Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-03-22
new HAmrsnlnB.
MANUuEsrER. March Is, 1876.

" - u = So y r.
NEW HAMPSH1nB. s*3
MANCHESTER, March 15, 1876,
EDITORS COURIER The election,
Tuesday, takes its place among the
most exciting and important that has
ever taken place in New Hampshire.
The canvass has been waged with the
utmost energy and perseverance since
the conventions held by both parties
in January. Neither of them has
spared anything which it was thought
would help to assure them victory.
Both parties have expressed conf
dence as to the result, though the
Democrats have not been as boastful
in their predictions as they were last
year. The Republicans opened the
campaign with firm determination
to leave nothing undone which would
insure victory. They made a bold,
open and aggressive fight, taking
square issues with the Democrats
upon National as well as State ques-
lions. They remember the infamous
gerrymander of 1874 when changes
were made in the Senatorial and
Councillor districts, when the ward
lines were changed in this, and other
cities, in such manner as to be an
infamous outrage upon the people.
They united the State and municipal
elections by changing the time of
municipal election from November
to March. Gov. Weston was Mayor
of this city three months by signing a
bill which made him Mayor a time
for which he was never called by o
voice of the people. The ward Of
ficers of the several wards were re-
moved before their time had expired
and their places filled by appointees
of Weston and the Board of Alder
men. How well they did their duty,
the election last year shows. At 5P.
NJ, when the polls in six of the seven
wards closed the Republicans had Q
majority of more than two hundred,
and to overcome this majority, the
polls of ward five were kept open till
nearly midnight, during which time
imported repeaters voted on fictitious
and dead mems names, until the count
showed a majority of five in the city,
thereby securing Democratic Mayor,
State Senator and member Of Con-
gress. While this damnable work
was going on, some of the prominent
politicians publicly proclaimed on the
street .'that the polls in ward five
would be kept open till such time rs
they carried the CITY," The police
department was merely an engine to
help on the nefarious work of the re-
peater. The city Marshal, himself,
elected Republicans who challenged
repeaters that had voted several times,
under the pretence that they were in
citing riot. The question may be
asked: Why were such doings al
lowed, and why was not the law
brought to bear on the perpetrators
Of such outrages? The answer is
easy. The Democrats had full con-
trOl of the State government, and the
courts were poor places to apply for
redress. Neither did the Republicans
forget the outrageous and unconsti-
tutfonai ssurpation of the Senate in
1875, whereby two Senators were
counted out ON some flimsy technical
ity and the Democrats secured
majority in that body thereby
blocking the wheels of legislation.
Late in the canvass the Belknap dis
grace at Washington caused the
Republicans deep but temporary
anxiety, but all apprehensions from
that source speedily vanished when
intelligence came from every impor-
tant section that no individual COR
ruptiOn would cause the voters to fail
moment i'm their allegiance to the
Republican party they had helped to
nearly twenty-five victories in the
old Granite State. The morning of
the battle of the ballots opened clear
and bright, and everything showed
the utmost activity in both parties.
In the opening hours of the ballot in
Manchester was shown an unprece-
dentedly heavy vote for Governor
Cheney and the clean State ticket Of
the party. The grand work here was
supplemented by cheering intelli-
gence from other places. AS early as
3 o'clock p. NJ. evidence of Republican
victory was fast coming in. The
liyeliest interest was taken in the re-
suit i'm the two Senatorial Districts
where the usurpers did their work
last year. The election was expected
to be close, but when the result was
announced that the Republicans had
carried both Districts by handsome
maiorities il created the widest en-
thusiasm, and demonstrated that the
3,457 citizens who were DISTINGUISHED
by a Democratic conspiracy had been
Joined by many other voters who be-
lieved i'm Justice and right, and that
together they had gone to the polls
and rebnked a usurping Democracy
and had taught them how dangerous
it is for a party to violate the Consti-
tuition and trample upon the rights OF
a sovereign people.
Through the day the Democrats en-
deavored to keep up their courage,
and it was not until morning that
they were willing to admit that the
Republicans were gaining in the gen.
eral result. They gathered at their
headquarters and did their best to
appear cheerful, and it is related as a
fact that they did several times as
sumo confidence enough to indulge
in a few faint cheers. Howcver,they
looked more solemn after the cheers
than they did before. Towards mid
night they began to weaken, and sew.
eral prominent men among them
frankly admitted that they believed
the Republicans had made a clear
sweep of the State.
4 In Manchester the fight was made
against fearful odds, but thanks t.
the valor and determination of those
who believe in purity OF the ballot
and obstacles i'm the way of repeaters
viz. detectives, who came from
the same places as did the reporters
have elected their Mayor by more
than six hundred majority, car
, ried four of the seven wards, and, il
r fact, gained full control of the city
Returns from all but five small
towns give as result, Gov. Cheney
elected by $500 majority ;twenty-tiv'
or more majority inthe House; MIN
! of the twelve Senators, thus securing
e Republican Senator to Congress
e and four of the five Councillors. Now
. Mr.. Editor, haven't we done on
share as starter i'm celebrating tn
Centennial year? s. j. kIDDER.
e Spear is closing out his full stocl
G of stoves at cost. feb s w8y