National Republican., 1876-08-23
THE ELECTION IN ALABAMA.

received number of letters from that
State, detailing the outrageous conduct of
the Bourbon Democrats IN their efforts to
deprive Republicans, and especially colored
men, of the right to vote. The more we
hear of this farce called an election, the
more apparent it becomes that the strong
arm of the Federal Government must be
interposed, and all the power which can be
legally used must be exerted in behalf Of
order to secure to them the right to cast
their votes for Hayes and Wheeler in No
vember.
twill not do to cry out, ''Bloody Shirt!'
while poor, lnoffensive colored men are
hunted down and murdered, and their
families thrown upon the cold charities Of
the blood stained rebels, who fought to
destroy this Government, and who, now
that the war is over, are secretly by their
white Leagues" plotting its overthrow.
A mistaken policy has permitted these
traitors not only to live, but has restored
them to all their political rights. In return,
these champions of the 'Lost Cause" have
not only assumed control of politics in the
South, but openly defy the Government
and denounce it in language most violent
and revolutionary.
The election in Alabama is claimed by
the Bourbons to have been peaceful and
quiet, and Democrats of the North en-
deavor to make their people believe that
every voter cast his ballot with the same
freedom as a citizen of Ohio or Vermont.
The scores of letters-some of them from
Independents-give the lie to this asser-
ton. If no frauds or wrongs were prac-
ticed why did the Democratic Senators,
when Senator Spencer, of Alabama, offered
resolution to appoint committee to inves-
tigate the late election, almost to a man
object and declare that the resolution
could not pass" Knowing that the
session was at its close, it is plain
to be seen that they knew that cleo
ton was not fair and that the large
majority claimed by Democrats was o5-
tanned by frauds and wrongs perpetrated
by the rebels of that State. They did not
dare to let the facts come out. They knew
it would disclose system of frauds and
wrongs which would shock the sense of
all good men of the North. They knew
it would influence thousands of votes in
the North. They knew it would make
Goubly certain the election of Hayes and
Wheeler in November. They knew 1t
would unity and cement the loyal people
of the North at the polls They knew the
''boys who wore the blue during the four
long years of war brought on by the
slaveocracy of the South, which drenched
the land in blood and filled our homes
with widows and orphans and our high
ways with MANNED heroes, would
be aroused to a full sense of the
great danger of a return of these
red d-handed traitors to power. They knew
the people Of the North would see in their
damnable conduct the fact staring them in
the face that the millions of treasure spent,
the half million of lives lost in subjugating
these traitors, had been in vain, and that
return of these rebels to power would
eventuate in the Bourbon party embroiling
our Government into war with foreign
Power, and while the loyal men of the
country would rush to arms the Ku. Klux
Of the South would realize their dream of
Southern Confederacy, and separate from
the Union, and with Bourbon Admins
tration they would be allowed to Ego in
peace"
In order to show that fraud and wrong
existed it is only necessary to state that in
Barbour county. where there is a clean
majority of 1000 Republicans, the Bour-
bons claim over 5000 majority. Bdllock
county has Republican majority of
over 1000, and yet the Bourbons carry
it by over 1000. Sumter county has
over 1000 Republican majority, and
the Bourbons carry it by 1000. Hale
county has Republican majority of
$500, but the Bourbons carry it by
500 majority. In 1874 Pickens county
polled over 1000 Republican votes, yet at
this election only 20 Republican votes are
counted. In 1874 Greene county cast over
1900 Republican votes: at this election
only 1000 Republican votes were counted.
In Russell county, in 1874, the Republican
vote was over $500 at this election only
800 Republican votes were counted.
These are but few of the counties which
we have heard from, but our letters inform
US that in every county in the "black belt"
there has been proportionate falling off
in the Republican vote. In the face of this,
will any one dare claim that the election
was fair! Will the Democrats of the
North support such wrongs? Will they
see party penetrating such wrongs, and
not cry out against it? Will those noble
Democrats who fought at Gettysburg, and
who marched with Sherman to the sea, not
rise up as one man and vote as they fought,
and again by ballots now, as they did with
their bullets then, crush out this second
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