The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1878-07-09
FREE ELECTIONS.
SENATOR BAYARD OF DELAWARE
REVIEWS THE POLITICAL
FIELD,


The following important letter from Sen
ator Bayard, Of Delaware, was received too
late to be read before the meeting Of the
| New York Tsmmany Society on the Fourth
Of July;
| WILMINGTON, Del, July /, 1878.
| Hon. Thomas Dunlap, Chair man.
DEAR SRI am obliged toyou for the
invitation of the Society Of Tammany to
join in their celebration Of the nations
birthday on next Thursday, but regret that
| It will not be in my power to accept it.
| The political occurrences OF the last two
years, as they are being daily brought to
| light from their reccsscs of dishonest con
ccament, should teach the people Of the
| United States the cver-rcCurring need of
stamping with the severest condemnation
everything that tends TO weaken and i'm
pair the great principle OF free and fair
elections.
The distinguishing teaturc--the very
safety-yalvc in our plan of government, is
the means provided in the process OF free
elections, for the people to correct their
errors and retrieve their political mistakes,
whether by revoking misplaced trusts and
furnishing those who have deceived them,
or changing the drift Of political measures
that have proved hurtful, so that, taught
by experience, they may prevent the repeti-
ton Of disaster. The great issue Of the
immediate future is, in my judgment, the
reasscrtion of this idea, and the solemn and
resoutc determination by our countrymcn
that elections shall be free, shall be the
actual expression of the opinions and
wishes Of the citizens, and that they shall
be honestly and fully scquiesced in by the
defeated party.
See to what consequence different course
and theory have led the party called Re
publican at the last Presidential election.
and how close upon the rocks the ship of
state was driven, until-thsnks to the pa
triotic and mastery sclf-control which AMI
mated the Democratic party-she was res
cued and rendered capable Of carrying her
precious freight Of human happiness and
hopes upon new, and--let us trust-success-
tul voyages. The underlying idea Of our
institutions--frc choice by the people, and
honest and honorable acceptance of the
popular verdict as final by all parties--has
been wholly disregardcd and condemned by
the Republican leaders, and, to Use the Ian
gpagc Of one of the most conspicuous and
influential among them, Hon. John sher.
man, the present secretary of the treasury,
IN late letter to the Ohio Republican Con
ference.
THE only threat that cndangcrs the pub
lie veal and safety is the restoration of the
| Democratic party to power.
| cannot but regard its restoration to power
| as the only danger that really threatens our
public peace and safety
Mr.. Sherman is called Republican, and
has often held, and now holds, nm office
which il coupled with an oath to support
the written charter Of his country's govern
ment, yet he does no! hesitate in his
partzan zeal to make this open, defiant
proclamation that everything is to be sub.
or1inated to the one idea Of preventing a
political organization, embracing in its
membership large majority Of his fellow
citizens, from again obtaining under law,
the control Of the administration Of the
constitutional powers Of their government,
which for seventy years OF unlwoken honol
and prosperity it had exercised
The light already thrown by Congress
sonal investigation upon the action of Mr..
Sherman and his visiting associates in
Louisiana in the fail of lS1G-thc means
and methods then rUsorted to, and Of which
they so freely availed themselves, to accom-
plish the one great end Of dcpriving
their political opponents and the American
people Of the Just fruits Of n laDo.
rious and earnest efforts by the lawful
methods of popular election TO obtain re-
form in administration and relief from To-
cal misrule go vile that il is spreading like
poison from the unhappy communities
where he and his party had established and
crept throughout ali the arteries Of our Fed
cral system may now be better comprc-
hendcd as they clearly appear in thc char
acters and careers Of the Anderson,, The
Wellscs, the krIoggs aud the !cnks that
motley and ribald group Of political miscrc.
ants male and female, in who's. hands Mr..
Sherman and his party had placed the
wires OF low and pronigato political man.
agemcnt which had converted popular
elections into what would Seem horrible
farce We're it not so filled with tragic1l con
sequences,
The American people have a sure remedy
for every political evil in the pcrodican re.
course to free ballot Irayc that right
unimpaircd and they will retrieve their er
rors and correct their mistakes aud tollies;
but # deprived of it, they will be reduced
to the single alternative of perpetual and de-
grading submission 10 admitted wrong, or u
resort to a torciblc resistance to rid them
selves of oppression.
Mr.. Sherman and his allies would close
the door Of relief through the orderly and
lawful change Of rules and policies by the
honest and honorable acceptance of the re.
suits Unpopular elections, and his brother,
the general Of the armies, is reported lately
to have made the g,atuitous but pregnant
wowsl, at the National Military Academy,
that the army Of the United States, under
his command would unhrsitatinglv be en-.
poyed go sustain the tenure of \ president
without regard TO til" right or justice under
aw Of his title tn the Office
The Fourth of Iuly, 1873, aud every day
between that and the election day in 1880,
are the iltand proper days for the Amer.
can people to consider what answer should
DC given At the polls to such propositions
for the calm and deliberate contemplation
of such ideas So rs to shape their issues in