National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-02-15


organized government in its several depart
ments is rendered healthy, strong, and en-
during It is not possible to draw good
government from the pools and agencies
of wrong and corruption. To corrupt
the ballot-box is to poison the
political system and carry the seeds of de-
cay and disruption into every department
Of its structure. 1t is the direct source of
all that is deplorable in government, and
uncertain as to its durability. The repre-
sentative in point of honesty and useful
ness, seldom rises higher than the fountain
from which he derives power, and hence,
when he knows that his election Inns been
procured through reprehensible agencies,
he will lose sight of the dividing line be-
tween right and wrong in his official action
and draw his inspiration and prOmptings
from the agencies Of fraud and corruption
by which he has attained position and
power,
1t is all nonsense to attribute to the
law which the Democrats seek to abrogate
| any purpose of, or tendency toward, "tyran-
" ny and injustice" 1t seeks TO guard the
| ballot-box against fraud and corruption,
but It sleeps until its requirements are vio-
lated. II is only the offender or his friend
who has any quarrel with this law, and who
desires its elimination from the statute
book. 1t applies to every State alike in
the Union, and wherever the ballot is pre-
served in its purity IL is Of no effect and its
vengeance is not feared; neither is its re-
peal demanded except in those localities
and by those politicians where and by whom
the oflenses which this law Furnishes are
openly and purposely committed.
The South has antagonized this law
| simply for the reason that 1t stands between
the ballot-box and practices which are
counted in its provisions punishable of
ienscs. OF course the ballot-box suffer
does not want any such law. Neither do
the rifle-clubs, the intimhators, nor those
who murder their fellow-citizens for politi-
cal opinion sake want 1t upon the statute
book. They all desire to stuff ballot-boxes,
make false election returns, intimidate and
murder voters without any power in law
to punish these olfenses. The States where
public sentiment iustiGes all such acts and
agencies TO debauch the right of suffrage
will never, by their own State laws, pro-
vide for the punishment of these oflenses.
The only hope in this direction, under ex-
isting circumstances, is through the Federal
law and Federal power, which is too wide
and too strong to be subiugated to local
prejudices and purposes. This, those who
| Int ,yin tha lo o,,1 d
verting the elective franchise understand
perfectly WELL and hence their bold and
brazen demand now that the Federal law
shall be repealed.
The movement of the Democrats in favor
of repeal has already been denounced by
Senator BAYARD as revolutionary" and
yet his expressed view of the case, instead
of checking their mad crusade, adds fe-
rocity to their purpose accompanied with n
shower of abuse upon his offending head
for having the boldness to take the position
of good citizen and an honest statesman.
Senator BAYARD, strongly partisan as he
is, has too high sense of honor and pa
triotism to aid revolutionary scheme of
the magnitude that the South is now push
ing upon Congress. He revolts at it, and for
expressing his honest and patriotic sentiment
of aversion he has become target for the
criticism and denunciation of every ballot
box stuffing agent and abettOr in the coun-
try. This one fact should call halt with
every honest Democrat in Congress. No
honorable Senator or Representative can
afford to make such chapter of history for
himself to be read and studied by those
who shall come after him. Indeed, no man
can afford to con 'front.' such a record, unless
hei already bankrupt in patriotism and is
lost to every sense of right and justice
Neither should any Republican submit
without all possible resistance to a scheme
so revolutionary and corupting in its inhu.
ences.