New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-13

Fall IN the elections 10 congress. Inc
hold the balance of power in the Legislature. Vir-
ginians complain that the Administration is not
helping Republicans in Mr.. Goodies district. The
campaign in Erie County, Penn, is shown to DO i'm
portant in the Congressional election. In Tioga
County, NJ " the fight is also interesting.
NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICANS
SIGNIFICANT SUGGESTIONS FROM THE RECENT ELEC-
COMMUNICATIONS OF DEMOCRATIC FRAUD IN
1876
lFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRTBUSE.l
WASHINGTON, Aug 12.-The Republicans OF
North Carolina have never been able to understand
how they were beaten in the Presidential election
of 1875. Their organization that year was thor
ough and effective; there were no divisions IN the
party; there was no bulldozing or interference of
any kind to prevent full and fair vote, and with
candidates in most of the Congressional and Legis-
lative districts who were popular in their own
party the Republican leaders not only expected TO
carry the State for Governor Hayes but also to re-
turn TO Congress several of their candidates in the
eastern part of the State. Nor were they disap-
pointed In the number of votes cast, for when the
Official returns were made the Republicans found
that they had polled enough votes in the State to
give them handsome majority, if the Democratic
vote as reported had not been swollen in some mys-
terious way beyond all ante election-day estimates.
remember meeting some influential North Carolina
Republicans in Washington month after the Pres
dential election and recall distinctly their utter
inability to explain their defeat. They believed
that they had been cheated they were unable to
understand where the Democratic votes that were
returned could have come from. but they had no d.
rect and positive evidence of fraud that would war
rant dispute Of the count. The Democrats had
complete control of the election machinery, and if
there was balot-box stufhng or false counting, 1t
was so skilfuly done in Out-Ofthewav places as to
leave the Republicans wholly without ability to
prove it.
These facts, about which very little was said at
the time public attention having then been concen-
trated on the contest over the votes Of the three
disputed Southern States. now recalled by SUI
perfca examination Of the returns of the election
in North Carolina, which occurred at the BEGINNING
of the present month. The contest was one in
which the Republicans Of the State were supposed
to have little or no interest. The party was dead,
so we were told, and would not enter into
the contest. The fight was one between
straight-out Democrats and Independent DEM
ocrats-between Vance men and Merrimon
men. In fact tho Republicans made no
effort to get out their VOTE while the rvalres IN the
Democratic party brought many of its voters to the
polls who. would naturally have remained at home
this "o-year" And yet, strange to say, this party
that was dead and which did not think 1t worth
while 70 make an effort, comes out ahead in many
counties where it was Overwhelmingly beaten in
1876.
Take for instance, the sixteen counties in the
northeastern portion of the Statewhich comprise the
Ist Congressional District, in which Judge Yeates
was elected in 1876 by 1888 majority the vote for
Tilden and Vance falling 200 or 300 below this
60ure. This was when the Republicans had strong,
a:Io4os ~, fIa aaId for local offices and n
earnest, effective canvass was made. Now, two
veara later. when the Democrats are as active as
ever but the Republicans feel disposed to allow the
election TO 20 by default the latter greatly to their
own surprise and that of their opponents, wipe out
the 200 majority Of two years ago. and demon
strate their ability to elect Congressman in No
yember. In single State Senatorial Distrct-the
Ist-they have made gain of LOO votes There
il a nut for the politicians to crack, end If they
don't find in it the evidence of the Democratic
frauds which the Republicans in 1876 suspected but
could not prove, perhaps they will explain how II Is
that the Conservatives get so much larger MAORI
ties when the opposition is organized actlye' ana
nolls full vote than when 1t is passive and antici-
pates defeat.
The election in North Carolina week ago last
Thursday proves that the Republican party in that
STATE "a not dead but that with little effort can,
In November elect to Congress at least one. and
nossiblv three Republicans from districts now rep
resented by Democrats -Four Republican members
Of tbe House of Representatives from that State
MIGHT NOT only change the political complexion OF
tbe popular branch of Congress, but IL might even
preyept the choice Of a Democratic President in
1881 If the election should be thrown into the
House. T. l. w.
THE NORTH CAROLINA sENATORSHIP.
CHANCE FOR TIRE REPUBLICANS TO SAY WHO
SHALL BIZ CHOSEN
fry TRIEaRAPH To TIE TEIBuEE.l
WAsHINdroN, Aug 9.-The latest intelligence
from the North Carolina election indicates that the
Legislature will stand about as follows on the
senatorial question In the House Vance will have
80 votes and Senator Merrimon ~. leaving the
- III a. ,,o,es IL, the Sonata Vauce