The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-11-17
The Popular Vote.

had many and striking illustrations during
the progress of the Presidential campaign.
Since the election and the consequent con-
test over the three doubtful Southern states
there has been conspicuous abandonment
of one of the fundamental articles of the
Democratic creed, the sacredness of state
rights, or as it has been the fashion of late to
term this old political dogma, local self-gov-
ernment. Upon this doctrine the Democratic
party was founded, and that party had no
other reason for coming into existence. The
principle of state rights, sometimes under its
proper name, sometimes under its modern
and more popular alias, has been reafirmed
in every national Democratic, platform, and
its acceptance has been required of every
convert. Other articles in the party creed
might be doubted and even absolutely re-
jected, but no heresy was permissible in re-
gard to the reserved rights of the states.
One of the necessary and component parts of
the doctrine is that the President and Senate
are chosen by the states and not by the
people, and in accordance with that certain
electors are by the constitution allotted to the
states, irrespective of population. The OBJ
ject of the provision is to promote the power
and security of the smaller states, which the
Democracy have affected to believe endan-
gered.
The election has come and gone. Gov.
Hayes if chosen will receive the electoral votes
of twen.y-one states, and Gov. Tilden will
have those OF seventeen states. AS this pros.
pect opens before them the Democratic jour-
nails along the whole line clear down to the
Eastern Argus cry out that the electoral col
lege must be abolished, that it defrauds the
people OF their will, that by its existence a
small state like Florida defeats the wish of
the country. No more de is heard Of
state rights, no journal pirates longer of the
danger of swampng the legitimate rights Of
the smaller states, no appeals are now made
to the people to rally to the defense of men
aced constitution. On the contrary the as
sertion is reiterated and emphasized that a
majority of the states is unjustly to prevail
against majority of the people. So sudden
Iand extraordinary change of sentiment was
itical party.
1t is useless to inquire if the Democracy
are sincere in their abandonment of the fore
most article OF their professed belief. They
have either been lying for ninety years ol
| they are lying now. That is the sad feature
of the situation in which they have placed
| themselves. The ridiculous feature is thai
| they are rolling in the mud for nothing, thai
they have leaped the fence to find themselves
| in no better field. Gov. Hayes would not
| in reality, though possibly he might in ap
pearance, be minority President. In a
| least ten states the vote affords no evldenc'
as to the number of voters who preferred hi
election; for the ballot was not free. In thu
Southern States which threw heavy Demo
cratic majorities it was scarcely safe for
man to cast the Republican ticket. In man
districts he would do so at the peril of hi
life. Republican voters felt that in thes
states their ballots would be of no avail, TO
the Democratic electors were sure to b
chosen, and they did not care to risk thei
ives, not to speak of minor evils, for nothing
Hadsthey dared to vote the Democrats coul
not have rolled up $4,000 majority in te
Southern states. But the terrorized Repul
licans. hundreds of thousands of them, n
Trained from going to the polls. In the Nortl
on the contrary, the ballot was free. n
Democrat feared to vote. Every NortheI
State was sharply contested. The Repul
, lican majority of 100000 was a a.legltima
one. And that would have been much larg
but for the ignorant and in some cases frau'
ulent vote cast by the slums of New Yo
, aud Brooklyn and other large Democrat
cities. With free ballot in the South Go
Hayes would have had large majority
the popular vote.