New-York tribune., 1879-12-18

The deed of the Democrats of Maine arOuses
the utmost Indignation. BY decent Demo
cratic papers there is no attempt made to de-
fcnd it. They freely admit that any supposed
advantage which the Democratic party had
derived from the course of the Republicans III
respect TO disputed electoral votes in 1876
has been thrown away by the deliberate action
of the Democratic party i'll stealing the State
Government of Maine. No one denies that the
object is TO enable the same party to steal the
electoral votes of that State No one pretends
that there is the slightest doubt that the peo-
pie meant to elect and did elect a Republican
Legislature. nor does any one clam that there
has been the least chance of the election OF
Democratic electors in Maine by free and
honest vote The steal is naked, bareiaccd
and impudent The intention to get the elec-
toral vote OF the State, by means Of power
which n fraudulent Governor and a stolen
LEGISLATURE may exercise, Is not concealed III
the conversation of Democrats and Greenback
men at Washington, and it is plain that no
uarty, having the least chance of getting that
vote by decent and lawful means, would have
resorted to IA fir; nd so desperate and shameless.
Even the Democrats know and admit that
the immediate effect of tins high-handed and
revolutionary course will be TO strengthen the
Republican party. They calculate, however,
that no conceivable fraud OF crime can loosen
the hold of the Democratic party upon the
Southern States or upon Maine, because IN
those States it is no longer dependent upon
public opinion. Force and fraud have subju-
gated those States, and it is believed can
hold them, no matter what crimes against
self-goyenment the party may commit. In
this fact lies the peril OF the situation. The
only safeguard against the MexlcanizatiOn of
our form of government lies in the disposition
of the people to put down party that resorts
to fraud or violence; but the Democratic
party has so effectually shackled the people
and gagged pubic opinion in the former Slave
States that 10 believes it can perpetrate any
crime whatever with impunity. Then, having
strangled the popular will in Maine, that party
has only TO seize two other States by fraud in
order to get the mastery. Its readiness TO
perpetrate any fraud whatever, If not suffi-
cienty shown by its conduct in 1876. and by
its desperate struggle to repeal the election
laws, is certainly manifested only too clearly
by the performance IN Name.
Every Republican will ask at once, What
should be done to defeat this Infamous con-
spiracy1 Already, as Washington dispatches
show, there is a manifest determination to
meet il and defeat it at whatever cost. Men
see that outrages less gross and palpable, in
only two other States, would utterly set at
naught public opinion. But there should be
and will be cool and patient consideration of
the means to be adopted in order TO defeat
the scheme of fraud. We now see how vastly
important was the success Of the Republican
party in every Northern State election this
year. The power to crush the great fraud in
its iucipient stages has been deliberately in
trusted by the people to loyal men, for it had
been made plain last Spring that free institu-
tons were not safe in any other charge.
The Republican party has demonstrated
that it has no reason TO fear direct appeal
To the people in fair election. Its strong
desire will be to take no step which can by
anybody be construed AS an evidence of such
fear. But responsibility for the safety OF the
Republic has been placed again upon the
party which put down the rebellion. The
question now to be considered Is whether a
fair election can any longer be held. In the
Southern States, unhappily, it is too PLAIN
that free election Is not possible. In Maine,
it is now evident. any election whatever
under official control of the men who have
stolen the power in wanton defiance of tho
will OF the people, would be mere farce. 1t
comes to this. then. that there can be no fair
election in States casting only forty votes less
than an electoral majority. In the other
States, where fair election is possible, the
Republicans must not only secure every