Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-05-06

certifying the result of the election, re.
quests the advice of the Attorney Gen.
eral of the State, a DemOcrat,as to whom
he should issue the certificate of elec.
ton, and although the Attorney General
gave an opinion TO the Governor that
Mr.. BiSbee was entitled to the certiii-
cate, it Is issued 10 another, who was
never elected. but who is now occupy
ing seat in the House of Represents
tiVeS, while three of the criminals, whose
frauds it is alleged secured him his seat
are serving i'll the Penitentiary, convict
ed and sentenced on account of these
very frauds.
| might multiply examples evidencing
the purpose of the Democratic leaders
to control this Government at any sacri-
flee of principle or right, but these are
sufficient to convince the most doubling
of what awaits this country at the hands
of that party il an emergency such as
have described. They have succeeded
in silencing the Republican voice in the
South, and the Republican Representa-
tiOn from that section in Congress will
soon exist only as memory of the past.
| Whole districts have been disfranchi-
sed by the use of a shotgun and the
bludgeon, and Republicanism has been
huShed into the stiffness of death. A
few facts in this connection will not be
without profit.
Take Georgia, and contrast the cleo
tiOn of 1872 with that of 1873. In the
Second district i'll Georgia the Democrat
ic vote in 1872 was $3.50; in the same
year the Republican vote was 9,6I6. In
1878 the Democratic vote WAS 1926, and
the Republican vote was only SIX, fall
ing off of 9,610 Republican votes in pc
riod OF six yeaTs; and it will be ObServ-
ed that this result is not due to IA
change of political sentiment, for the
Democratic vote discloses no increase.
In the Sixth district of the same State,
in 1872, the Democratic vote was 9,993,
and the Republican vote 6,196. In 1878
the Democratic vote was 1892, and the
Republican vote only eighSeen. While
in the Eighth district, in 1872, the Dem
Ocratic vote was 7,437, and the Republi-
can vote 6,23O. In 1878 the Democratic
vote was 3.673, and the Republican vote
| had fallen to FnTY-FOUR. Seventy-eight
! Republican votes were cast in three
Congressional districts in this State in
1878, against 22,042 cast in 1872.
Go into Mississippi. where it is said
peace reigns and protection is awarded
| to her humblest citizen, and we find that
| the Republican vote in the Third dis
trict of that State fell from 1902 in 1872
to $50 in 1873, and in the Sixth district
from 15,1O1 in 1872 to ] ,307 in 1878. In
1872 four districts in Mississippi gave
over 10000 Republican votes,and in 1878
these same districts gave less than =. 900.
Fiftv-seyen thousand Republican votes
have disappeared in six wears. and that
number of citizens shut ont from parti-
cipation in political control, absolutely
deprived of the constitutional right of
! franchise.
| In North Carolina. in the Sixth dis
trict of that State. the Republican vote
in 1872 was 1O.561. in 1879 10.2S2. and in
| 1878 but 259. These are some of the les
SONS of self-sovsrnment i'm the South a
few examines ONLY. gathered here and
there. illustrating how th4 constitutions
al Guarantees of eouaIitv in civil and no
litical privileges are maintained in
States where the Democratic party has
exclusive control Nobody has the te-
merity to assert that there has been any
. l.
can DonuIation TO account for ti;iS chan0e
No depopuiation. no plague or n.stilence
has swept them from the face of the
country: bnt OpDressed. buIIied and fer.
rorized. tbey stand mute and dumb in
the exercise of citizenship politicaIIv
raralvzed and Congress not only refuses
to provide a remedy but is seeking ia
break down existing guarantees. Is this
system of disfranchisement TO he furth-
er permitted? Is the Republican senti-
ment thus TO be hushed i'm the South
and how long? Are the men who in
crease the REPRESENTATIVE mower thronoh.
ont these States to have no renresenfa-
tion? Is free thought and free action
TO be crushed ont in one section of our
cOuntry2 T answer no. mol but that the
whole power of the Federal Government
shOuld be exhausted in securinS to eve
nv citizen. black and white. rich or DOOR
everywhere within the limits of the
Union. every right. civil and politicaI
guaranteed by the Constitution and the
laws. Nothing short of this will satisfy
public conscience. publie morals and
nublic instice
There ia another fact which giyes the
approaching contest unusual signii-
canoe.
If the Republican party is successful
this wear in the National elections. the
power of tho Solid South. with its 13S
electoral votes. will have spent its force,
and will no longer retain its present
commanding position. This is the last
election under the census of 1871. and
the apportionment of political mower
therennder The new census now in
process of execution. will have been
COMPLETED before tha next GuadrenniaI
election and will disclose tbe great
growth of nonuIation in the Wesf fine
Northwest and Pacific states incressinT
tbe renrasantation in tbese RannLIica3
StrongboIJS and tbarahv ;ncreasing tba
nnmber of electoral votes in tbose States
while fine Diminished ponulation of the
south will he revealed rasnIting in tbe