The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-08-15
The Anti-E1onopolist.

as Republican rule shall prevail. The evil is too
deep-seated to be reached by anything short OF an
entire change CT administration.
4. But feilow-ctizens. there is great drama Of
fraud. one huge black spot upon the national es-
cutcheon. that cannot be passed by with mere al
usion The seat of the chief nlagstrate-that seat
that IL times past has been and i'll all tunes should
be al emblem OF purity and honor-is occupied by
man who was never elected to it. and whose Elevation
was accomplished by the grossest frauds and bold
est uslTpations that ever disgraced the history OF
free people. Ihaye no time to-day to go into de-
tailed statement of these frauds and usurpations
nave no time to show you how the returning board o.
Florida, in plain violation Of the law of the State in
equally plain violation of the solemn decision OF the
highest court OF the State, threw out sufficient mum
Der OF Democratic ballots to give the vote or
the State to the Hayes electors
instead Of to the Tilden electors. who had been
chosen by the people. Nor how in like manner. the
returning board OF Louisiana threw out from six to
eight thousand votes given to the Tnden electors,
thereby disfran chsing the people OF whole precincts
and countless and completely reversing the vote OF
he State. Nor how, by vote of eight to seven III
the electoral commission. Ill inquiry into these
frauds and usuTpations preciuded. and the doc
tTine soleunly announced and acted upon that no
matter by what frauds, matter by what negaties.
matter by what usurpations returning
vassng board may defeat the will Of the people, the
wrong is remediless, the constitution is powerless.
the people helpless. and usurpauon mus; triumph
and prevail.
These. felow-citizens are now all matters OF his
terry; but although the erroneous decision by which
Congress counted in Hayes and Wheeler may not be
reversible that fact only makes it the more incu1n
bent upon the people to condemn the decision and
the means by which it brought about. II such
usurpation pass without rebuke, It will soon
be vain to talk Of constitutional modes and honest
elections. If the will OF the people can, with i'm
pllnlty, be oyerrhrown by obscure and corrupt re-
turning boards, and there is no remedy for the
wrong. it viii soon be the voice OF
such boards and not the voice of
presidents. Aid how long, pray you. could your
government stand under such a system, or what
claim would it have to be called government of the
people. My friends. if the people ever condone this
great sin, il they pardon the guilty who
per etrated it-and nearly every one OF whom has
boen rewarded by Office under the administration
the most sanguine advocate Of popular government
will have reason to hang his head il shame, and
doubt the possibility of its success. Yes, my fel-
ow-citizens the very existence OF popular govern
ment, the question whether it IS possible to mainta
it, and 70 maintain it III pu ity is now on trial before
you. As You love the institutions bequeathed to
you by the fathers. You reverence your ConstIl-
ton and value Your freedom, you esteem virtue
aud detest al wickedness, you are bound, i'll no un-
certain tones to manifest your abhorrence OF the
great ususllation.
). Another great topic remains to be considered,
and when l shall have offered some brief observa-
tons upon IT, my task viii be done. Fellow citizens.
nothing in politics more certain 10 than that
the Republican leaders rest their hopes OF prolonga-
ton 81 tnelf power upon The success that may attend
studied and energetic effort Their part excite
and perpetuase sectional feeling. And nothing seems
e me more III warTanted unnatrouc and detestabe
has frankly and nlau9y accepted the results of the
var; that. waving al questions to the mode of
tiie-f adoption voice Is raised against the
j binding force Of the cons titutioual
amendments: that every law PASSED by a radical
Congress- however doubtful its constitutonalty, or
manifest its justice aud npollcy, Is nevertheless
obeyed; that DIES re for harmony and peace and a
determination all in the preservation OF the Union
are unmistakably and plainly the dominant sentiments
of the southern p aople- all this no. enough to
deer the Republican managers from resorting to all
the weapons in the arsenal Of the denlagogne, by
which sectional hatred be aroused nd perpetu-
aed, and solid North thereby created to rule with 4
rod OF iron PROSTATE - un. 1t is thirteen years
since the close 81 the war; thirteen years since hand
vas raised word spoken against the preser-
and sfienctses aow made by men, prominent in
the Republican rarty, the bitterness OF watch i
scarcely paraileied by anything that written
said when fragrant and the Union III
danger.
Fellow citizens nothing more unjust no thing
more nnpatrotic, nothing more injurious to the
peace, welfare and prosperity of Il Republic nothing
more clearly dernonstrative OF the necessity for
change of rulers and the inauguration Of an era Of
justice and fraternity than il afforded by these facts
can he imagined. Do you wish the Union preserved
Then support those who would bind it
together by the ties OF fraterlal
feeling aud common interest, A.
well by constitutions and laws. Do you revere
justice and advocate equality OF rights? Then sup
port the party whose banner .Justice and Ealalt-
ty' ndelibly inscribed. Do you wish to see the
country strong and prosperous? Then support the
rehcy that, shedding It's benign influence upon every
part, gives irresistible strength and universal well
being to the whole.