Daily Republican., 1879-06-18
ssFree ElectiOnN" vs.. "HOnest
ElectiOns.''

ell the issues Of the campaign for 1880
that they are willing to msks it on that
Of troops at the polls, and they pretend
to be satisfied with that issue. They
profess to be contentsd also with that
issue, but We apprehend that it is very
much in the same situation described
by the Teutonic widower, who in reply
to a question concerning the resigna-
ton of his deceased wife, said: ere
signed Mine uott, she had to be"
AT any rate the Democrats have made
their own bed and now they must lie
down in it, whether it he too long or
too short, too narrow or too wide. If
they haye succeeded in satisfying
themselves they have satisfied the Re-
publicans, who will cheerfully meet
them on the issues they have chosen.
They have epitomized and condensed
the whole contest into small compass,
and op their banners they propose to
inscribe, "Free Elections" This is a
terse statement, comprehensive idea
it sounds well, and as qualifying SEN
tence it lmpresses US favorably, almest
as much so as the talismanic words,
''Free Soil" did in 1854. Their last
rallying word was "Reform," and un-
der this thin guise they almost forced
Samuel J. Tlaen, the sham reformer,
into the Presidential chair, but after
events. have shown what u poor miser-
able sham the word was. The Repub
leans have II, objection to let their
Democratic friends have their own way
and docket their issue under whatever
name they may fancy, and as they have
chosen the words "Free Elections" for
their rallying cry, the Republicans can
consistently offset this with the motto
of "Honest Elections" Thus the case
being made up an appeal to the people
is not feared by the Republicans. The
Democratic grievance is stated to be
Federal interference at the polls, and
under this head they allege that Re-
publican policy has stationed soldiers
with tayonets, and United States Mar
shals with warrants of arrest at the
ballot boxes. This is the main charge,
and everything else are but specifica
tions under it. Suppose we grant the
truth of the allegation, we would like
to know what that has to do with hon
est voters. The man who is really
honest and entitled to vote has no
fears of either soldiers or United States
Marshals all others are dishonest vot-
ers. An inquiry as to who began this
interference at the polls and where it
began would be interesting. Such in
quries lead us back into the history of
Democratic attempt under President
Buchanan to use the army twenty-five
years ago to force slavery into free
territory. The effort to force the Le-
compton pro-slavery constitution upon
the people of Kansas has not yet been
forgotten by many who were then and
are still voters. If it was right then to
use troops at the polls to force slavery
upon free territory, the party using the
force should be the last to object to
the right to use troops now if necessary
to protest the people i'll their right to
vote unmolested for whom they please.
Ths people have not forgotten either
the Democratic rebellion and its sup
preston, neither have they forgotten
the cause of it. The Republican party
is quite willing to 60 on the record on
that appeal to the nation. The honest
voter, who contemplating no crime nor
outrage, and fears no arrest either by
troops or United States Marshals, when
appealed to on behalf of "Free Elec-
tions," to register his protest against
Federal supervision, will be very like
ly to ask the reason for it. THIS in
auiry takes him back upon the record
and lands him plump upon the fraudu.
lent actions Of 1868, when 2j, 900 fraud
ulent votes were cast in New York city,
which frauds disclosed the necessity for
some measures to prevent the repeti-
ton of the same gigantic frauds. The
Republicans are ready and willing to
accept the issue laid down, and for
every voter to have free liberty to ex-
anime the records Of each party, and
make his own intelligent choice. The
| DtuDCTdLlC utIuduu lOT FREE LltC
ctions" sends the voter back upon the
history of the Democratic party, and
the Republican answer 10 give us
"Honest Elections" makes sharp and
clear the contrast between the records
of the two parties, as well as their aims
and purposes.