The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1878-06-13
The New York SUN and fhe
Stolen Presidency.


the ablest journal in the United
States. AS denouncer and expo
ser of frauds it has no equal. There
fore. though not a democratic jour
nal, when it so thoroughly exposed
(,raltism as to make its lideous-
ness apparent to the entire country,
and thereby killed the third term
aspirations of the American Caesar,
the people, and especially the dem
ocratic party, felt grateful to the
Sun for this valuable service. When
the Sun went further, and battied
for. the success of the democratic
cause in the campaign of 1876, the
democracy of the union We're doubly
grateful for it's efficient aid.
Tilden was elected, and the coun-
try drew the first long breath 1t
had drawn in ten years. No one
then thought of disputing the elec-
ton. Hayes conceded 1t Ill pub
lie letter. So did the republican
press, and the hearts OF millions
beat high with gratitude to Godfor
the national tleliverance from the
crushing yoke OF republican party
despotism.
But the votes of Louisiana and
Florida had not yet passed the Off
cial count of the returning boards,
and Zach Chandler awoke from the
stupor of his party's defeat to plot
against the life of the nation, and
to devise machinery to wrest from
the ballot box the fruits of the great
democratic victory. The returning
boards were III no hurry. There
were "millionsin it," and theyknew
it, and for the first time in Ameri
can history a president OF the Uni
ted States sent "yisiting statesmen"
to witness, and troops to secure, a
fur count of the votes of States.
Zach Chandler braZenly declared
that Hayes was elected. No one,
even in his own party, regarded the
declaration as anything more than
the raving of a bowling idiot, but
the strange and unseemly action OF
Caesar caused llneasiness and final
ly alarm. The returning boards
waded up to their lips i'll fraud,
perjury and forgery, and officially
returned the votes of Louisiana and
Florida for Hayes. Grant parked
the national artillery at the national
capital, and converted the city OF
Washington into military camp,
to secure a tair connt ofthe electoral
votes by Congress.
Then certain republican leaders
declared that both houses of Con
gress should not count those votes;
that they might both he present at
the count, but that the republican
president of the Senate alone had
authority to open and count them.
Indignant mlrmurs at this revo-
lutionary theory arose all over the
country, and the situation became
threatening and gloomy. Then
Caesar clenched his cigar between
his teeth, and muttered something
about Fortress Monroe. AT that
supreme moment where was the
New York SUM-
Where was this volunteer cham
pion of the democratic party, and
this fearless enemy Of fraud and
oppression in high placesg One
word of defiance of the mongrel as
sassins of American liberty, coming
lust then from the New York Sun
would have swelled into a shout O
freedom. The South had Tough
| the great battle Of the States at tin
ballot box, and had won it. j
could do no more as an agressoI
Itcould only lay its life,on the alta
of free government, and it wa
!, ready to do that if tha markham da