The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-07-31
rhnt voting Percentage showing


Whenever Hon. John P, Irish, under
takes to dssect republican argument or
false showing he always succeeds. and he |
never fails, either in the completeness OF
his showing and fullness of details. With
the alacrity so universal with radical
organs, the Gazette, of Davenport, Iowa,
takes up the percentage showing of the
New York Times and reproduces the care
fully prepared figures as convincing proof
of Democratic per6dy. And now comes
the Iowa Press (democratic) which is
John p. Irish's paper and completely an
initiates Deacon Russell, after the fol-
lowing manner. 1t is like all of Irish's edi-
torials-strong, cogent and unanswerable'
Here it is:-
The Davenport Gazette is in mixed
state of rapture and alarm over the New
York Times ten-column falsehood about
Democratic frauds and ballot box stufing
in the election OF 1875.
The Times article is based upon certain
dogmatic assertions, the leading one of
which is that whenever the vote of State
equals 2l.3 per cent. Of its whole pOputa-
ton the vote is q fraud, for twenty-one
and three-tenths is 30 heavy a proportion
of voters to population as to be physical
impossibility,
The next assertion of the Times is that
when the vote of State is 945 per cent.
of the total number of UoterS, it is evidence
of fraud for the per centage of votes cast
is too large.
The Times then picks out certain Dem
ocratic States of 1876 in which the vote
was 2l3 per cent. of the population and
and a. 5 per cent. of the voters, and AYERS
that its arithmetic proves fraud for Presi-
dent Tilden's benefit.
Over its three conclusions the Gazette
gloats with perfect pleasure. They are:
First. That under Democratic aus
pices, gross frauds were perpetrated il
1876 in the States of Louisiana and Florida
and that the Democratic claim to the
Electoral votes of those States had NJ
foundation in fact or warrant in honesty.
Second, That unlawful means were EN-
ployed to secure the electoral votes o
other Southern States to the Democratic
nominee for President; that notably i
this true of Mississippi, in which State tn
ballot boxes were stuffed TO swell the pop
ular vote to 94.5 of the entire body O
suffragists, while large bodies of citizen
were absolutely debarred the privilege @
exercising their constitutional rights.
Third, That 10 accordance with the poI
ular will, as expressed through the ballo
box, the six electoral votes of Connecticut
the thirty-fve electoral votes OF Nev
York, and the nine electoral votes Of Me-
Jersey rightly belonged to Rutherford B
a IL.
can candidates for President and Vice
President, and that such electoral vote
we're fraudulently diverted to the use an
benefit OF their Democratic competitors
Samuel j. Jilden and Thomas A, Her
bricks
Now as to Florida the election was he'll
under Republican election officers exclu
sively The State was counted for Haye
by Republican Returning Board, on
total vote Of 1852, though the Time
sOlemDly asserts that there were only A.
TAI voters in the State. As Republican
held the election, counted the votes an,
certified the returns for Mr.. Hayes, it Wi
strike the reader that this mares nest cor
tains Republican eggs.
Again take South Carolina, which bot
parties conceded gave its electoral vote L
Hayes. A republican census of 1875 CAV
that state 1874, 943 voters. The total vot
in 1876 was 1858, or 994 per cent. of tn
whole vote. Mississippi which voted TO
TildeU, cast 943 per cent. Of its total vote
aud therefore its vote was fraud, erie
the Times, and therefore the Gazette clap
its little quilts and echoes fraud"
is fool applauding liar.
The Times declares it sheer impossi
bility for 95.2 per cent of the vote Of an
state to be cast. Yet republican Ney
Hampshire in 1876 cast GO. per cent
To return to the Times claim of frau
when the vote equals 2l.3 per cent OF tn
whole population. In democratic Nev
York the per centage of vote to population
was % a; in republican New Hampshire
%, in democraticI Indiana, 25 sin republ
canMichigan 26.6; in democratic Kentucky
1876; in republican Iowa, Oil; in reput
lican Kansas, 22.l in republican OhiC
24.7, and SO on.
10 fact, reading the Times ten-coIum
lie and such appreciation of it as til
G0zette gives. one is lost in Amusement 9
the small estimate put by the papers
that party upon the intelligence of the
readers What possible use can decor
man have for such party as the republ
can?