National Republican., 1880-07-06
TILE FREE BALLOT.

The New York Herald having got through
with the mixing of candidates for the ma
tional conventions is now lecturing on po.
litical ethics, with strong bias to scolding
everybody and everything that bears the
scmblance of politics. Having very little
itself it seems called upon 10 teach all
shades of politicians in the lihe Of duty.
Nevertheless, the HcroId in its driltings oc-
casiOnally strikes a snag of good sense. In
discussing the question of u free ballot it
strikes the keynote of the issue and places
The responsibility of its bearing any part in
the present contest with the democratic
party, whore it very properly belongs Tho
democrats have quauelcd with and have
attempted TO repeal the federal election
laws simply for the reason that they seri.
ously interlercd with the methods adopted
by them to subvcrt and corrupt the ballot
box. This point stands ont prominently in
democratic history, and no amount Of soph-
istry on their part can conceal or change
it, Some eight or nine states had been
wrestcd from the republicans by The most
utrocious frauds, wrongs and murders that
had been introduced into the political
arena by the democrats. They had enjoyed
u temporary triumph through such agen-
cies, but they were confronted by an out
Iaged law, and they knew that The avongor
Of these wrongs would not always sleep
tramped under their feet, and hence they
desired to wipe it from the statute book
They made the attempt, and through the
interposition Of the veto they failed. In re-
terring to their action on this ques ton the
HroH says:
1t was thrust into the arena by the demo
Gratis quite unnecessarily, or at least prcma-
turely, and they made pretty bad mess of it,
Their bunders in the extra session last year
cost the party dear but they were moro mod
crate in the last session, and the measure on
which they took their final stand was not un-
reasonable. But they began the agitation in
1859 without any necessity. Tho election
laws are operative only in the years when con-
grcssmen are chosen, and action might safely
| have been postponed till the late session. But
the divided democrats felt that they needed
an issue on which the party could unite, and
without any popular demand they selected the
election laws. They made bOtch of it; they
lost ground, as they deserved to do, The
party never suffered much from the election
laws II was defeated in 1872 not by federal
| troops and deputy marshals, but by the weak
ness of its candidate. In 1874 it elected ma
iority of congress, as it did also in 1876 and
| lS7S, and it was never alleged that any demo-
| cratic candidate WAS beaten by the deputy
maIshals. In the presidential election of 1876
| they claim that they elected their candi-
date, and the fact that he was excluded was
| = Il. I a.r.. q
to false counting by returning boards, The
now issue which they dragged in by the cars
did not represent grievance, but fancy, and
| they have gained nothing by its introduction.
The Herald remarks very justly that the
election Of congressmen in ls74, '7G and rs
in the south was not interfered with by
the deputy marshals. They succeeded be-
cause the laws were trampled on and their
executive officers and the people were in
| timidated by the introduction Of the rifle
club and shotgun policy into those contests
in most Of The southern states. 1t was these
agencies that assured democratic success
there i'm defiance of the law and its eXecu-
| tors. The same spirit that had devastated
the right of suffrage throughout the south
was rife in the senate of the United States
as is manifested by the revolutionary
action of the majority in refusing to
follow the spirit and letter of the consti-
tuition when the veto message of the presi-
dent on this question was received The
last moments of the late session of congress
were rife with q spirit Of revolution that
should arouse the country to alarm and
awaken it to n stubborn effort to overthrow
party viii ch will resort TO revolution to
secure a tritlmg advantage or to crafty a
feeling Of petty spite. Danger Turks in a
party which clothes itself with such a spirit
and indulges such methods under any cir
| cumstances.