The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-11-15
D. A WARNING TO THE THIEVES.
Very Plain Talk From the New York
Tribune and Herald,

Very Plain Talk From tho New York
Tribune and Herald.
NEW YORK, Friday, November 10
The T!ribunc and the Herald, Of this
morning, both have strong leading ed
itorials on the result of the Presiden-
tial election:
WHAT TIE NEW YORK TRIBUNE
SAYS.
Give us the honest vote. Let it be
borne in mind in the intense moment
of the waiting for the final result OF
the Presidential election, that there is
one thing of vastly more Importance
to the people Of this country tllan
the choice Of either of the two
candidates or the success Of either,
and that is, that whoever is declared
elected shall be honestly elected.
Neither Governor Tilden nor Cover
nor Hayes a afford to be declared
elected or to take the office of Presi-
dent Of the United States unless he
has been fairly and legally chosen by
honest ballots and all honest count.
More than this no private citizen IAN
afford to have, at such q time as this,
any tampering with ballots or returns.
Unhappily there is nothing in the
record of either of the two great par
ties, as ut present constituted, which
forbids the suspicion that corrupt
linen may be found in either, who in
such All emergency as this, or even
without the stress of so great a temp
tation, wonld not shrink from the
penetration of such a crime. DO we
need to say that in this state of things
it is the duty Of honest citizens of both
parties to lay aside all craftsmanship
and demand that the popular verdict
as legally rendered be honestly record
ed? Nothing can compensate for
fraud nothing relieve the faint upon
the national honor OF justify tile
wrong upon the people which dishon-
est manipulation would imply. For
reasons which have been heretofore
stated, aud with which its readers are
familiar, the Tribune has desired the
election of the Republican candidates.
and has worked earnestly to that end,
But the T'ibune's past record and all
it's traditions forbid that it should
stand by ~consenting, or seeming to
consent, to anything that has in it the
slightest suspicion of an attempt to
dcfraud, by dishonest ballots or false
i returns, the people of their right. II
can afford to stand and gee q verdict
recorded against what it believes to be
the cause Of Truth, Justice and HUI
mainly, so long as that is the honest
verdict of the majority. 1t can take
an adverse judgment from the people
upon its appeal. and can stand and
wait. 1t has done so in the past, and
with abiding confidence in the ulti-
mate honesty and good sense of the
people rs embodied in the will of the
majority, it can do it again and again.
But it will not consent to have even
its own candidates elected or its own
cause triumph by fraud. Not only
that, it will not fail, for any over act,
or stand patiently in preselice Of any
possibility or any danger of it. with
out raising q warming voice and enter
ING its most earnest and most vigorous
protest.
NO KU KLUXING THE ELECTIONS.
One of the parties in Florida sends
a report that the other party has
wrecked q train aud ''ku-kluXed the
election returns" The report is prob
ably untrue, but the phrase is well
used. 1t reminds us to tell the politi-
clans of both parties that the people
will stand no ku-KluXing of election
returns this time. They mean to
have Peace and Fair Play. If the
Democrats have carried Louisiana,
the people will not allow Governor
kellogg and Mr.. Packard, with q too
convenient returning board, to Ku-
klux the vote. They were allowed to
do it in 1872, SO far as the result had
only q local Importance but the Sell
ate refused to admit the senator elect
ed by their fraud. They did it again
in 1874 but public opinion forced u
Republican Congress to condemn the
fraud in the most positive and con-
spicuous manner, by unseating some
members of the Legislature who were
Ku-Kluxed in by the Returning
Board. We beg the New Orleans Re-
publican managers to remember that
their previous frauds are we'll known
here in the North, and that as a maj
already detected and exposed in ku-
KluXing the election returns, they
need to be conspicuously pure and up
right this time. All their acts and
proceedings will be watched with the
most Jealous eyes by honorable pen of
both parties in the North, and they
should remember the presumption
lies fairly against them, because they
have already been detected in the same
trick of which they are now suspect
ed.
So, too, in South Carolina. We
warn the adherents Of Governor
Chamberlain against attempting to
Ku-Klux the election returns. They
cannot hope to succeed, for they will
he exposed and their own party in the
North will disown them. 1t is very
well understood here. that the South
Carolina election machinery has been
constituted in n suspiciously unfair
and partisan manner. Judge Mackey
himself IL Hayes Republican, but OPP
posed to corruption, has exposed the
manner in which Governor Chamber
lain arranged for a count Of the vote.
There is q board Of State canvassers,
the majority of whose members arc
candidates for election on the same
ticket with Chamberlain, and are thus,
by a mOnstrous perversi0n OF falr.deal-
ing, allowed to canvass and decide up
on the vote of the State and declare
whether they themselves are elected.
And not only this, but of the ninety
six commissioners of election III the
counties, seventy are Chambertain's
declared partisans, and forty are of1i-
GERS who hold their places by his APP
pointment. We do not desire to bring
odium upon Messrs. Chamberlain,
Packard and Kellogg, but nc '0drn
them that they IRE known here IN the
North. The honest men Of both par
ties regard them with Just suspicion
and they need to play, not only with
common, 6ut with re,y conspicuous
fairness. If they have carried Lou
Iisiana and South Carolina, so be it:
But they must satisfy the honest end
fair-minded men of both parties in
the North of that fact, or they will be
disowned and execrated by their own
party. There must be nc ku Klu1ing
of the election returns. Whatever UNI
scrupulous politicians might wink at,
the main body of the Republican par
~