The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-12-22
IN. Y. Tribune.l
What is the Remedy?

The deed of the Democrats OF Maine arouses
the utmost Indignation. BY decent Democratic
papers there is no attempt made to defend 1t.
They freely admit that any supposed advan-
tage which the Democratic party had derived
from the course of the Republicans in respect
to disputed electoral votes in 1876 has been
thrown away by the deliberate action of the
Democratic party in stealing the State Govern
ment of Maine. No one denies that the OBJ
iect 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 people
meant to elect and did elect Republican Leg
islature, nor does any one claim that there has
been the least chance of the election of Demo-
cratic electors in Maine by free and honest
vote. The steal is naked, barefaced and i'm
pudent. The intention to get the electoral
vote of the State, by means OF power which
fraudulent Governor and stolen Legislature
may exercise, is not concealed in the convers-
ton of Democrats and Greenback men at
Washington, and it is plain that no party,
having the least chance of getting that vote by
decent and lawful means, would have resorted
to fraud so desperate and shameless.
Even the Democrats know and admit that
the immediate effect of this high-handed and
revolutionary course win be to strengthen the
Republican party. They calculate, however,
that no conceivable fraud or 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
hot Cplf-OOv-
ernment the party may commit. In this fact
lies the peril of the situation. The only safe
guard against the MexicaHiZation 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
public opinion in the former Slave States that
It believes it can perpetrate any crime whatev-
er 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 sufficiently shown
by its conduct in 1876, and by its desperate
struggle to repeal the election laws, is certain
ly manifested only too clearly by the perform
ance in Maine.
Every Republican will ask at once, What
should be done to defeat this infamous consplr-
acy? Already, as Washington dispatches
show, there is a manifest determination TO
meet it and defeat it at whatever COST Men
see that outrages less gross and palpaole, III
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 I'M
| portant was the success of TIE Republican par
| ty in every Northern State election this year.
| The power to crush the great fraud in its IN
| cipient stages has been deliberately intrusted
| by the people to loyal men, for 1t had been
| made plain last Spring that free institutions
| 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 a 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 that put
| down the rebellion. The question now to be
| considered is whether a fair election can any
| longer be held. In the Southern States, un-
| happily 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 de-
| fiance of the 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 possl-
| pie, the Republicans must not only secure every
| electoral vote except forty, but must take care
| that other frauds in two States do not defeat
| the almost unanimous wish Of the loyal people,