Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-10-23


so found a most formidable organi-
cation effected before they began to
do anything.
There are two reasons for giving
serious attention to these methods
of carrying elections. They furnish
most urgent motives for changing
the present system Of government,
and they encourage Us with the
hopes of being able 10 do SO.
Do the people of the United States
I'VE speak of north and south, east
and west, republican and democrat
do the people really desire the
continuance of republican govern
ment, of a government by the peo-
Pile? If they do, let them consider
we'll whether they are not losing all
that. If the governing powers in
Washington are able to continue
this process, PROFESSIONALLY it is all
lost. If they are able to transfer
hordes of voters from one place to
another, wherever they may desire
to swamp the local vote; if they
are allowed to place the polls in the
power of an army of supervisors
and deputy marshals of their own
appointment and to control unlim-
tied corruption funds at the public
expense-does anybody suppose
that if all this is allowed to continue,
any vote of the people will be al
lowed hereafter to be given except
in the interest of the party in power?
Suppose this election to result in
giving to the republican party both
the presidency and the control of
congress does anybody think that
then these means for overruiing the
popular will will be diminished :?
A fool must see that they will be
increased indefinitely. To the office
holding power and the money pow
er (both of which will be indefi-
nitely augmented) will be added
the military power. The army will
be increased four-fold, perhaps ten
fold; strong garrisons will be estab-
lished in every great city, and cleo
tons will thenceforward be con-
Quoted under their authority they
will inaugurate governors and
induct state legislatures Gas they
have done before), and, above all,
they will take absolute control of
the national capital, so that neither
legislative nor executive business
will be feasible except by permits
sion of those who control this mill
tary force.
Would that we had access to the
republican as well as the democratic
ear. Parties will not always be di-
vided as they are now, and the
time may come when men who
scruple at nothing so they can tie
down the democratic party and
bind 1T hand and foot, will find that
they have been forging chains for
themselves. 1t may not be always
that the men who are sanctioning
these things will find themselves
at one with the executive govern
ment in matters of policy; and
what then? Will they not find that
the powers that they have yielded
to the executive government for the
purpose of keeping down the demo-
Gratis will keep them down. Why,
they learned better when they
studied Esop's fables in childhood.
The horse allowed man to mount
him that together they might defeat
the common enemy, and thence
forward man made slaves of the
horse and his enemy both.
But let us close with more cheer
ing topic. Our analysis of the causes
which brought on our defeat has
convinced us that with due energy
and determined effort it can be
converted into victory next month;
that Indiana may be recovered and
the nation carried for Hancock and
English. We shall no longer have
an unpopular candidate to carry,
but Winfield Scott Hancock, whose
name has been hailed with enthusi-
asm wherever constitutional self
government is priced. Populations
can no longer be transferred from
state to state to outvote the local
population, for every state will
need its own voting population,
and even the enormous resources OF
the executive government cannot
be poured out with such prOfusioE
for the corruption of any one state
when they are equally needed
throughout the length and breadth
of the nation.
Let us not yield, then to despond-
ency, but nerve ourselves to the
contest of November with inspiring
hope and firm resolve, and the dis
aster in Indiana may be as transient
as an April shower, which shall
clear off and leave us rejoicing in
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