The Portland daily press., 1880-09-04
. To Portland Republicans.

The earnest appeal to Republicans, made
appears in the local columns of the PRESS
this morning, should be needed; and it is an
appeal that all honest voters, without dis
tinction of party, ought to take to them
selves. No man who cherishes the honor of
the city of Portland, or has pride in its good
name, or desires to see its choice of men to
represent it in the State Legislature regarded
and given effect to, can resist feeling of
indignation at the disfranchisement of the
city attempted by the Tabulators last Win
ter. Our citizens owe it to their self-respect
to give so emphatic rebuke to the men
who advised that political crime, to the men
who attempted it, and to the men who
sought to profit by it, that like assault
upon popular rights will never be made
again.
That the attempted outrage is condemned
by every honest and Intelligent man in the
city cannot be doubted. But party exigency
and desire for party success will lead many
to smother their indignation, and to refrain
from condemning the fraud about which we
are all So angry and ashamed, for fear that
condemnation may leopard the success of
the national ticket which they support and
for whose triumph they hope. 1t is only
from those whose conscientious scruples
are stronger than their partisanship that we
can reasonably expect to hear the voice of
rebuke.
But the disfranchised majority, the
men who have most reason to complain, are
not hampered by considerations which in
fiuence the timid Democrat and GreenbacS-
er. They utter the voice of Portland and
shape its policy, and are properly held re-
sponsible for its representation. 1t is for
them to rebuke fraud and disfranchisement.
We hope that many Greenbackers and Dem
ocrats will join us in denouncing the wicked
schemers who put shame upon our city.
But the wisest and safest way is to put
trust only in ourselves, to go to work at
once, and labor without cessation until elec-
ton day. The majority for an honest
count cannot be too large. The only dan
ger is that it will not be great enough to
give the measure of our honest Indignation.
HERE are some expressions of Southern
sentiment that the Confederate Brigadiers
now stumping this State will not care to re-
peat to their audiences. B. F. Perry, pro-
visional governor of South Carolina under
johnson, says, ''The poor, miserable, un-
principled white man who tries to restore
the radical party to power in South Carolina
should be socially ostracised, and not even
spoken to on the streets. He should be
treated as an enemy to his race. This should
be resolved on and adhered throughout the
State. Social ostracism for the white man
and no employment for the colofed." The
Greenville News indorses the remark in the
following pleasing terms: ''Let them never
be forgotten. Let the undisturbed peace
that will ensue from their defeat not move
us to charitably condoning their faults.
Lack of success in execution does not lessen
the guilt of carefully designed crime. The
men who aid radicalism now should be
handed down for the execration of genera
tions to come" The Somerville, Alabama,
Critic, which is as frank as Weaver, pub
fishes a card, which says, eve Stuffed
them, and we mean to do so again in No
ve,nber for Hancock, as we did in our recent
election.''