The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1878-11-27

SoNE MoRE . FRAUDS Tho new method
of cheating the Republicans of the South in
the elections is by what is known as the It's
sue paper, or "onion skin . ballots. They
have got beyond the bulldozers and Ku klax
system This WAS too rude aud brutal. The
tissue paper ballot is at once more refined and
effective Through it the absolute disifan-
chisement of The Republican party is secured.
1t was employed to some extent III Virginia,
Louisiana, Florida aud North and South Car
DINA. but 20 the most outrageous extent in
the latter State.
The accounts Of this fraud are oyerwhelm-
ing The Washington correspondent OF the
New York Herald, a very careful, clear head
cd and reliable man, says:
What the South Carolina Democrats did
in the two low country districts, from which
complaints come, was fraud, barefaced pre-
meditated and stupid flaad--frand that had
not even necessity for its excuse, for they
could have won without it. Tho Republican
party in the State was utterly disofganized /;
all It's leaders who had any force or influence
had, like Chamberlin, left tho State; only n
little decent management would have secured
To the Democrats a fair proportion Of the neg
10 vote, quite enough with their own vote to
overcome fairly and honestly the majority
against them. They preferred 10 reject the
help of the blacks aid win by stutfng ballot
boxes and placing the polling places at such
points and regulating the voting hours in such
a way in the black region that the colored
vote could not be polIed. This is told you
not on Republican authority but on that OF
Democrats decent men, native Carollnlaus,
whose letters received here show that they
are outraged and Indignant at what they
rightly regard as deep disgrace to the State
and to their party
According to these letters the Democratic
organization in the low country OF South Car
DINA, where these frauds were committed is (
no better than ring of unscrupulous polite I
ians whom Governor Hampton, il he had not I
been besotted by his ambition to become SEN T
ator ought to and could have denounced and (
crushed out. These men have been fora year .
busy in preventing the growth of an in lepend-
ent movements which, If it had prospered, or (
if Hampton had foster cd it, as he must have I
done had he been a statesman, would have di- I
videa the white and also the negro vote, and
re-established the politics of tue State on a 4
sound basis, insHrng good government no
matter who was elected. Having crushed ont
the independents, they then rejected the coll
ored voters who offered themselves and pre-
pared to stuff the ballot boxes and secure the
election by fraud. They made thorough work 4
of it, for the Assembly now returned and to I
meet next week consists of104 Democrats and (
only three Republicans, and both Smalls and 4
Rainey are cheated out of tbeir election III
Congress. 1t remains only for Governor
give certificates to the two Democrats who
were returned by fraud from these districts TO
complete the disgrace of the State and his I
own. II is scarcely possible that the Demo
Gratis in the Forty-sixth Congress will admit
the two men on the certificates, il they get
them. The least they can do win be to order
a new election. /
:. The view Of these occurrences taken by
the administration differs in an essential par I
ticular from that Of the so-ealled stalwart Re-
publicans. The latter rejoiced exceedingly,
aud behold already the materials for Il brand
new bloody shirt" They exaggerate all
that has been done, which is bad enough
without oxaggerafion. The President and
his Cabinet intend to do their fun duty to err
force the laws and punish offenders but they
do not rejoice over what is really calamity,
and they wait to see what the respectable and
honorable part of the Democratic party III, t
only in South Carolina, bat in tie North, alse,
viii say To all this. Even as party attitude
this would seem to be the wisest for the re-
ally serious matter is not the frauds. Tho
serious matter will he if there are not found
honorable Democrats in South Carolina aud
elsewhere to denoance those frauds and to re-
fuse 10 take advantage of them, and the silent
waiting Of the President now will have far
greater effect on the country than the bolster
Gus jnbilaton Of the stalwart Republicans