Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-08-05

quiry, that the aggregate vote returned
as being cast at the Presidential election
of 1876 presented the most startling ex-
ception to all that had gone before fol
orty-eight years. As TO the aggregate
vote of the country these facts, among
others, were shown: In the great election
Of 1910, the Presidential vote equalled
Ill per cent. of the State population.
In 1852 it equalled 1876 per cent, and
27.l per cent. of the whole body of quail
ified electors in the States failed to vote.
In 1860, the second most exciting election
known in our history, the Presidential
vote equalled l49 per cent. of the State
population, and 23.7 per cent. of the
electors failed TO vote. In 1872, it equal
led 1863 per cent, and 22.3 per cent. of
the electors did not vote In 1876, the
vote equallcd 1919 per cent of the popu-
lation, and only 81 per cent of the cleo
tors failed to vote; that is, in every hun
dred qualified voters in every State of
the Union, no more than s i are supposed
to have failed to come to the polls. There
is no parallel to this, the Times declares,
in all the previous history of the United
States.
1t further appears that while the popu-
lar vote from 1860 to 1862, a period of
= years, increased no more than 3S.3
per cent, in the four years from 1872 70
1876, it made the astonishing increase of
SOL per cent, and that, too, in the alb
sencc Of any special cause. 1t is also
found that in this election Of 1876, one
ballot was returned for each .09 persons
qualified for the suffrage, while in 1882
it WAS one to each | 81 in 1860, one to
each "a, and in 1872, one to each l.2S.
These statistical facts present the Presi-
dental election of 1876 as the most
amazing in respect to the vote returned
ever held in the country Was this enor-
nous increase in the vote an honest one
the Times asks, and finds the answer by
pushing the inquiry into those localities
where the increase was greatest, which
are certain States of the South and in
the North, the States of New York, New
jersey and Connecticut, spoken Of at the
time as constituting Mr.. Tilden's North
em campaign ground.
The statistics used in the Times review
it says have been wholly drawn from Off
cial sources, and all calculations have been
based on figures furnished by Federal and
State authority. They prove first
That under Democratic auspices gross
frauds were perpctrated in 1876 in the
States of Louisiana and Florida, and that
the Democratic claim to the electoral votes
of those States has no foundation in fact
or warrant in honesty.
Second-That unlawful means were
employed to secure the electoral votes Of
other Southern States to the Democratic
nominee for President; that notably Is
this true Of Mississippi, in which State
the ballot-boxcs were stuffed to swell the
popular vote to 9j.5 of the entire body
Of suiFragists, while large bodies Of citi-
zons were absolutely debarrcd the privi-
lcges of exercising their constitutional
rights.
Third-That in accordance with the
popular will, as expressed through the
ballot-box. the six electoral votes Of Con-
nccticut. the thirty-fvc electoral votes OF
New York, and the nine electoral votes Of
New jersey rightly belonged to Hayes
and Wheeler, and that such electoral votes
were fraudulcntly diverted to the use and
benefit of theb Democratic competitors.
The Times concludes: That the gigau-
tic frauds perpctratcd by the Democratic
conspirators in 1876 were well known to
Mr. Tilden, if not Immediately planned
and directed by him, cannot well be dis
putcd They fully explain his cowardIce
in failing to defend his title to administer
the government Of the country, il title
hepossesscd Thecreation OF the electoral
commission compromised the legal rights
of no candidate. The courts have been
open to him, and are still open for the
trial of his claim, when presented. What
but a guilty knowledge OF the iniquitous
scheme now laid bare can have deferred
him: