Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-12-21

and it has placed the peac and pros
perity of the country in nril by put
ting it in the power ola ingle man
to decide who shall be oui President.
As long as it exists the tire voice of
the people can never be accurately as
certained. Grant, for example,, re-
ceived in 1868 SO per ent. of the
popular vote; in 1872, 55per cent. of
the popular vote, and 81 er cent. of
the electoral vote. Buchaan, on the
other hand, received only As; Taylor
only AT; Polk not quite half of the
popular vote; yet they we're all elected
to the Presidency by he Electoral
College system. The Whole history
of this college, for the hist 70 years,
demonstrates that it is nuisance that
ought to be abated, md that the
President of The American Nation
should be elected by the votes of all
the American People We must
come to the direct voe before we
have truly decentralization.
Senator Morton's pan is a great
improvement over the plesent system
but, after all, it is only , choice be-
tween two evils. His .cheme is to
elect the President by congressional
districts, giving each diarict one vote
and the State at large two votes
each district voting Independently.
This is not direct cote by the people,
and / trust it will be defeated. |
asked the Senator why, with his views
that we are ga nation, not league.
he did not prefer a direct vote? He
said he did prefer it, but be thought
the smaller States would resist, and
that his was the best practicable plan.
| have great respect for the Senator
from Indiana, but / have no respect
for compromises, and thirk Repub-
licans should insist on a national, not
congressional district vote. 1t is a
good issue to make with the Bourbon
leaders.
In these remarks | have used the
word democracy in its original sense
of rule of the people. | did not
mean, in other words, the counterfeit
tnat clrculateS In that name.
THE SUPREME COURT.
| praised Senator Edmunds last
week for his mastery movement to
investigate the election frauds of the
Southern Democracy. This week he
introduced a resolution as unwise as
his action last week was sagacious.
He proposed to have the Supreme
Court act as national returning
board. When men once leave the
plain path of democracy, it is sur
prlslng how soon they get into the
bramble. bushes and tear out both
their eyes. What is the Supreme
Court ? A body of citizens with de
cided political convictions citizens
appointed by Presidents and Senates,
who are also men of positive political
convictions: citizens not responsible
to any popular tribunal citizens Sc
cure of their exalted position during
life; and citizens, albeit, who have
often the desire to occupy the White
House Hands off! They have enough
to do in expounding the laws with
out asking them to interfere in the
election of President. Let us carry
out the first principles of popular gov
eminent, and have faith in the capacl-
ty of all the people to elect their
President, and there will be no need
at all of these inexpedient and dan
gerous devices. If we want to in
crease the popular respect for the SUI
preme Court there is only one way to
do it-by declaring that no man, once
a Judge on its bench, shall ever be eli
gible for any office in the gift of the
nation.
Oregon will not be allowed to de-
eide the Presidential election. The
wiser leaders of the Democracy are
already ashamed of Growers act.
Even to the least cultivated ear Gro
min does not rhyme with Reform. The
fight will be made on Florida, Lou;si-
ana and South Carolina, Florida
will soon be disposed of, the Demo-
Gratis introduced it. The Democratic
frauds there are too plain for dispute.
In South Carolina and Louisiana
an effort will be made to hide the
true Issue behind the dust of legal
qnibbles | shall 90 to South, Carolina
and write to you from Columbia next
week. Before leaving, let me tell
you what the Democrats will not tell
about Louisiana.
There have been nine great massa-
ores of Republicans for opinions sake
in Louisiana since the close of the
war; the chief of which were the mas
sacre of New Orleans, in 1866, in
which 200 persons were killed and
100 wounded, and many of the
wounded murdered on their way to
the hospital and when in it the Bos-
sier massacre, in which 800 were killed
and wounded the Cado massacre, in
which As were killed and wounded :
the Jefferson massacre, in which 68
were killed and wounded the New
Orleans massacres Of 1868. in which
SO were killed and wounded the st
Landry massacre, in which 200 were
killed and wounded; the Colfax mas
sacre, in which SO were murdered,
most of them in cold blood, after they
were disarmed and prisoners. "Over
1000 PERSONS" says Vice President
Wheeler, in his famous report "were
killed, wounded or otherwise injured.
previous to the Presidential election"
in which Grant defeated Seymour.
Up to February 3, 1878, after care
ful investigation. Gen Sheridan re
ported that 2l4l persons had been
killed and 2ll5 wounded in Louisiana
''for political opinions" These were
all cases authenticated by affidavits.
In all, probably. twice the number
had persisted. of whose death no Of
fetal evidence is to be found.
Bear this red record in mind when
the Democratic leaders assert that
there has been no intimidation" and
when they try to conceal these CHASTITY
crimes by denuneiations of the return
inc hoard