
~ WIS sV VIII CIxtuUHClI)Wtlou IIOCl1W0~
ton; SO with the constitutional amend
mems; SO with the Reconstruction laws;
indeed, We have seen the country de-
stroyed in prospective 80 often in tho
opinions Of these patriots that the proph-
ecy Is growing extremely monotonous.
There is no danger to the country in doing
right. 1t is right TO rebuke fraud upon
the ballot-box; and II 1t has been prac-
ticed In Mississippi the country IS in far
more danger from ignoring and winking
al than from investigating and furnishing
1t. Mr. Morton, In submitting his rcsO-
buttons providing for such investigation,
produced some curious facts. lie said:
In 1859, at the election on the adoption Of
the Constitution, the total vote was ia, 3S3;
in ls12, at the Presidential election, LIZ, 1853;
In 1873 .he last Congressional election, Ill.,
94S and at the recent election, 1873, 565--an
increase Of more than 81, 900 over the highest
vote ever given before. Tho Republican ma
jority in the State In 1859 WIS 81 ,0S0; In 1879,
49,; In 1873, 22,9i8, and ut the recent
election the Democratic majority was 30, l47-
The total Democratic vote In 1850 was 49,
U91; in 1872 it was ~ ,22sS; in 1878 1t WAS A.
2s6, and in 1915 1t was 1908.
lie read from Democratic newspapers,
showing the intimidation that existed In
Mississippi, and showed some of the re-
marka6le changes that had taken place in
the vote Of certain precincts. In IazOO,
for instance, the Republican vote in 1879
was 2,437, the Democratic vote All. Al
the last election the Democratic vote was
4,044, the Republican vote n Other
places exhibited similar gains and losses.
Now does anybody believe that these are
the returns of II fair volcy Does not every
sensible man know that such a result could
only be had by intimidation or gross traudy
And is 1t proposed to wink AT such scan
dalous performances, and make no sign
of rcbuke or condemnation But, ~ II
such absurd returns were not sufficient to
show the glazing nature of the fraud, II IL
shown that ", 900 more votes were cast
than there were registered voters In tho
State. Yet Messrs. Bayarl, Thurman.
ct al. object to looking into the matter, ~
the act would be another step toward
" centralizationi' This is decidedly cool.
Pray, who will be hurt by obtaining and
publishing the facts in this cascy viii
anyone save the rogues who have perpe-
tratcd the iniquityy Ought they not to
suffer II they have thus prostituted tho
ballot box to their own base purposes.
II Is possible these Democratic leaders
may make capital out Of an opposition to
the proposed vesiigaton, but to UNI
prejudiced eyes 1t looks like an attempt tn
cover up the tracks OF accomplices; hid
ing Of stolen goods, by which the parties
so hiding them become accessories to the
theft.--Intey.O Ocean.