Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-12-17
THE STAKE.

That OF 1860 was followed by the civil
war, and that OF 1876 by the Great
Fraud, which in tho opinion Of thought.
ful men, was far heavier strain upon
our institutions than the war. What
shall follow the election OF lS80Y
Many wise men firmly believe that 1t
involves nothing less than the con-
iinued existence of tho Republic. lfit
shall be carried BY force or fraud, or
both, a second time--if the bayonets
of the Federal army shall glcam around
the ballot-boxes, or IL the votes Of the
people shall not be counted as they
were cast--it will be the end OF tree
elections, and will be so accepted by
the vanquisbed as well Us by the vic
tors.
We may not and we must not shut
our eyes 10 the tremendous Issues, or
delude ourselves with the idea of safety,
when our whole inheritance is in dan.
ger. The masses of the Republican
party have no conception of the de-
signs of their leaders; II they had
they would resist as patriots those
whom they blindly follow as partisans
They do not, more than Democrats,
desire to abdicate their own sovereign.
ty and be governed by rulers not Of
their own choice; but their confidence
in party and party men blinds them TO
the tendency Of their measures. They
are convinced that any expedient to
keep the Democrats from power is
ustifiable, because as an abstract prop
osition the Democrats in their judg.
ment, ought not to have power. But
that same expedient will serve as well
to deprive them of their just weight
in the Government, when after another
turn OF the wheel they may desire TO
displace the men whom they were will.
ing should be put in Office by unjust
and unlawful means in 1877, and for
whom they were willing the fatal ex-
pertinent shall be tried in 1881. When
the form Of government shall be chang.
ed, and it shall be given power to gov
ern one section or one class without
regard to the fundamental principles
of our present Constitution, it will be
found TO have the same power with re-
gard to the rest. When made "strong'
against one il will be strong against
all, and those who have been so eager
to make slaves Of others will discover
that they have succeeded SO well as to
make slaves of themselves also. This
lesson is found on every page of time.
1t is the story OF every Republic sub.
verted and every Constitution over.
thrown.
That we are drifting rapidly upon
perils greater than any We have passed
must be very plain to those who are
willing to see. The great Fraud Of
1876 won all the prizes which the con
spirators proposed TO themselves as the
reward of that then unparalleled crime
and its success embodons them to
another attempt. This is the meaning
of Carpenters alarm about the alleged
purpose ofthe Democrats TO take possess
sion Of the Government in 1881 some
what as the Republicans did in 1877.
If that be not its meaning-that is TO
say, IL it be not intended TO organize
Republican fraud behind this cry Of
fraud after the Democrats il has
no meaning, and is such senseless
twaddle as Senator Carpenter is not
used TO utter.
The Democrats have none of the
appliances OF fraud on national scale
in their. hands. The srmy,t marshals,
the whole machinery of election, con-
stitutional and unconstitutional, re,
mains with the party which employed
it SO corruptly, 50 ruthlessly, and sue.
cessfully when the great fraud was
accomplished. That these arc retained
for some unavowed purpose. was made
manifest by tho spirit with which they
were defended during the late contest
for the repeal Of the laws which, in
clear violation OF both the letter and
the spirit Of the Constitution, seem to
authorize their use against the people
"when they assemble to express their
sovereign pleasure at the polls"
In the two Houses of Congress the
Democrats possess the means VI resist
ing fraud, unaccompanied by military
force, such as Grant threatened to ex.
ercise in 1877 , but they have no mean,
of intimidation and disfranchisemenl
SUCH as the Republicans employed
then, and are now preparing the pub
he mind, by such deliverances as thi,
of Senator Carpenter, TO tolerat,
again.--N. Y. Sun.