Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-08-13

There was once q man named BALKAN, a
great prophet and seer, who was called upon
by Balak mighty warrior to curse Israel.
But when Balaam should have cursed TO the
dismay Of Balak, he, acting Involuntary un-
der Divine inspiration, blessed the Israclites
So Gen. Hancock, in his letter of acceptance,
in trying to curse the Republicans, actually
blesses them. Says he; ut is a vital prin-
ciple in our system that neither fraud nor
force must be allowed to subvert the rights of
the people. When fraud, violence or inoom-
petence controls, the noblest constitutions and
wisest laws are useless. The bayonet is not a
fit instrument for collecting the votes Of free
men. 1t is only by full vote, free ballot,
and fair count that the people can rule in fact,
as required by the theory of our government.
Take this foundation away, and the whole
| structure falls"
These sentences, intended to rebuke the
Republicans for having, during the days of
reconstruction, protected the negroes while
exercising the right of suffrage, are in fact
singing censure of Democratic methods in
the conduct of elections. Throughout the
South, fraud and force" are allowed to Sub
vert the rights of the people" Fraud and
violence" do control" there, and fraud"
either with or without violence, is the ruling
Democratic principle in elections in all the
great cities of the north. "The bayonet'
stands for the rifle and the shotgun and the
bull-whip, which, through terror, render It
impossible to 'collect the votes of freemen."
just what is meant by the Incompetence"
which makes useless 1.-THE wisest laws and no.
blest constitutions" is not very clear, but
perhaps the involuntary prophet alludes to
an incompetent" Congress. But how else
than Involuntary, like BALKAN of old, could
Hancock speak of "a full vote, free ballot and
fair count" as necessary to honest govern
ment? Does either exist at the South Does
not Hancock know that they do not exist in
Mississippi, where his son has II plantation
Does he not know that they do not exist in
any of the Southern States? Yet is he not
willing and anxious to reap the advantage Of
suppressed vote, prohibited ballot and a
false count in several Republican Southern
States The free ballot" he favors he is
willing to accept in the great cities, even if it
is not a fur ballot; but is he not ashamed to
speak of any kind of freedom and fairness
at elections, when he knows that his only
chance of election depends upon fraud, vio-
lence and intimidation at the South Invol-
unfairly he enunciates Republican doctrine,
but he is willing and anxious TO profit per
sonally by Democratic methods.
Was there ever anything in the political
history of the world so barefaced and unbush-
ing as this shameless Democratic party which
dares to steal States by force and fraud, and
then to hold itself out as the special patron of
a pure elective franchises 1t surpasses be-
lief that respectable gentleman like Hancock
can be so blinded by partisan zeal that he can
not see both the absurdity and the dishonesty
of his position on the suffrage question.
Everything that makes for honest suffrage
the Democrats of all grades oppose, and every
thing that contributes to free cheating they
sustain yet they dare to hold themselves out
as favorable to honest elections Yes, Gen.
Hancock, your party do indeed favor '1ull
vote when they can vote several times; they
do indeed favor free ballot" when they can
vote without being watched; and the only
fair count they advocate is fair count of
fraudulent votes tissue ballots, and stuffed
boxes. But this time the people intend there
shall be fair election at the North, if it be
impossible to have one ut the South.