River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-10-14


Force and tissue ballots took care OF the cleo
tion of 1878 in South Carolina. 1t was testl-
fied be fore a committee of the Sen2te That one
man put about seven hundred YoJeS INTO tEe
bzllot-box This makes politics one OF the
aexact sciences" much more certain than the
dice or lots With which Offices aud nominations
were ~ filed off here the o .her day. Applause
Tn Misaiatirri mere than half the population
IL colored Ever year until 1874 the Republic
ans had majority in al eleclons- Ia 1916
the Republican vote returned vas %, QUO Inc
next wear it was but 1,166, Pad the year after
2.0s5 In ali these States the Republlcanyote,
and even the Republican committees and news
papers, had been utterly suppressed.
Alabama has Just held an election. The
Greenback candidate for President went there
and realized the embarrassment Of the bull
who butted against a locomotive. The whole
proceeding was q shameful wrong, and Mr..
Weaver saws that the enforcement OF the ma
tional election laws is the only thing which viii
make fair election possible. Arkansas mas
inst voted-Arkansas, where until recently
Renublicans always elected members of Con-
gress and the Legislature, where at the last
Presidential election 81, 669 Republican votes
were cast, and where now III no part OF the
State does the Republican vote appear. He
pudiation aud Democracy prevail nightly. l
repeat here, as l SAID in The Senate when the
Government was taken by the throat and
threatened With ssrangulaton unless the cleo
tion laws were stricken down, that the Demo
cratic party would have to-day no majority IN
either House OF Congress except for cleo
tons dominated and decided by violence and
fraud
REPUTATION OF SOUTHERN Diets.
What use is made of this ill-gotten power !?
One of its chef uses has been the reputation
of honest debts. Every Southern State but
Texas has lately repudiated Its obligations.
This aggregate reputation of State and NUM-
cipaI debts amounts 30 about three hundred
million dollars In 1872 the debts Of Southern
States we're $242, 800, 600. Now these States
recogp re and pay interest on only sos, 97S, $40.
A large part even of this is unpaid and funded
interest. On twenty millions, interest has
been scaled down to two per cent. Whether
the residue OF debts are also to be forsworn Is
now an open issue.
Is there excuse or palliation for this? We
are told so. What is il? 1t Is that carpet
bag governments" contracted these obliga-
tions One difficulty with this excuse, and not
fine only one, is that it il not true. The ante
war debt. contracted before the "carpet-bag-
ger" ever visited the South either with
knapsack or without it, was ninety million ocl-
lars No part Of this debt has been paid;
large part has been repudiated. The carpet
bag" governments paid the interest on it
regularly. TIE increase of debt since the war
was largely for public improvements. But the
most damaging fact for this excuse is that the
alleged illegal issue of bonds charged upon the
carpet-bag governments put together does not
equal tie aum repudiared by Georgia alone.
What are we to think Of men and communi-
ties who go into wholesale regulations 80
galy as the troubadour touched his guitar
Applause When Mr.. Weaver brought for
ward in the House Of Representatives bill to
issue fiat money" and make If a legal tender
for all debts public and private. man sitter man
from the South openly declared that ii the
word ''private" we're stricken out he would
vote for the bill. They had no objection to
paying off public debts with chatf, but private
~ Ia ebf bo
State debts are sacred above National obli-
cations in Southern ethics-a sovereign State"
is of higher essence than the Nation, and this
was the standing defence in rebellion for
''goiDg with their States Moreover, State
and municipal obligations are for homo pur-
poses II their own State, faith and credit is
not inviolate with Southern leaders, what in
their hands would be the fate of obligations
which were the means. the cause the memori-
ais of their defeat? LApplause.l
THE PERI1s OF DEMOCRATIC AsCENDENCY.
But we are told General Hancock would
watch them! An angel might watch tiger;
a child might attempt to divide beefsteak
with bloodhound; lamb might lie down with
lion, but the lamb would lie inside. The
peril of Democratic ascendency in all the
branches of the Government Is deeper rooted
than any measure within the scope Of existing
public question. Statesmen abroad talk OF
f'the balance of power" and of changing the
map Of Europe" These sayings mean not
much more than might easily occur here
The resolution admitting Texas to the Union
in 1915 provided for erecting out of Texas four
additional States. The area and population
are both sufficient. The area Is 274 600 square
miles, the population a million ana half.
Such a proceeding would add eight to the
number of Southern Senators, and add to
Southern power in the electoral college. From
New Mexico and other territories, whose ira
diti0ns and prejuGices have descended from
slave-boldng influences, several new States
NAV also be made. Schemes exist, not IN en-
bryo, but far advanced, to obtain a ''slice of
Mexico Cattle stealing on the Rio Grande
border has been and is fruitful occasion Tor
inclrsions into Mexico. Special cavalry regl-
ments of unusual size have been raised AID
stationed on the Texan frontier. tits an open
secret that not long ago much exeItion and
alertness were needed to keep us out OF an
other Mexican war.
Without violating the Constitution or trans
cending the usages of the Republic, at least
seven new States could be brought in, and in
the case Of some of them very plausible case
could be made. The project would become q
high pa ty measure. It's success would ses1re
complete Democratic ascendency in the Nation
for generation at least. 1t would put the
Government not merely in the hands of the
Democratic party, but of the Southern Demo
cratic party.
Why should not this be done? Who and
what is to prevent it If the Democratic party Is
elected? The Northern wing could never re-
slst the Southern Wing N Congress were those
new States brought forward for admission.
The Northern wing never could, never viii,
and never can withstand the pressure OF the
far stronger South wing. Gravitation and
arithmetic make such resistance impossible,
just as pound can not outweigh q ton, just as
one man can not outnumber 81 regiment. The
past ia piti'ul in its warnings in this behalf.
Despite pledges and Northern Indignation
Northern Democrats in Congress united in
voting down the Wilmot proviso in order to
make California a slave State; united in voting
for the fugitive slave law; united in the
mighty perfdy which overthrow the Missouri
compromise in order to fasten slavery on Kan
sas and other States, and united in defeating
the homestead laval at the behest OF the
Southern majority.
Mr. Van Buren, at last, like Macbeth, would
ego no further in this bloody business" and
political destruction was his reward. Mr..
Douglas at last made brave stand AGAINST
sectional aggression, and he was hunted TO bis
grave. Caucus is king. and the avenging
angel s hardy more inexorable in decree, or
more unerriDg in reribution. Applause
THE DEMOCRATIC ASSAULT on THE JUDICIARY
One of the main bulwarks of the republic is
the judiciary. The courts of justice are UNI
pire, conservator, citadel. The Supreme court
~. l.