Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1876-12-16
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1e, 1876.


PREACHING VS.. PRACTICE.
The Democratic party in the late can
vass secured all the temporary success
which they seemed to gain, upon the one
plea, that of reform. They cried out for
reform in all things political. We said
at the outset of the canvass that the de-
mand for reform INDUCED in by the
Democratic press, and Democratic speak
ers, was only bait for the ignorant and
unwary. The history of the Democratic
party shows that it has never inaugural
ed any great reform and by what more
righteous manner can we judge of the
future of any party than by its past ca
reer. On the other hand, the history of
the Democratic party shows that nearly
all corruption, and precedents by which
corrupt men get into public position,
were commenced under Democratic re-
gime. Then, what could we expect in
the way of reform, in Democratic success |?
Clearly nothing. The Democratic party
bad have control of the lower house of
Congress during the past year, and what
great measure of reform did they inaugu-
rate? None. True, they claimed to have
made reduction in public expenditures,
but it was all done for political purposes
and measured by prospect of party sue
cess, and thereby it was so made that it
was of no public benefit. As we said in
the outset, the Democratic canvass was
made under the banner of reform, and
with that great principle as their battle
cry. We would naturally have reason to
expect that the principles of reform
would have been carried out in the cleo
ton, and since, and it would have been.
had there professions been sincere.
The result of their cry for reform was
that the most stupendous election frauds
ever known in any country, were perpe-
trated by and in behalf of the Democrat
ic party. In the Southern states hum
dreds of men have been killed and thous-
ands have been maltreated that the prin-
ciples of reform preached by the Demo-
cratic party might prevail. In single
states of the South, fifty thousand To sew
enty-five thousand Republican voters
have been kept away from the polls, not
allowed to vote. and now the Democratic
party claim that the majority of the pop
,llar vote of the country is for that party.
Such reform would ruin any country.
Since the election the cry Of reform is
dropped, and i'll its stead they are calling
for fair. count and free expression of
the will OF the people. This is even
worse than the other, for at the very
time that the Democratic party was
preaching morality the loudest, they
were working the hardest to defeat the
will of the people as expressed at The
polls. A mans protestations amount to
nothing when his acts DO not correspond
with them. They demand an honest
count. This is well. so does every honest
man. In one county in South Carolina
there were over TWO thousan more votes
cast, than there are voters in the county.
There is no need of stronger proofs of
fraud, still the Democratic party insist
on the votes OF this county being counted.
because it gives Democratic majority,
There is no man who would say that if
any county in Michigan cast two thous-
and more votes than it had voters i'm it,
that the vote of that county should be
counted. While claiming to the public,
i'm their public prints, that they desired
an honest count, they haye constantly
done every thing in their power to pre-
vent an honest Count, or a fair result of
the election being declared. All during
the canyass the Democrats attempted to
secure the sutfrages of the people in the
North by false pretenses, and in the
South by intimidation and fraud. and
since the election, the entire aim of the
party has been to thwart the nations
will by any means, fair or foul, which
would elect Mr.. Tilden President.