, 1877-01-14
Loss OF FAITH IN TIE BALLOT.

| by present political complications in connec
ton with the Presidency lies further back
and is more important. than the question
| who shall be our next Chief Magistrate. Wt
| would not underrate the immediate issue
| Our readers well know which of the late can
didates best represents, in our view, in his
| person and party, the principles of righteous.
| ness and the claims of enlightened patriot
ism. But far worse than the loss Of an elec.
ton by our favorite party, or the failure tc
be inaugurated of the candidate Of our choice,
ment of freemen, and a failure in the work
ing of republican institutions. In other
words, the ballot, as the guarantee Of popu-
lar liberty, is worth more than the individual
result of any single election We quote
oftentimes, and with not unreasonable
fervor, the poets stirring lines:
We have a weapon drmer set
And sharper than the baYonet;
AS snowfAkes full upon the sod, il,
But executes frcensan's will ~
As lightning does the Will Of God;
And from lis force nor bars nor locks
Can shield you-ftfs the bal1ot-boS.
This can be trne only on the supposition
that the ba!lot-box is preserved in its purity,
aud represents in truth the will of the peo-
pie Free institutions restupon the peoples
opportunity to choose their rulers, and ulti-
nntely to direct the Government. The bal
lot represents this right. Each vote is the
voice Of one of the sovereign people. The
collective ballots signify the decision of the
entire civil community. He who corruptly
tampers with the ballot~box nullifes the act
of the people, aud thus robs them Of their
fundamental right professed election Of
rulers becomes more than q farce, if fraud
ulent ballots are surreptitiously introduced
into the ballot-box, or are cast by Illegal
voters, or if f0lse returns are made By Can~
rassing Boards. It is worse than farce, be-
cause a farce only an1uses, or, at most, dis
gusts, while this ruins. Oftenti1nes one
would prefer to be denounced than to be
lied to; to be robbed rather than cheated;
and SO conquered people, oppressed by
despot, may feel less exasperated, than pro-
fessed1y free people defrauded of their rights
in the very act of their seeming exercise.
Now, what is the present aspect Of our
political affairs in this regard? The really
important thing is not the doubt, but the
cause Of the doubt, as to the election of Mr..
HAYES or OF MIR. TIDEs. A doubt might
have been caused by an accidental destruc-
ton OF the ballots in certain district after.
they had been cast, but before they had
been counted. This would have been unfor-
tunate, as it might have affected tie result
in the State and in the whole country; but
it would have inflicted no direct damage on
onr institutions. Now, however, the charge
is made by each party that there has been no
true election; that voters were SO intiml-
dated or crowded back that they could not
deposit their ballots; that spurious ballots
were put into the boxes after the close of the
po!ls;. that the professed count was
false, and the returns were fraudu-
lent; and that the Canvassing Boards cor
ruptly rejected enough returns to change
the result. It is believed BY large part of !
the people Of the United States that no true
results have been secured and officially given
in six or seven Of the Southern States; while J
3 grieyous suspicion attaches to the immense |
y one-sided vote of the City OF New York, |
which overcame the majority Of all the rest |
Of the State, and to the peculiarly heavy vote |
cast in two or three OF the cities Of Connect J
cut, which decided the political complexion |
Of that Commonwealth. Here, then, are two !
great national parties, each accusing the
agents of the other of gross cor
rupt1on. Here are two eminent men, each
claiming to have been elected to the Presi-
aency of these United States; and, no mat
:er in whose favor the ultimate decision may
oe, nearly one-half Of the nation will think
1e has succeeded by fraud, and by falsi6ca-
ion of the verdict Of the people as given
through the bal1ot-box.
Nothing could be more unfortunate than