Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-11-17
CLEARFIELD, PA.
WEDNESDAY MORNING, NOV. II, 1850.
THE ELECTION AND BUSE
NESS.

THE ELECTION AND BUSE
NESS
1t will be seen that stocks have been
declining ever since Tuesday (the 2d)
by reason of the general belief that
General Garfield was chosen at the
election held ON that day. The natu-
raj result Of this belief has been a de.
; cline of all classes OF securities. 1t Is
true that stock brokers, who figured
during the canvass as the cuisines
classes" predicted contrary result,
But the investors, whose instruments
the stock brokers are, are aware that
the election of Garfiell would check
all the industries OF the south If the
sectional programme which was laid
down by the advocates Of Garfield
should DO carried out, or if any seri.
Gus attempt should bo made toward
carrying il out, and it is, of course,
the opinion of these investors which
actually fixes the market and which
has now depressed the market.
II tho premise that Garfield is cleo
ted President were established, the
conclusion that securities are less val.
uablc than they were before would
necessarily follow. But it is entirely
premature, to say the least, TO assume
that Garfield is elected. That assump.
tion was made by everybody, it is true,
on the day alter the election. But on
Wednesday the apparent majority on
the face Of the returns was alone
known, while the means by which the
apparent majority was secured were
OF course not known. Since Wednes.
day evidence upon this latter point has
been accumulating--and more will un.
doubtedly be elected. What the ef.
feet of it will be upon the minds of
members Of Congress, who are to judge
whether the votes OF States shall be
received OF rejected, remains to be
seen; but not until Congress has pass
ed upon the returns can it be known
that the calamity of the election sf a
sectional candidate upon sectional
programme has actually come upon
the country.
Four years ago, it may be remem-
bered, it was generally, indeed almost
universally, believed for some days af.
tor the election that Mr.. Tilden had
been elected. Like General Garfield
at the present time, Mr.. Tilden had an
apparent majority on the face Of the
returns. One Republican paper, in.
decd, maintained in q second edition
on the morning after the election that
Mr. Hayes had been elected, but the
claim was derided by everybody as
preposterous. Yet when Congress met,
| Congress, or rather the Commission to
which Congress had delegated the duty,
decided that the Republican newspa.
per was right and that the otherwise
universal impression was wrong, and
Democrats throughout the country
submitted peacefully and patrlotically
to this decision, just as Republicans
throughout the country viii submit
peaceably and patriotically to the de-
cision of Congress if Congress finds
that the popular impression which
undoubtedly prevails now, that Gar
field has been elected, is as unfounded
as the impression which prevailed in
November, 1876, that Tilden had been
elected.
The anteccdent probabilities in favor
of such q result seemto be considora
bly, stronger now than they were then.
The apparent Republican majority on
the face of the returns in this State,
for example, is between $1,000 and
10000, The apparent Democratic ma
iority on the face of the returns in
Louisiana was in 1876 some 5000,
which, compared to the total vote of
the State, is equal TO a majority of
more than 10000 in the State of New
York. So large was il, indeed, that
there was at the timo, az may be re-
membered, a general disbelief that it
could have been obtained by aniawfGl
means. In order TO convince doubt.
ers, General Grant, then President, rc.
quested several persons, among them
General Garfield, lately the Republi-
can candidate for President, to visit
Louisiana and witness the count, that
they might be able to assure the coun.
try of the fairness with which the
State canvassers did their duty. The
value of General Garfeld's assurance
that a majority of 5000 in a total vote
Of 10000 might be obtained through
fraud md intimidation is established
by letter which he wrote to bis
friend President Hinsdalo Just after
receiving the Presidents invitation
In this letter he expressed his fear that
he might be associated with some nm.
scrupulous politicians who would be
willing "to count our side in, right or
wrong" and implied his purpose not
to be party TO their wicked schemes
But even General Garfield, when he
arrived in Louisiana, was convinced
that this largo majority had boen OBJ
tained by the vilest means and 10 Ger.
tilted to the country when he sat as u
member of the Electoral Commission.
Ii will be admitted that a majority |
Of 10000 on a total vote Of 1900, 900 |
is much more likely to be obtained |
through fraud and intimidation than |
majority of 5000 in total vote of
100000, Whether the majority in |
New York has been obtained by such /
means is question Of fact, on which
Congress will have to pass, and on
which q great amount Of evidence can
be obtained before Congress will be I
called upon to pass upon it, In tho
meantime it is proper that the press
should devote itself TO rcassuring the
business community, since 1t is by no
means certain that the calamity of
Garfeld's election, which has SO much |
depressed the stock market, has actu-
ally come upon the country, and since
the precedent OF 1876 makes 1t certain
that the country will peaceably and |
loyalty acquiesce in the decision OF
Congress whatever that decision may
be.-Ne,o York World.
Diary WoRK.-A writer in the Pitts.
burgh Post recalls, in a circumstantial
narrative, the exciting events of four
years ago, when, at about this date a
cabal of Pennsylvania politicians roost.
ing in Philadelphia planned the means
by which fraud was then made trium
phant in the Presidential election, and
the way paved for the election now of
the man who took Tho rnnet conanicn