New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-11-03
PEACE IND REFORM.

At the North, Reform by fraud; at the
South, Peace by the shotgun. That is the
Democratic plan of battle i'll few words And
tbe end Secession made easy for a SOLID
South, by the election of President who be-
lieyes that the Constitution "lcayes rebellion
" organized" whenever :" the public opinion Of
ga State plcases to snap the tie of coniedera-
" tom and that it is strictly unconstitutional
to coerce such State and strictly constitu-
tional for it to "repcl Invasion" The South
needs Peace, but not such a peace as comes
where rifles do the voting and ireemcn hide
in swamps. The North needs Reform but not
such reform as pcrured registration and hired
repeaters may bring. Yet these are the Dem
ocratic methods. Without them, not Demo-
cratic leader would dream of victory to-
night. As tree is known by its fruit so
the fruit may be surely predicted when the
tree is known. Pictured voting can bling us
only such "reform" as thieves welcome, and
murder can bring only such order as reigned
in Warsaw.
A decent and loyal citizen who means to
vote for Mr.. Tilden must not vince II men
hold him to strict accountability for his assO-
ciates. 1t is his duty to read both sides
Fraudulent registration by Mr.. Tilden'S friends,
amounting to thousands of votes IN this city
and thousands more in Brooklyn, has not only
been detected and proved, but is scarcely
denied by Democratic journals, which have
not dared to publish the facts lest their par
tisans should be deferred from illegal voting
Those who suppress the truth for that reason
should remember that the receiver Is as bad
as the thief. Decent citizens, who continue to
countenance by their support party which
seeks to win by perjury and fraud are morally
more criminal than the ignorant creatures who
commit the crime for pay. They can stop
fraudulent voting by refusing to support the
party which resorts to it, and If they do not
they cannot complain if others hold them
henceforward lost to honor. They have a
right to vote for whom they please, but they
have no right to countenance the swindling of
other citizens who choose to vote differently.
Mr.. Tilden's friends boast that he gives per
" sonal supervision to every detail OF the con-
test" He and his respectable supporters
must face the responsibility for crimes which
il is their business to know, and which they
have the power but refuse to prevent Doubt
less without their knowledge, thousands of
fraudulent votes were pOled in Indiana and
in Cincinnati Doubtless without their knowl-
edge, extensive frauds were prepared in Phila-
delphia. But they cannot help knowing the
truth about New-York. If crime is committed
here, the slow, unmovng finger of scorn will
point not at the miserable tools, but at the
respectable leaders and defenders.
Some honest men still dispute the existence
of terrorism at the South. But intelligent
Democrats know that where whole counties
each containing thousands of Republican vot-
ers, cast not one Republican vote, that change
is not the result of argument or persuasion.
Men who can dispute about such a case have
lost all regard for truth. Such is the case in
Georgia and Alabama, as returns prove. The
same methods were applied in Mississippi. and