Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-08-26
THE PURITY OF THEELECTIvE
FRANCHISE.


tain principles Of government which W,
deem most likely to conduce to the pros
perity of the nation. 1t is our comfort L
know that for each wrong of government
the remedy lies in our own hands, an,
that in, brief period 1t may be righied
: or that the men who have gained author
, ity through dishonorable means, or hay,
been proven for their positions can b,
made to give place to others more worthy
But unless the ballot-bo is guarded
with jealous vigilance, the key of oul
power and strength is gone. If the purity
of the elective franchise is not respected
or the will of the people as expressed al
the ballot-box set at naught by fraud, oil
violence, or intimidation, we lose the
right OF remedyng wrong in the fact that
our exercise of that right is overuied.-
Without purity of elections, the whole
foundation of American, liberty is swept
away. And to guard the ballot box
against those whose whole idea of an elec
ton is to win it by fair means or foul,
stringent laws in regard TO the registra-
ton OF voters have been found necessary
in many of the States. Our own State
is an example of the efforts put forth by
the Republican party to protect legal vo-
ters in their rights, and prevent the priv
iege of the franchise being exercised by
any not entitled so to do. On our stat
ute book is registry law, enacted by the
Republican party in 1865, and though
necessarily cumbersome and productive
at times Of Inconvenience, no good citi-
zen now cares to see it repealed. We
would be glad to see it simpifed as much
as possible, but no man who holds the
elective franchise at its true value, cares
to see the restrictions now imposed, 80
taken away rs TO permit return to the
old system of fraudulent voting by which
portions of our State have been carried in
other days.
The true citizen, whatever bis party
affiliations, does not care to secure tri-
umph at the polls, unless it be done by
the use of legitimate means. In the hon
est advocacy OF the principles which
should govern the country, he does not
seek to force others to act upon his con-
victions, but grants the same liberty of
action to them which he claims for him
self. a victory, won by fraud, is to
such men no source Of rejoicing, for the |
same elements which have crushed out
triumph Of principle against them, may |
in turn be brought into play to crush out
their own principles. With all fair
minded men the ballot box is held sacred. |
The difficulty is in convincing men that
their party leaders are guilty Of resort
to any such means.
No one can question but the enfran-
chisement Of the negro race was done with
The cheerful consent of the American
people. 1t was one Of the results grow
ing out Of the war which should bo ac-
luiesced in. And so no one can question
Bl: the ballot in their hands in most of
T. Southern States at the present time,
,n,,burlesque upon the right of suffrage.
nlympathies of the race must be with
.h"' .nrty which gave them freedom and
10 ,'s yet under the reign of terror
'Ne', '"sgurated, their sacred right dare
nov U' t'y exercised by them. 1t is
.'o 0o"S' the Democracy that they
'i''onu 70 ory every Southern State
anu - e'''t.,' has that look at the pres
CIV '''''e' ~. NV than four hundred mur-
u9's ~ p'.', causes are recorded IN
40 -, - . n..ippi in one year alone;
''0 '.7"'' W ' fQlesale slaughter is
seen in the fact THAI tpa,.,,LI;aa. y
ty of "a 900 in 1871 .5
sweeping nemocratich 49,.
trial of strength. The .o., e,1
work so well in Mississipr -;
al in South Carolina, whk :. ~.
State of "the Sunny South ~ .,
deemed" That such a syst -
trolling the ballot-box is PERM .
ist, is a reproach upon the matte a.,
to the 23S electoral votes of tn, =,
which the Democrats now claim tk N IN,
carry solid for Tilden and Hendrick
votes of New York and Indiana, an. !
will be seen how the system of terror t
which prevails at the South may be MAJ
to carry a Presidential election. AnC
it is sorrowful commentary upon the
al in. m, hn mil hN.
of Reform" that its partisans have to
resort to murder and intimidation in or
2 der that they may carry their reform
ideas at the ballot box.
, Upon an honest vote the State Of New
: York is Republican, not withstanding
, the Democratic strength in the slums Of
the city. Upon fair ballot the Repub.
Il ans need not fear any result so far as
the electo' al vote of New York is con.
, te"ned. All to be dleaded in the En-
pre State is the same tactics by which
the State was carried for Seymour and
Hoffman in 1868, when Governor Hoff.
man received 1900 majority in a few
wards where there were not much more
than half that number of legal voters
The Democratic ring in New York City
is thoroughly INSCRIPTIONS, and like the
, Southern Bourbons, will hesitate at nc
means to insure success, The nation j.
Republican in sentiment by from one
half to one million majority, and Dem.
ocratic triumph can only follow cou S,
2 which makes every good citizen tremblC
, Tor the future of his country. Those who
were Union men in the hour ofthe naton'.
, tlial those who accepted the chang,
, which grew out of the war in good faith
, md thoae who helievo in thn nuIity o