The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-09-29
Danger Of n Close Contest.

Danger Of n Close Contest.
DR.. Redfeld, the well-known cores
ponaent Of the Cincinnati Commercial,
has been lately making an extended
tour in the South, taking observations
on the political situation in various To-
caIi.ias in that section, and furnishing
the Commercial with frequent letters
Of interest touching Southern Affairs.
In his letter from Richmond, Va, dated
scp,smber, 1876, he says Of the dangers
Of clo,e contest in the Presidential
race AEHr -,
Il hope the election in November Will
no very decidedly one way or the Other
leaving no room for. contest over the
counting Of the electoral vote.
70 "Aa we estimaid the States now-tak-
ing the latest election in each as basis
tho eon,esi is very close, there not te-
ing dozen electoral votes TO thro"
away by either party. Suppo-e Tilden
should carry Mississippi and Louis
lana BY force and intimidation, and be
elected BY majority Of half dozen
votes, what then? Are threats not open
ly made that Louisiana and Mississippi
will not be counted by the Republican
Senate II they cast their votes for the
Democratic ticket, and il the election
depsuds upon the electoral votes Of
those states? W
aOn the other hand, il il threatened
that IL certain Of the Southern States
where troops are freely used, 60 Tor
HAYES. and thus secure his election, the
Democratic House will not count shem'
because Of the suppopiiion that the re-
suit was obtained by intimidation Of the
Democrats by the army, and that the
uae Of the army was illegal, uncon4titu-
tional, &c.
80 IL IL not impossible that we may
have n contest over the Electoral vote
which will shake the very. foundations
Of the Government. Therefore ] hope
for an emphatic decision by the people
one way or the other, majority that
will settle matters without reference to
dozen or two uncertain votes in the
South.
THE TERROR or THE FUTURE
VIII be this very question. We may
escape this time, but the same danger
will appear in 1880, in 1884, and in every
four years M long as the Republic lasts
You will readily see how such an issue
will endanger the very existence of the
Government. Both parties will come
out Of the contest hot and inAamed, tC
find, perchance, that the Democrats have
half dozen votes, and that MississiPpi
for instance, has been carried by them t.
make up the number. Mississippi i
known to have a majority Of at leas
twenty thousand colored voters, and tn
Republicans will insist upon throwing
out that State-if IL goes for Tilden. !
Democratic House will count the vote
and a Republican Senate will refuse +
count IL, and the very existsrcs OF th
Government may be imperiled By
question thus arising.
"I fear this troublesome rock vii
prove our ruin yet. We may escap
this time and the next, and the mex
but some time we will run upon it, an
then-who can zee the end? What pou
er ia there except the power Of brut
force, to settle the question? II is
dead point Of danger.
""The present contest seems 10 me
hght for spoil, with no principles
moment on either side, and hope thei
are enough voters who are more patrio
than partisans, who will catch the dri
Of things as developed in the comir
. election in Ohio and Indiana, and vo
accordingly. Let whoever is elect'
President be chosen by 90 large majo
ity Of Electoral votes that there will
no ground whatever for contest and
row. That is the way feel about it.
"Some readers will ridicule this, Al
laugh Mt the idea Of voting with t
largest mob, as Pickwick would sn
merely to avoid Contest over t
Electoral vote But how il such &C
tesi, IL IL comes, to be settled? Wi
two hot parties in the land, each
lievipg that the other is trying to swi
die them out Of the rewards Of tn
hATd-earned victory, will We not be
actual danger Of war? BY whom a
how, under the Constitution, could su
aqueslion be settled?
Therefore. to avoid the gravesi d
aers, and even the possible disruption
the Government itself, want to
Hayes or Tilden elected by majority
at least forty electoral votes. No cl
contest for the undersigned, thank yo