San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1877-11-10

/ wv sutfrages. This was majority of
the popular vote of about 3OO, ,OO0, and
lof l,250,000 oil the white citisens. Il
was vote 100000 larger than General
Grant received in 1872, and 100000
larger than he received In 1868. For
all that the rightfully elected candi.
dates of the Democratic party were
counted out and . great fraud tri-
uMphed, which the American people
have not condoned and will never CON.
done. Prolonged applause and,
oheers.] Yes, the crime will never be
condoued and il never should be. lido
DOT denounce the fraud az affecting my
personal interests, but because it
stabbed the very foundations Of free
government. Loud cheers.1 Iswear
in the presence of you all, and l call
up0n you to bear witness to the oath, z
I'd watch. during the remainder of my
lite, over the rights Of the citizens of
our country with . Jealous care. Such
usurpation must never occur again.
and call upon you to unite with me
in the defense Of our sacred and pre-
cious inheritance. TIE government Of
the people must not be suffered to be-
come only an empty name. Loud ap-
plause.] The step from an extreme
degree Of corrupt abuses in the cleo.
tions to q subversion of the elective
system itself is natural. No sooner
was the election over than the whole
power OF the Office holding class, led
by cabinet minister, was exerted to
procure, from the State canvassers Of
two States illegal and FRAUDULENT oerti-
fcates, which were made pretext tor
false count OF the electoral votes. To
euahle these officers to exercise the
immoral courage necessary to the parts
assigned to them, and to relieve them
from the timidity which God has i'm
planted in the human bosom ~ "a limit
to criminal audacity, detachments Of
the army were sent to afford them shell
ter. The expedients by which tho
votes Of the electors chosen by the
people of these, two States were reject-
I'd, and the votes of the electors hav.,
iug the illegal and fraudulent certifi'
Gates were counted, and the menace
Of usurpation by the president Of the
Senate OF dictatorial power over all the
questions in controversy, and the men
ace oi the enforcement of his Pretend
ed authority by the army and navy,the
terrorism of the business classes, and
the kindred measures by which the
false count was consummated, are
known, The result is the establish-
inent of q precedent destructive Of our
whole elective system. Applause !
The temptation to those in possession
of the government to perpetuate their
own power by similar methods will al.
ways exist, and if the example shall be
sanctioned by success, the succession
of government in this country will
come to be determined by fraud or
force, as il has been in almost every
other country; and the experience will
be reproduced here which has led to
the general adoption Of the hereditary
system in order to avoid confusion and
civil war. o M
The magnitude of political crime
must be measured by its natural and
necessary consequence. Our great re-
public has been the only example in
the world of regular and orderly
transfer of governmental succession by
the elective system. 10 destroy the
habit of traditionary respect for the
will OF the people. as declared through
the electoral forms, and 10 exhibit our
institutions as failure. is the greatest
possible wrong to our own country. II
is also heavy blow to the hopes OF
patriots struggling to establish self.
government in other countries. 1t is
greater crime against mankind than
the usurpation OF December 2, 1851,
depicted by the iilustrious pen Of Vic.
tor Hugo. The American people will
not condcue it under any pretext or
Tor any purpose. [Cheers, Young
men, in the order OF nature We who
have guarded the sacred traditions oil
our free government will soon leave
that work 10 you. Within the lite OF
most who hear me our republic will
embrace hundred millions Of people.
Whether its Institutions shalt be pre-
served in substance aud in spirit as
we'll as in barren forms, and will con-
tinue to be blessing to the toilipg
millions here and good example TO
mankind, now everywhere seeking n
lsrger share 10 the management of their
own affairs. will depend on you. Will
you accomplish that duty and mark
these wrong doers of 1876 with the ip-
digusiion Of a betrayed, wronged aud
sacrificed people?
A voice-You bet we viii Laugh
ter
| have no personal feeling. but
thinking how surely that sxamph will
be followed IL ecndoned. / can do no
better than to stand among you aud do
battle for the maintssence Of free gov
ernment. l avail wyseif Of the oeca-
sion to thank you. aud TO thank all in
our STAKE and country who have accord
ed to me- their support. hot personal to