Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-04
Che freeman
doNTPELIER.vT
WEDNESDAY. DEC. 4, 1878.
Still Mistaken.

Still Mistaken.
The opening of congress Monday uneX-
pectedly brought at once to the front the
great mistake under which the controlling
portion of the democratic party is laboring
and foreshadows as distinctly as did the
November elections the even chance that
the republicans have of carrying the next
presidential election.
The message of the president, given
elsewhere in these columns, speaks for
itself and our readers can see whether
anything unreasonable is said Of the south
or proposed us to what has been done
there. President Hayes when he took the
reins of government went upon the theory
that all states are alike in power and in
willingness to exercise it rightfully for the
protection of all citizens. The republican
party has barely saved itself from the ruin
which was imminent because Of belief
throughout the north that the republican
rule in the south was dishonest and that
rule by southern whites would be alto
gether different.
BY the action of the president the whole
south was relieved from federal interior
ence and placed upon its honor. The
result has been what the president calmly
describes in his message. And here we
desire to mention that we take from m
impartial source those facts which prove
that in South Carolina especially the late
election was a farce; disgraceful per
formancc by the side of which any former
republican misdoings are respectable.
Mr.. 2. L. White, the III. l.. W." of the
New York Tribune is a man of calm judy
ment and one who, we personally know
was wholly free from all approval O.
former republican rule in South Carolina
He was two years ago almost ii moi
quite persuaded to 90 for Tidcn because
of his belief that republican rule in the
south was thoroughly bad. But within
ten days he has been writing from Orange
burg, S. c., (whcre Eugene G. Webster
son of Rev. Dr. Webster, is on trial fol
alleged misdoings) and he describes il
language which we have here no space tt
quote the farcical nature of an election
there under democratic rule. The TISSUE
paper ballots he shows to have been :
reality and they easily explain how it is
that but three or four republicans are
returned to the South Carolina Legislature
In short the pledge that all citizens
should stand equal before the law is no
kept and republican is not equal before
the law to democrat in South Carolina
Now when congress meets and the mes
SAGE is read Fernando Wood undertakes
at once a criticism of what is said of mat
tiers in the south and he and Cox enter
upon defence in substance of what In.
been done there.
This is great political mistake butpne
which republicans will not be apt as party
men to be sorry for. The Independent
vote of the north which was offended a
republican misdeeds, is and will be equally
disguised at such "goings on" as tho
chivalrous southerners are now indulgins
in. The public sentiment of the country
is against violence and cheating in cleo
tions. This sentiment, because of tenn
porary impression that the republicans
took something by cheating in 1876, bore
down upon the republican party and III
1877 overwhelmed it through the north
When it now finds that the cipher dis
patches represent what virtue there was
in the reform ~ campaign there comes &
reaction and calm study Of facts relating
to the campaign of 1876 to find out which
side was deepest in the mire of corruption
If these facts prove even equally damag
ing to the democrats as to the republicans
the tissue ballots of South Carolina will
turn the scale and now that the heightened
southerner is found cheating as well n,
bullying so as to get solid south, we will
have solid north in two years from now
These things will be tried before the
country and Mr.. Fernando Wood never
during the war more mistook northern
feeling than he does to-day when he talks
as though South Carolina methods are off.
set by petty election disputes in New York
city, and as though temporary majorIies
in congress obtained by such methods viii
not cause such disgust among reasoning
men as will bury any party that does moi
maintain equal rights for all citizens.