New-York tribune., 1876-11-21
EIDRIDI.

South Carolina having VOteu IOr UoV' hayes,
precisely as there was natural presumption that
the State would vote, sensible men may judge
for themselves what weight should be given
tn Democratic assertions that all the doubtful
States "must have voted for Ticen beyond
"auestion." From the first, we have steadily
urged that all this ranting and Dragging was
in defiance of known facts that the natural
and legitimate presumption IN each case was
that the State had given Republican ma
iolity; and that it would require strong proof
to convince fair and reasonable men that
either of them had gwen Democratic ma
iority on an honest vote. In spite of Demo
cratic frauds, amounting to more than 5000
in a single county, South Carolina has iusti-
fed this natural presumption. Next let us
look at Florida
Because this State casts very small vote,
its maiorlties look slender and easily overcome.
The fact is that it requires a greater change
of votes to overcome majority OF only l,ooo
IN Florida than it does to overcome majority
of 24,OOO in New-York. At the last Presl-
dental election Florida gave 1887 Republican
majority, or 7.04 per cent, Oh total vote OF
33,1o3. In 1874, when the tidal wave OF
Democracy rolled over the land, Florida gave
a Republican majority .Of 1,O54, or 2.92 per
cent on a total vote of SO, 1G4. Now the total
vote of New-YOrk in 1872 was about
$4,000, and majority prOpOrtionately as
large as that of Florida in 1872 would have
been nearly $4,000. Moreover, Repub-
lcan majority proportional to that of
Florida in 1874 would have been nearly
$4,000. Suppose that New-York had given
Of nn0 in SZD and
$4,000 in 1874, had given no Democratic
majority at any time, and had held no cleo
tions within four years excepting those two,
would any Democrat have the assurance to
deny that the natural presumption was in
favor of another Republican victory3 Apply
the same proportions to vote OF about
600, 900 in Ohio and 100000 in Indiana. If
Ohio had given AZ, 900 Republican majority in
1872, when it actually gave 10000, and had
given $4,000 Republican majority in 1874,
when it actually gave 1900 Democratic ma
iority, and had held no other elections for six
wears, would any one have been disposed
to deny that Ohio was surely Republican
Suppose that Indiana had given 24,5O0
Republican majority in 1872, when it actually
gave 1887 Democratic majority, and had
given 10000 Republican majority in 1874,
when it actually gave 1882 Democratic
plurality, would any one have been dis
posed to deny the natural presumption that
Indiana would choose Republican electors
No sane man expected that Massachusetts,,
Michigan, or Illinois would give Demo
cratic majorities. Yet had these States
been as strongly Republican as Florida
in 1874, Massachusetts would have given
$500 Republican instead of 1882 Democratic
majority, Illinois would have given 10000
Republican instead of 10000 opposition ma
iority, and Michigan would have given 5000
instead of 2,O32 Republican majority. Yet,
such is the stupendous assurance of Democratic
leaders that they claim that fraud alone can
prevent the choice of Tlden electors by State
which stood fast when Massachusetts, New
York, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois were captur
by Democracy and gave Republican majority
proportionately three times as large os that of
Michigan!
Conclusive as these comparisons are. they do