The Russellville Democrat., 1876-12-07

lillOG2. liiS ANtN' 'i' " iSN',ff' can states, and fraud in demo cratic states, in oppositian to the expressed preference of an i'm. mense popular majority. If he does he will be the first president of the United States about whose election there has never been any doubt, and he will have paved the way towards Mexicanizing the elective syst m of the general government. Mir. Packard, the reluctantly accepted candidate of party now in hopeless minority, may accept an office at the hands of his understrappers which has been refused him by his fellow citizens. If he does, his reign will be ono of turmoi. and tnmult from beginning to end, and he will retire at the end of his term the object of even more detesta- ton than he is at present. New Orleans Picayune.
 It seems impossible for the na tion to escape the false and fraud ulent return, under color of cor ruptlv conceived, enacted and ex ecuted law, of Rutherford B. Hayes as president elect. Chan dler and Cameron are in accord with Kellogg and Packard, who have been condemned and spurn- ed by the highest republican councils of the country, and the president will be content with the shadow of the law, while it's substance perishes before the mastery of wrong. Who can af- ford it?
 Can Rutherford B. Hayes afford it? He is esteemed an honest man. In ali the heat and bitter ness of the conflict his integrity was not successfully assailed. Among his most effective chem pions were those who believed and taught that he would make better and purer administration, and there were tens of thousands who voted for him with either strong or hesitating trust in hls sincere devotion to the right. Not one of all such of his snp- porters will for a moment sanc tion his acceptance of the highest honor of free people, when it is borne to him, as 1t must be, by a monstrous pollution of the ballot, and revolutionary defiance of the popular will of his country men. It is possible that he might thus reach the presidency, but it would be only to meet with a snl- len obedience of a great people, until they can stamp their terrible generations upon his conscious usurpation of their noblest au tnority.
 Can capioal and business afford it? Dlstrust in government is disastrous to business, to credit, to prosperity. The violent resls- tence to real or Imaginary wrong may, like the tempest, give pure and wholesome atmosphere; but the subversion of the free gov ernment by palpable fraud, will be like the subtle poison that courses its way to the vitals of the republic. Even the color of law, behind which fraud may take refuge, will but deepen and widen the despair of the people and teach to all that the laws of the noblest government of the world are but the shield of law lessness. It will be the accepted deliverance to mankind that free government has perished from the earth. Its form may finger for years to come, but it's life, it's inspiration it's grandeur must witEer upon it's own long wor- shipped but now desecrated altar. It will end hope, progress, thrift; it will wound credit, close the markets of the world against us, and flood us with millions of obli cations for which, in our better and purer days, we have been trusted. The pail of doubt will hang over every enterprise, and capital will seek safety by with drawal from the uncertain pro lection of an uncertain govern ment.
 Can the nation afford it? It needs no prophetic pen to foretell the early overthrow of the pres cnt political domination of the country, even with all the arbi trary power 1t can wield for it's protection against the popular will. And when overthrown, what then? If usurpauon is sanctioned now in Louisiana and Florida, who will gainsay it's ex- ercise in Pennsylvania or New York or Massachusetts, when the next political power is called to account by an outraged people? If might, not right, is to be the law of to-day, who shall say that it may not be the law of democra- cy in the future that now inevita bly, belongs to it?' If contempt for justice in the execution of our laws shall now be taught as a precedent for those who shall reach power hereafter, what will be left of frne uoYernment that an