Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-09-12
Fraud and Democracy.

] HeAN B1AAN Inv lOl VI
hired mOurners, are rending their
clothes and bowling about alleged
political sins of Republicans, bat mani
fest not the slightest conception of the
eXceeding fraudulency of fraud as no.
toriously practieed by themselves.
With fraud in the abstract, or as fully
embodied in the life of the corrupt
Democracy, they have no quarrel. In
fact, they appear to rejoice il it as the
highest Democratic virtue. 1t seems
to spring spontaneously from the na-
ture OF the Democratic leadership, and
to be tia chief element which builds
iup and sustains their organization.
The Wsrst elements of the Democratic
patty always control it, and they have
made that party the very embodiment
lof political corruption and dishonesty,
not only IN the means to which it re-
sorts for the spoils Of Office, but even
in its instincts and aims.
The great Outcry against fraud is q
trick to operate upon the well-known
sensitivenes5 Of Republicans. They
are generally quick to Iebuke unfair
and dishonest conduct on the part Of
their leaders. Republican principles
are known TO be light, and cannot be
successfully attacked. Therefore, from
the Democratic camp comes the lugu-
brious wall that the Republican party
has been guilty oil great moral
wrong. 1t is the last Resort before
election day. 1t is the old story Of
Satan bungling scripture, and of the
actual thief sounding the hue and cry
in the throng of the street.
1t may be cheerfuIly admitted, how
ever, that the torlornness and solemni-
ty which so disfgure the Democratic
countenance are not wholly assumed,
or entirely subject to voluntary control.
They are TO no little extent the signs of
a true inward grief, not because there
lis fraud in the world, but because there
has not been more OF il, and especially
because certain great Democratic
frauds upon which so much reliance was
placed did not prove more etfectuel iu
lattaining their object. 1.-the Infamous
campaign of intimidation and murder
which gave to TiIden the votes of Ala
bama and Mississippi had only been
lust pushed little further in LouiSi
ana and Florida, the rebel brigadiers
and their party might now be rejoicing
over their full control of the general
government. That the opportunities
under "the Mississippi plan" were not
made the most of, will always be sad,
sad thought in the Democratic mind.
If, before the count, TiIden and his
agents had succeeded in any of their
repeated attempts to buy an electoral
vote, all might yet have been well. But
ne was destined to fail also in this.
At one time it was thought that "the
business" had been "happily settled
Tilden had withdrawn the condition
that payment should be contingent
upon the result i'll March," and had
deposited the cash for the Oregon cleo
tor, in pursuance of the contract. But,
alas! that vote WAS never to be deliv-
cred. And as the last Dem Ocratic hope
faded into despair, great was the an
ger and sore was the grief. Naught
but torrents of profanity and sire wa
ter" rushing in opposite directions,
could relieve the one or assuage the
other. 1t will be long before the Dem
ocratic party can entirely recover from
, the shock of disappointment occasioned
by the action of the Electoral Commits.
tsion in presenting the consummation
of that Oregon purchase. In the pres
ent boisterous exhibition of Democrats
ic mourning and resentment there is.
therefore, some degree of sincerity and
actual feeling. But it is not against
fraud. 1t is only because of the failure
of fraud to appease the Democratic
hunger with the spoils of Office, and to
place the country in the power of it3
enemieS.
When the Democratic leaders de.
nounce fraud they must, therefore, not
be understood as meaning any dispar-
agement to fraud itselGor as wishing in
any respect to bring it into disfavOr in
the common Democratic mind as a
leading element, and chief source of
success, in their political management.
! When with loud-sounding trumpets
they demand honesty in elections, it is
not to be inferred that they by inpIi-
cation, or otherwise, would recom>
mend the trial of any such suicidal ex-
pertinent in their own ranks. The
Democratic party understands itself
upon this subject, and the virtuous de-
clamation of its leaders is simply for
outside effect. This is fully illustrated,
by the record of that party, which let
US briefly examine. 'i'' fs
From the testimony of the preceding
Democratic candidate for President,
and from other sources, it was well
known that Tilden had been at the
head of the election frauds in New
York; it was well known that he had
defrauded the government out of a
large portion of his income tax, that
he had been a railroad sWindIer. and
that he had by the use of shinplasters
manufactured by himself cheated thou
sands of laborers out of their daily
tearnings; and yet these things seemed
only to give him deeper hold upon
the affections of his party. He is now
the apostle of purity who, on his late
return from Europe, lifted I'D his
hands and registered an oath against
the enormity of fraud. Coming to our
own State, there was Banning, elected
10 Congress from Cincinnati by pro.
fessional repeaters fresh from New
York and Chicago. He had scarcely
warmed into his seat when he threw
himself into tremendous spasm
of virtuOus eloquence ou the impor-
tance of maintaining the purity of the
ballot. Everybody was amazed. ItI
seemed great outrage that Eph. Hol.
land and his assistants should be
thrown into the penitentiary for con-
tributing to the country SO good and
gifted a statesman.
Readers will also recall the outrage.
Gus attempt to defraud Hayes out ofI
his election as Governor in 1875. On
the second day after the election, it |
was not yet decided who had been
elected. The result was close, and |
both parties were claiming the victo- |
rV Ear in the ninhf of thnf d. 60.