The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-11-16
The Situation,

No such election as that which took
place on Tuesday oflsst week has.
ever before occurred i'm this country
since the organization OF the Govern.
ment. Whep our paper wentto press
last week the reports left no room for
doubt in the mind of any one that the
Demo Gratis had gained the victory and
that Samuel j. Tilden was triumph
antly elected President of the United
States. He had carried the closely
contested States of New York, New
Jersey, Connecticut and Indiana, bv
which, with the "united South" that
was conceded to him, his election
seemed positively assured and was
conceded by the Republicans, by q
majority from 81 to 81 of the electoral
votes. But before night it was ascer-
tanned that the reports from the vari-
GUS States showed that he had only
certainly secured 1S4 electoral votes,
and that no reports had been received
from Louisiana, Florida, South Caro-
lima, Wisconsin, and the PacificStates,
or At least, not sufficient to determine
how they had voted, and the Repub-
Iicans Immediately set up the claim
that they had carried all the States not
actually conceded to Tilden, and that
Hayes was elected by one majority,
receiving lS5 electoral votes. o
Later reports rendered it pretty cer-
tain that Wisconsin had gone for
Hayes, leaving Louisiana, Florida and
South Carolina in doubt or dispute,
both parties claiming them. The air
has been filed with conflicting re-
ports in regard to the result in those
States up to this time. With the vote
of either of these States Mr.. Tilden is
elected, while Mr.. Hayes will have to
carry all three to win. "'''i eel 2.
The Democrats claim Louisiana by
from 5000 to S,OOO,; Florida by from
l, 400 to l,7GO and South Carolina by
from 1000 TO 400. The dispatches
seem to furnish the evidence to war
rant the conclusion that the Democrat
ic claim is well founded, and that the
only way in which Mr.. Tilden can be
defeated is through the fraudulent
mauipuiations Of the returns by the
Radical Returning Boards to count
him out and count i'm his opponent
The machinery for this devilish work
is in the hands of such men as Kel-
logg and Chamberlain, who have
8 own that they are sufficiently un-
scrupuious to use any means to &C
complish, their fell purposes. They
will have the and of Grant, who, un-
asked, has sent the army toFIorida and
Louisiana to aid in the rascally work.
The situation is one of great peril
and is viewed with feelings Of alarm
by people of all parties. A number
of the prominent men Of both parties,
npon the invitation of the chairman of
National Committee and
of President Grant, have gone South
for the purpose of ascertaining the
true state of affairs, and 1t is hoped
that wise counsels will prevail, that
the will of the people will be respect
ed and conflict, which could not fail
TO be disastrous to the country If not
TO the perpetuity of our free iDstitu-
tons, will be avoided.
A few days more will be required
TO ascertain definitely the result. AT
his writing the reports seem to us to |
warrant no doubt that Samuel j. Til
len has been lawfully elected Presi-
lent of the United States, and it only
remains to be seen whether the voice
If the people will be disregarded and
'tifled and he unla wfully deprived of
his office by trickery and fraud