The Portland daily press., 1880-11-01
Boston Journal.]
Why the Victory Should be En-
phatic.

to the Republican ticket, but foreseeing its
success, called pom the Republican leaders to
spare no effort to secure decided majority of
the electoral votes. Many Intelligent indepen-
dent voters, who would be satisfied with Gen.
era Hancock, have expressed the same desire
since the October elections. Nor do they leave
us in doubt as to their reasons for such declar-
ations. They assert the belief that the Demo
cratic party in Congress, which has set itself
up as returning board, will if the vote is
close, find pretexts for setting aside the votes
of sufficient Electors to make no choice by the
Electoral College, and thus throw the election
into the House, where the Democrats will con-
troll majority of the States by unseating Orth
of Indiana, thereby enabling them to elect
General Hancock. This, it may be added, is
not Republican roortack, gotten up for the
purpose of frightening timid voters, but the
fear of men, who. while they are not friendly
tn the Republicans, have learned that the
present managers of the Democratic party are
not only INSCRIPTIONS but revolutionary.
And there is ample cause to believe that in
case the Electoral vote is so evenly divided be-
tween the two parties that the Republicans
will have but small majority, that the DEM
cratic Congress will find pretexts to declare
the Republican majority null. Thus far Con-
gress has refused to consider any measure for
counting the Electoral vote which does not
make that body o returning board which can
go behind the certificates" of the States and
declare other men chosen Electors than those
certified to the Vice President by the State
authorities recognized by the Constitution
The party In the House refused to pass the Ed
mands bill, 6lil Tor a counting the Electoral
in the State the final arbiter in
allf disputed questions affecting the choice
Of Electors 1t has persistently refused to con-
slider any measure which does not clothe Con-
gress with sufficient power to set aside the ac-
tion of State officials in the matter of Electors
The Senate has already adopted on its part
''joint rule" for counting the Electoral vote.
which makes Congress the judge of the cleo
tions in the several States. The House was
sion by the hostility of the Republicans. 1t
will be adopted when Congress meets in De-
cember; and there is a widespread conviction
that the Democratic Congress will make a
scheme to revoke the will of the States as ex-
pressed in the choice of Electors, and thereby
to elect the Democratic candidate for Presi
dent. 1t is true that such plan involves a
usurpation as bold and fatal in its influence to
popular government as that of Louis Napoleon
whe as President of the Republic of France,
Emperor and changed the Republic to an EN-
pire The country hasl come to believe that
the Democratic leaders are ready to carry into
execution such plot, aud there are Demo
crutic journals, notably one in Ohio, managed
by man in the counsels of the Democratic
magnates, that openly threatens such a course.
There is one way to avert this danger, and
that is by electing decided majority of Gar
field electors. IT all the States of the North
give their votes to the Republican ticket, the
1oro ifcf foxy
the managers will not dare to set aside the de-
cree of the people. If it is not thus emphatic
such a danger exists; and We know that men
who have stood high in the opinion of Massa-
chusetts democrats have expressed fears in
case the Republican majority is SMALL
No man can estimate the disastrous effect of
such a contingency upon the business of the
country. Suppose that the Republican major
ity is dozen or less, and that the next House
is so close that the Clerk who makes up the
ro.l upon which it is organized will dare to set
aside enough Republicans to give the organi-
zation to the Democrats, what will be the ef-
feet upon the busn ess and industry if the
Democratic organs and leaders should urge
Congress to set aside the Republican maiori-
ty of electors and Representatives? We all
know the effect of the Maine election upon
business. We may judge something of the ef-
feet the advocacy of such revolutionary plots
will have upon the business of the country
The condition essential to the continuation of
movement that partakes of the nature of revo-
luton will destroy confidence everywhere,
Capital will be frightened, enterprise will be
paralyzed, mills will cease to run on full time,
labor will lack employment, merchants will
miss customers, warehouses will be filled with
unsold and unstable goods, il the country is
disturbed by conspiracy to set aside the pop
ular verdict. Better hundred times have a
decided Democratic victory than a Republican
triumph by so narrow a margin that it will in
woke the r2vOntiOnarv SDirit Of 10 nop,
&c managers and encourage them to set it aside.
Even the uncertainty which four months of
suspense and fear of such usurpation by Con-
gress as IS feared by independent and threat
ened by Democratic lOulna will ruin the bus
iness OF the country for the next year even if it
does not succeed, and for an unknown period
if successful.
From the Independent standpoint it no long
er Is question OF party politics, but one which
involves the prosperity of the country. This
being the case, il is scarcely question as to
what IS the duty OF the great mass of intelli-
gent people regardless of party. Even now,
when the Democratic managers have resorted
to the circulation Of forged letters, so palpably
Democratic papers, like the New York Sun
and the World, refuse to approve them, Demo-
Gratis wEo believe in decency are in duty
bound to vindicate their principles by repudi.
ating these managers and their works. What,
then, is their duty to the country and its high
est welfare, when it is generally believed that
these managers entertain revolutionary designs
should the Presidential election be favorable
to the Republicans but the result close? Sim
ply to show that they believe in Democratic
institutions by defeating those who seem dis
posed to overthrow them.
This matter extends further than the cleo
tion of President. 1t is affected by the politi-
cal complexion of the next House. Shorld
the next House have Republican majority
OF fifteen or twenty, the present Congress will
not dare to set aSid. the verdict of the neonle
in the Presidential election The moral in
fuence of such an opposition will deter the
plotters. II the next House is Democratic,
that fact will embolden the reckless leaders in
the present to undertake any crime against
popular government necessary to give them
power. Ii they can successfully carry out
such conspiracy against popular government,
the prosperity OF the country win not only be
destroyed but the foundations of the Republic
undermined.