The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1879-04-17
SHALL VOTES COUNT ?

SHALL VOTES COUNTY
Not only has the Democratic party, in
every closely contested national election
during the past forty years attempted to
win by an organized course of fraud but
for ut least twenty years it has been con
cerued in habitual conspiracies to set
aside the popular will after due declar
alton of the Judgment. Decent men
| generally regard it as the depth of base
ness to submit a case to arbitration nd
then refuse 10 abide by the decision be
cause it happens to be unfavorable; bat
! Democratic politicians, however respect
able they may be iii private life, throw
| respectabillty to the winds when they
deal with public affairs. 10 1860 the
! Democracy submitted a great national
issue to the arbitration of the popular
vote The verdict being against them,
they promptly repudiated the arbitration
and during four terrible years of war
they fought to obtain by force what had
been lawfully and regularly denied them
| by the decision of the ballot.
At the election of 1876 they brought
out their last voter, and when it became
apparent that the country had again de-
cided against them there was hardly an
ina ginabe scheme of fraud or violence
to which they did not resort in order to
overturn the dgment to which they
had submitted themselves. They bribed
an electOr in Oregon to falsify the final
record of the vote of that State. They
bargained with the canvassers of Florida
and South Carolina to change the figures
after the returns had been made up and
counted When other plans tailed they
concerted a viilanous plot to put all the
electors OF South Carolina in Jail on fcti
-, h,E IL
lose her vote entirely. All these rascal
ties were defeated; and then. when the
last formal act that should MAKE effective
the verdict of the popular vote was about
to be performed, this revolutionary party
once more repudiated its compacts and
threatened the country with a civil war
For the sake of the public peace, the
Republicans yielded so lar as to submit
to new arbitration, putting again in
dispute the prize they had fairly won
The Electoral Commission was organized,
bOthp arties solemnly agreeing to abide
by its judgment. Men will not soon for
get what followed The Commission
pronounced in favor of the Republican
party, and instantly the revolutionary
Democracy was in arms, threatening
chaos and the breaking up of the Gov.
ernment, and paying no more regard to
laws Iudu IL luFJ "tIS 81 "dott
paper, or to solemn promises and cove
nants than if they were last years winds
Now the Democracy have brought on
another crisis They are bent upon a
certain act of legislation from which they
hope to reap "A political advantage. The
people have refused to give them a suf
fiaient majority to pass that act. They
take refuge at once in their old plan
repudate the submission to the people,
and attempt to seize by violence what the
arbitrators of their own choice have de
cded not to give them. In every emer-
gency the Republican party has double
contest to wage with these dangerous and
con.cienceless men. 1t has first to defeat
them at the polls, and then, when the
election is over, it has to compel them to
abide by the result, The second strug-
gle Is tar the more important of the two.
rhe first only governs changes of policy;
upon the second depends the very prin
cIple of free government We have al
wayS won in this aiter.cOntest; and while
the American people retain their com
mon sense, their love OF justice, and their
pride in republican institutions, we al
ways shall win.
H. 1