Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-05-29
New Series-Vol. 10. No. 90.

that the Democratic party has never
made pretence Of valuing free ballot.
The right of voting there has always
been looked upon as the exclusive privi-
lege of the white Democrats. When the
suffrage was conferred upon the negro,
the Chivalry considered that act of JUS
tive mOnstrous exercise of the tyranny
of their cOnqerOrs. For awhile they re-
fused to take any part in elections; and
when they grew tired of this ruinOus
policy, they came back to the polling
places with guns in their hands and
drove the negroes away. The plain En-
glish Of the situation is that the South
ern Democrat has no conception of
free ballot; the idea of such thing is
repugnant to all his political notions;
and there never has been free suffrage
in the South except under the protection
of the United States Government.
The cry that the States alone are enti-
tied to regulate elections means nothing
except that the Democrats intend to
hold power if they can by the same vio-
lent and dishonest means which they
employed in winning it, and which they
have always employed to the full extent
of their opportunity. They have tried
to deprive the Federal Government of
the right to execute its own laws, and
have failed. They are trying to abolish
the offices necessary for the operation of
the election statutes, and they will fail
in that too. The next of the scheme is
the worst device of all. 1t is to take
from the Federal Government the right
to remove from State to United States
Courts prosecutions instituted against
Federal officers for acts done in the dis
charge of their duty. The consequence
of that arrangement would be an absO-
lutte notification the election laws in
every Southern State. We have seen
in numberless instances already how the
machinery of the local courts has been
used to prevent the punishment of
criminals indicted for fraud, violence
and intimidation at the pOlls,-how su-
peryisors and marshals have been ar
rested upon the charge of interfering
with elections" and the forms of JUS
tice have been prOstituted to secure i'm
munity for the most f1agrant offences. II
the United States could not remove pros
ecutions against its officers into its own
courts the Southern Legislatures would
Immediately pass laws making it a
crime to carry out the provisions of
Election statutes, and there would be no
power to save the Federal functionaries
from being sent to the penitentiary for
simply doing their duty. Here would
be the establishment of State supremacy
in its most dangerous form. 1t would
make little difference to the Democracy
after that whether the Election laws
were repealed or not. Let the State
Legislatures make it penal offence to
execute them and tho desired end would
| be secured in the manner most agreea-
BILE probably to Bourbon sentiment.
These gentlemen would rather defy the
Government than not.
None of these schemes will succeed /;
but it is important to expose them in
order that the people may see the depth
of this conspiracy against a free ballot
to which the Democratic party has de-
liberately committed itself. 1t is not
surprising that plot SO black should
have been discussed only in secret
caucus. Bold as the Democrats are,they
dare not opeu such schemes to the sun
light Of free debate.-N. Y. Tribune.