The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-09-18
The ssFraud'' . Issue. sue

done" one alleged crime than another.
The fraud issue is an assumption, that
Mr.. Tilden was honestly elected Presi--
dent by constitutional majority, and
was then dishonesty counted ont by
Returning Board, whose action was
dishonesty affirmed by the Electoral
Commission, and ratified by Congress.
The simple facts are these, in regard to
Louisiana, where the chief fraud is al
legged. The practice of terrorizing the
coiored vote in certain parishes of
Louisiana had become SO universal that
q law was passed authorizing the Re
turning Board to throw out the vote of
any precinct in which the Board was
satisfied that the vote had been unfair,
either through fraud or intimidation.
In the election of 1876 the one notorious
fact in Louisiana was the bulldozing of
the colored voters in certain parishes,
of which the Cincinnati Commercial es-
pecially contained the most ample and
conclusive evidence. The vote as re-
corded at the polls was q notoriously
dishonest vote, as much 80 as that re-
corded by Tweed in New York in the
election Of 1868. The Republican Re-
turning Board threw out the vote of
several parishes, SO that the Republican
Presidential Electors were left with q
majority. There was immense excite
ment throughout the country. The
Democrats insisted that the bulldozed
results ought to be received Is final.
The Republicans retorted that the law
authorizing the revision was designed
to defeat bulldozing. On both sides
there were suspicious circumstances.
Nothing was clearer than that the vote
as returned to the Board was not the
honest vote. But il was doubtful, also,
whether the action of the Board was
honest. The result Of the National
election depended upon it, yet neither
the Constitution nor the laws provided
an unchallenged remedy. In this situ-
alton Congress created the Electoral
Commission. The Commission decided
30 abide by the general principle that
the State certificate must be regarded
ass final. and Congress ratified the deci-
sion, amid general satisfaction and
relief. y
This is the ground upon which the
fraud issue is raised by the Democrats.
But the difficulty in their case is two
fold. In the fret place, the presump-
ton is always against them in such q
question; and in the second place, the
Democratic fraud ard violence in Lou
isiana are quite as indisputable as the
fraud alleged against the Republicans.
The truth is that both parties were be-
fouled, and the country is fortunate to
have had peaceful and lawful escape.
But for the Democratic party to hope
to take the position; of purity and hon
esty in the election of 1876, as against
the Republicans, is hexpressibly lu-
dicrous. There is no speQtacle in our
political history more ridic14oqs than
that of Mr.. Tilden announcing solemn
" from amidst pile of cipher +ele-
grams thht the country will never con-
done fraud. The assumption of the,
fraud issue is general belief that Mr..
Tilden honestly received Constitution
al majority, But there is mo- such be-'
lief. Nobody believes that the election
in several Southern States was nrhen-.
est election. It is very easy te say that
it is only possible to count the votes
that are cast But this is no less foolish
than easy, when it is known that q sys-
tenn of fraud like that .of last year in
South Carolin4, or of terror as in 1876
In Louisiana. has made thoFesuftuf the
votes as cast dishonest. trsts 81.
This is 90 generally the conviction ct
the common.senye Of the country that
we can not suppose it;not to Be perfect.
ly familiar to the Democratic managers.
Tho cry Of fraud has been painfully
maintained by Democratic papers. and
repeated by Democratic Conventions.
but it has failed wholly to impress the
country, which certainly i perfectly
contented that bulldozing did not sue
coed in carrying Mr.. Hlden into the
White House. It is mot credible ethat
sensible Democrats really suppose that
they can safely depend upon the cry Of
fraud in 1876 to win the campaign of
1880. A platform of :" fraud" infla-
ton, and bayonets. at tho polls would
be an insult to tho Intelligence ofs the
Union which would certainly revenge
itself at the election. HarpeT's Weetly.