The Portland daily press., 1876-12-20
THE PRESS.
WEDNESDAY MORNING. DEC. 20. '7e
The Democratic CRY of Anarchy.

Nothing could give the loyal citizens better
hope and confidence in the strength of Re-
publican institutions than the attitude of the
great mass of the American people during the
trying scenes of the last month. Despite the
outcry of sensational journals and the clamor
of hot-headed partisans, the people have not
been thrown off their balance nor out of their
heads. Nearly a hundred years ago Aexan-
der Hamilton prophesied that contested pop
ular presidential election might bring great
tumult and riot; but the constitution makers
builded better than they knew or, rather,
they were building of better material than
they knew. During this unhappy contro-
versy so far the people have been right.
There have been no great indignation meet
ings in answer to the requests of Democratic
fre-eaters; there have been no mobs; and
the talk about treason has all come from
Democratic frenzy-makers.
In fact, every suggestion of resistance TO
constitutional methods has come from Demo-
cratic sources. The Republican party is
now, as it has always been, the party of law
e@AAN OiuN'' Ahoe PaAlJ heho always uOuO lOo
best to provide registry laws in the large
cities and to establish everywhere safeguards
of fair election. The Democratic party, on
the other hand, has always fought and fill
bustered against such laws and against any,
thing to prevent Democratic cheating,
bullying and ruffianism. The Repub-
licans in Congress have tried to estab-
lish some means to secure a fair
and full vote in the Southern states
while some of the chosen Southern leaders of
the Democratic party have boasted openly
and without shame that in past elections they
kept negroes from the polls by intimidation
and, wherever they could, bribed them to
vote with their former masters. But through
all the bad record of Democratic fraud and
violence, the Republicans have never raised
the cry of disunion or anarchy. And even
when it seemed that the peculiar practices of
the Democrats had prevailed in the last elec-
ton by false voting in large cities and by
bulldozing ignorant parishes there was no
war talk and no threat about unconstitution-
al metho Is.
But now the Democrats have been foiled in
some Of their attempts; they have not been
permitted to buy or steal an elector or two
as they hoped ;.they have not been allowed to
pocket the votes of whole counties as they
tried; and now they want great popular up
rising to "vindicate the purity of elections"-
save the mark! They have failed to secure
the only thing they ever sought-party sue
cess; and so they are trying to obscure the
situation by cloud of dust to cover their es-
cape from popular indignation, or, if possible
in the confusion, to wrest victory from the jaws
of defeat, Their virtuous indignation at what
they call the sharp practices, by which they
were kept from the possession OF some of the
Southern states is about as reasonable as it
would be for rowdies who should 60 in to
break up prayer meeting to complain be-
cause the sexton puts them out. The utter
ances of some of their leaders even here in
Portland about resisting the Inauguration of
Republican President and having "Iilden
or fght' have thus far evoked no popular
response, and have only reflected disgrace up
on men so unprincipled, or let us charitably
hope. so thoughtless.
One reason for the poise and calmness of
pretension to virtue and of their recent con-
version and new born zeal for purity of the
ballot. Another reason for feeling secure
from anarchy is found, curiously enough,
within the Democratic party itself; yes,
strange as it may seem, there is hope that
O0Od thing mt of tho old
ty of secession and rebellion; that party is
divided on the war question-while the
northern leader who never smelt powder
thinks it would be nice to go to war, the Ian
guage of the leading southern statesman,
Ben Hill of Georgia. is "There can be no
possible apology for breach of the peace
nor for any physical collision, much less for a
civil war;" He is further reported to
have told Mr.. Fernando Wood that "nothing
so tended to make man conservative as a
fifteen inch shell in state of combus tion."
There has not been a good season for the
southern fire-eater since 1866; he has had all
he wants of war. But the danger of anarchy
is ayerted, more than by any other one thing
by the firm administration of President
Grant, who by his promptness and effective
ness in meeting the exgencies of events has
won the confidence of everybody who wants
safe government to live under and desires
the perpetuity of Republican institutions.
Supported by the great mass of intelligent
Americans, he will preserve the peace, en-
force the forms of law and put down with
strong hand any attempt at rebellion or
armed violence.