The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-12-25
The Name Fraud.

We publish brief synopsis of the speech
of Senator Blaine, of Maine, on Che occa-
sion of mass meeting OF the people OF his
Stateto protest against the blazing fraud
committed by Gov. Garcelon and the MEM
bers of the Board of Review, in converting
Republican Legislature into Democrat
ic body. There has never, in this country,
been SO bare-faced piece of rascality. The
Democratic press of the country, and es-
pecially of Virginia and the South, sustain
the action of the Governor. and his cocoon
spirators, and give as an excuse for it, that
the Returning Board of Louisiana defeated
the will Of the people of that State in 1876,
in counting its electoral vote for Hayes
Were this statement true, it would only
show that it was not the fraud that the
Democrats hated, but their great cause OF
complaint was that they were not the ben
efciaries of it. Their plaintive appeals to
the country to condemn what they claimed
was a great crime against free government
in Louisiana, arose from the fact that the
action reprobated did not inure to Demo-
cratic advantage, and not that they scorn
the wrong itself because of the moral prin-
ciple involved.
tween the two cases. In the case OF LOU
isiana the will of the people had been de-
feated by the cruel and bloody methods OF
organized brigands who murdered. pillaged
and burned-spreading death and desola-
ton in their vandal tracks, in order to
drive from the polls the legally qualified
voters of the Republican party. and for the
avowed purpose of preventing free ex-
preston of the popular will. The laws
of that State were framed to meet such
contingencies, and strict observance and
enforcement of their provisions by the r :
turning Board secured for the Republican
candidates the electoral vote OF that State.
In the case of Maine. there was no such
ground of complaint. The election had
been peaceable and fair, and no one raised
the issue of violence and bloodshed to keep
any portion of the people from casting the
ballots that reflected their wishes. 1t was
cool. calculating determination to defraud
the people out of a verdict they had rem
dered in the methods prescribed by the
laws, and to reverse the popular will by the
sharp practices of inscriptions politicians.
The indications point to the fact that the
people Of the State of Maine do not propose
10 submit to the gross and criminal out
rage. 1t should not be expected that they
xrouf1 Nor ,,,;lJ +bo ,,oonIo Of tho TIp;to1
States look with Indifference upon this adj
vance and initial movement of the Demo-
cratic party to exhaust the devices of dis
honesty to secure the next Senate and
President. Forewarned is to be forearmed,
and the instrumentalities inaugurated to
destroy the vital principle of Republican
institutions in Maine will only serve to in
cite to that vigilance, which is the price OF
liberty, that will arouse the popular con-
science everywhere in the broad limits Of
4 publican triumph, as the only sure guaran-
the of the freedom upon Which our govern
ment is predicated.
Since the partial success Of this great
crime against the people, we see it stated
that the chances of Mr.. Tilden have notably
improved for the Democratic nomination
for the Presidency. 1t is natural that they
should. 1t is even possible that his dexte-
rous hand has had something to do with
the methods practically carried out by the
Democrats of Maine and the apparent
success which has attended them, may en-
courage the hope that the author of the
cypher kilograms and the conspiracy to
steal himself into the Presidency by buy
ing one electoral vote in Florida or Oregon,
may be able to capture the Presidency in
1880, by system OF kindred frauds all over
the United States.
The exposure of Democratic purposes by
the developments in Maine will have its eff
feet throughout the country, and be
answered by popular verdict of unusual
emphasis next November in the overwhelm-
ing defeat OF the party which instituted the
frauds and have applauded their results.