The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-11-16

President Gvant on the Situation,

Ne man verify ol the Office OF PreSl-
dent should be willing to hold it If count
ed in" or placed there by fraud. Either
can afford to be disappointed in the
result. The country cannot afford to
have the result tainted by Il suspicion of
illegal OF false returns. I S. GRANT.
No grandcr political sentiment was
ever uttered than the one embodied in
these few words, addressed to the Gen
cral Of the army by the President of the
United States. They will live in history,
and be a proudcr and more enduring
monument to the honor of the name of
Grant than any marble shaft or pane
gyric. As they go upon the wings of the
lightning to the civilized world, they pro-
claim in most unmistakable language the
high moral tone of American politics. AS
compared with an ideal republic, ours is
low and corrupt, perhaps; but com
pared with any other Government and
country, ancient or modern, the United
States is model of justice. Nowhere
else in history or the records of current
events can be found any such Difference
to the rights of the people and tie dc
mands of equity as President Grant ex-
presses. He only gives voice to the pre-
vailing sentiment of the country Great
rs would be the calamity of Tilden in the
Presidential chair, we should deeply re-
greet to see him debarrcd from il if he was
actually and fairly elected The doctrine
ofdoing evil that good may conc is per-
nicious, especiallylin politics.
The position taken by the President is
the only one that can be taken with safety
to the country We are not afraid of war
or any other immediate disaster of ma
tional sort. in any event; but Il precedent
is being established. 1t is very difficult
thing to conduct Presidential election
in such way as to maintain unimpared
the political privileges of the people.
Every four years the machinery of self
government is put to most severe strain.
Once begin to break the cOgs or cut the
bands, and there is no telling where it
will all end. We must guard assiduously
every approach to political anarchy, and
strenet then all the barriers against it.
Two things are necessary TO an honest
election: first, an honest vote; second, an
honest count. One is as indispensable
rs the other The absancc of either is
fatal. The Democrats who profess 50
much solitude about the count would do
we'll to remember that in accordance
with the principle just laid down by Gen
eral Grant, inquiry. will have to be made
into the the kind Of election held in the
contested States. The rifle clubs will
come in for share of attention and no
precinct at which the shot gun policy was
carried out should be counted, and, that
is not all, no such will be counted. We
arc entirely safe in saying that the re-
turns made will not be tempered with
nor will it be taken for granted that they
shoqld al be alIowed to stand In other
out of fraudulent votes, so far as evidence
of fraud can be obtained.
A great many Northern men of high
rank in both parties are now en- route for
new Orleans and Tallahassee. Each man
ardcntly hopes that his side has won; at
the same time they are all, so far as their
names have appeared, men of honor and
patriotism. They are accustomed to fair
elections. We believe that they will be
in the main harmonious We know that
the Republicans will discountcnance fraud
in counting, and we cannot believe that
such Democrats rs John NJ. Palmer and
W. F. Coobaugh will want to count The
returns of the parishes and wards in
which the policy of intimidation was car
ried out. Perhaps we do them too much
credit, but we shall be greatly surprised
if they do not unite with Mr.. Chandler.
General Garfield and Republicans gener
ally in demanding that the rules in re-
gard to counting II contested ballotboX
be applied in the South which obtain at
the elections in Illinois, Michigan, and
the North generally. The present is a
most excellent opportunity to give the
South practical lesson in the conduct of
elections, both at the polls and in can
wasting the returns.-Chtc"go JonrhN.