The Republican journal., 1876-12-28
a Republican Editor on Louis lama.


Horace White. for several Years editor
of the Chicago Tribne, and one Of the
ablp4t writer's in the country, recently
passed several weeks III Louisiana. He
contributes 10 the New lorl, Tribune His
views IN the fnIIuWin~ article They
should be read by every man Of brains in
the country.
Any result OF the pending presidential
election which shall be reached without
harm to the processes under which our
elections are held and our Institutions
maintained Will not only be acquicsccd in
bv the people. but welcomed by The larger
portion OF both political parties Any re-
suit which shall be reached by undermine
inc those processes will be iraught with
peril to the country, and viii bring con-
t,igu punishment upon the party who Is
guilty OF 50 grave crime.
TnH CDNsrIRAToRS DESTROYING THE VERY
FOUNDATIONS
Among the processes by which our in
stitLtOns are maintained the most impor
tant is that of frequent popular elections,
and the most important OF these is the
Presidential election. We are now brought
for the first time to Il state Of facts which
threaten to substitute, in place OF popular
elections, the views of 4 Returning Board.
This | call threatened subversion Of the
process by which our institutions are main
tanned, in comparison with which the
election Of Hayes or Iilden is OF no conse-
quence Whether Hayes or 1ilden be
elected, the people can, within four years
| -bai, Of pbDn ~
other President, provided the process or
declaring their choice has not been tam
pered with They can correct any errors
that may have been committed meanwhile
by Hayes or Tilden, provided the system
of popular election remains. But ii the
process has been tampered with, and the
system itself undermined, then anything
may happen The American republic may
become as unstable, and property mere rs
insecure, and social disorder as unbeara-
Bile. as in Mexico or Venezuela.
We are told that the interference OF a
returning board in Louisiana is necessary
on account OF
THE INTIMIDATION OF VOTERS.
1t is precisely this interference which |
challenge rs Il sllbversion of the process
by which our institutions are maintained.
| 1t is proposed to throw out the vote Of a
b because ID is supposed to have in
timdated + + 1t is only necessary to
make this the rule hereafter. and to Sc
cure its general adoption, in order to dis
| pense with elections entirely, and to sub
sttute in their place thirty-SeVen return
ing boards Intimidation will become
the only element of any value i'll politics.
Instead OF discussing the civil service, the
currency, the last war, or the next one,
the oilice-seebing class will conllne Them
selves wholly to intimidation. Intimida
ton will multiply like grasshoppers, and
in u short time ravage the whole land.
What is intimidation 1t is q word of
very broad scope. 1t embraces everything
from the fear OF death to the loss of social
position. 1t opens the door to every
species of degradation that can be con
ceived of in politics. from individual
cowardice to combined perjury. And over
all it places an arbitrary and irresponsible
tribunal to weigh the cowardice and to
gauge the perjury, from whose judgments
there is no appeal, not even to the people
themselves After A Is and other honest
citizens have cast their votes and gone
about their business, q ID and + con-
federate together, the one to intimidate