The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1878-05-03
A vigorous Protest Against Fraud.

Were we called upon to select from the many
crimes Of Radicalsm that one which has done
most harm to our State, we would mot hesitate
to point the election frauds. So common has
the practice Of cheating Mt elections become, un-
der Radical teaching, that we look for 1t as we
do for ice in December, or grass in June. Be
side the injury done to the morals of the country
by familiarity with the fact of the existence in
our,psidst OF this vice, there is NO other fraud
which pfesents half tho temptation to our peo-
pie to act on the "tit for tat principle rs this
does. There arc no. circumstances, like those
attending popular elections, apt to delude
men into the idea that it is right to eight the
devil with fire :" and just here lies the cause of
the peculiarly perncious character of these
frauds. The provocation to meet fraud with
fraud under the excitement of political con-
test is almost irresistible to our "weaker breth-
ren" How often have we heard men of res
pectability in our community, within the last
two years, declare that it is not wrong TO cheat
the Radicals, ut elections, because Radicals
cheat us, and one is set-of against the other.
Great God, what is to be the character of our
Young men, if this is the moral school in which
they are to be brought upe No harm to cheat.
because we have been cheated? Not wrong to
,lefraud Smith because he has defrauded me !?
Because my neighbor is thief, liar, per-
jured villain, am justified in becoming one
also? Is this to be our moral standard This
the criterion of moral recitude? A man is not
10 Oc COnueWntu DecuuSc He oniy Cneuteu tHOSc
who have cheated hinl2
We are just entering upon political contest,
which promises, so far at least county Is
concerned to be hot and close The Democrats,
naturally enough, believe their cause q good one,
and declare with much truth that there is q nc
cessity for them to win. No one, we venture
the assertion, is moro awake to the importance
of this contest than we are, nor do we give
place to any one in the strength of our deter
minaton to triumph over this party Of thieves
ing all honorable means Of defeating these bad
men and driving them into perpetual obscurity.
But we do not hesitate to say that we would
rather see Sumter County under Radical rule
for ten years more, robbed and plundercd even
more mercilessly than ever in the past, than see
hor triumph by any disreputable methods. If
it is necessary to cheat defraud and lie, in or
der to carry the election, ten thousand times
better is it that we be defeated If we are to
sacrifice in the effort to be victorious, all that
makes victory desirable valuable, where is
the good to come from victory? a Cadmean
victory would il be indeed in which the victors
viii suffer more than their defeated enemies
,StA that makes o triumph over the Republicans
is to displace vice, and to estab-
lish virtue in its room. That which recon-
mcnds the Democratic party to-day strongly
is it's record for honesty and purity. Without
these it would be weak indeed and arc we to
be so silly as to cut eff its Ssmsonian locks?
Let us cast about for the very best and all
possible agencies of an honorable character TO
carry the next election; but let not fraud
in any shape or form be considered for o mo-
ment.-Sumier Wdcthman.