Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-01-01
the seating of Mr.. spoford as the duly
elected Senator from Louisiana.
THE STAKE.

year may, to say the least, prove
crisis as grave as any in our history.
That of 1860 was followed by the civil
war, and that of 1876 by the Great
Fraud, which, in the opinion of thought
ful men, was far heavier strain upon
our institutions than the war. What
shall follow the election of 1880?
Many wise men firmly believe that it
involves nothing less than the contin-
ued existence of the Republic. If it
shall be carried by force or fraud, or
both, second time--if the bayonets
ofthe Federal army shall CLEAN around
the ballot-boxes, or if the votes of the
people shall not be counted as they
were cast-it will be the end of free
elections, and will be so accepted by
the vanquished as we'll as by the vic
tors.
We may not and we must not shut
our eyes to the tremendous issues, or
delude ourselves with the idea of safe
ty, when our whole Inheritance is i'm
danger. The masses of the Republi-
can party have no conception of the
designs of their leaders if they had
they would resist us patriots those
whom they blindly follow as partisans.
They do not, more than Democrats,
desire to abdicate their own sovereign
ty and be governed by rulers not of
their own choice but their confidence
in party and party men blinds them to
the tendency of their measures. They
are convinced that any expedient to
keep the Democrats from power is
iustifable, because rs an abstract prop
osition the Democrats in their judg-
ment, ought not to have power. But
that same expedient will serve as we'll
to deprive them of their just weight
in the Government when after another
turn of the wheel they may desire to
displace the men whom they were will
ing should be put in office by unjust
and un awful means in 1877, and for
whom they were willing the fatal ex-
pertinent shall be tried in 1881. When
the form of government shall be chang
ed, and it shall be given power to gov
ern one section or one class without
regard to the fundamental principles
of our present Constitution, it will be
found to have the same power with re-
gard to the rest. When made Strong"
against one it will be strong against
all and those who have been so eager
to make slaves of Others will discover
that they have succeeded so well as to
make slaves of themselves also. This
lesson is found on every page of time.
1t is the story of every Republic sub
verted and every Constitution over,
thrown.
That we are drifting rapidly upon
perils greater than any we have passed
must be very plain to those who are
willing to see. The great Fraud of
1876 won all the prizes which the con-
spirators proposed to themselves as the
reward of that then unparalleled crime
and its success emboldens them to
another attempt. This is the meaning
of Carpenters alarm about the alleged
purpose of the Democrats to take pos
session of the Government in 1881
somewhat as the Republicans did in
1877. If that be not its meaning
that is to say, if it be not intended to
organize Republican fraud behind this
cry of fraud after the Democrats-then
it has no meaning, and is such sense
less twaddle as Senator Carpenter is
not used to utter.
The Democrats have none of the
appliances Of fraud ON a national scale
in their hands. The army, the mar
shals, the whole machinery of election,
constitutional and unconstitutional, re-
mains with the party which employed
it so corruptly, so ruthlessly, and sue
cessfully when the great fraud was
accomplished That these are retained
for some unavowed purpose was made
manifest by the spirit with which they
were defended during the late contest
for the repeal of the laws which, in
clear violation of both the letter and
the spirit Of the Constitution, seem TO
authorize their use against the people
"when they assemble to express their
sovereign pleasure at the polls"
In the two Houses of Congress the
Democrats possess the means of resist
ing fraud, unaccompanied by military
force, such a. Grant threatened to ex-
ercise in 1877 but they have no means
of intimidation and disfranchisement
such as the Republicans employed
then, and are now preparing the pub
lie mind, by such deliverances as this
of Senator Carpenter, to tolerate again.