Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-04
THE BALLOT AT THE SOUTH.

practice are to be gathered, AM in the
process of preparing for the qualification
upon which the hopes of the party rest may
be seen the operation of the real Demo-
cratic principles in very Instructive way
The National Democratic platform sol
emily declares that :" the right to free
ballot is the right preservative of all
'srights, and must and shall be maintained
i" in cverypart of the United States. +" There
has Just been State election in Alabama,
and it is announced that the result is
Democratic majority of $4,000. Was that
majority obtained by respecting the right
to free ballot? This question has been
recently answered by Southern Republi-
can, in letter to the New York Tribune,
giving an account of the political condi-
ton of Alabama. He says that since the
Democrats got control of the State they
have changed the election laws so that
they may perpetrate frauds with IMMUNITY,
and that they think nothing of overcom-
ing majorities Of 10000 or Is, 900 by count
ing out. He gives specific illustrations, as
for example the Fourth Congressional Dis
trict, which, though possessing $4,000 Re-
publican majority, is represented by
Democrat In the county of Dallas,
again, where there is normal Republican
majority of 5000, the Democrats carry
the county. In the few cases where the
Republicans of late years have carried
counties, they have been legislated out of
Office. Every Office connected in any way
with the protection of the franchise has
been wrested from the Republicans. The
most systematic means have been resorted
to for the purpose of preventing them from
doing anything to check frauds. The
Tfibune's correspondent gives the following
instances of the Democratic programme
In 1874 6 the Democratic Legislature
''reduced the salary of the Republican
Commissioner of Internal Revenue, al
ready elected for four years, from 81, 500
''to $500 per annum. In 1872 the Legis-
''lature abolished the Criminal Court of
"Dallas county, and in 1878 the Criminal
'Court of Bullock county, the Judges in
"both cases being Republicans. The same
Legislature gave the Governor authority
"to appoint the City Judge of Selma,
the city being Republican; abolished
the Republican Board of County
Commissioners of Loundes, Montgom-
"ery. Wilcox, and many other counties
required bonds to be given by sureties
in the same county as the oficeholder,
''and SO cut off Republican officials in
number of black counties from acting as
&c inspectors of election and repealed the
provision requiring certain county Off
g Gals to make up the jury lists. The eff
feet of this legislation has been virtually
"to exclude all Republicans from Office,
and to hand over the control of the State
''and the municipalities to the Bourbon
minority" This is the way the freedom
of the ballot has been secured in Alabama,
and this is how Democratic majority Of
80, 600 is obtained in that State. Nothing
is easier than to make State solid for one
faction if that faction is resolved to tram
pie law and justice under foot, and to make
a mockery of FREE institutions. General
Hancock has followed the platform of his
party IN protesting reverence for free bal
lot Does any sane man doubt his famili-
arity with the methods which have been
and are being pursued to secure solid
South?
Alabama has led off the Southern pro-
gramme, but all the other Southern States
are preparing TO follow. Take South Caro-
lima for example. In a free election she
would unquestionably give Republican
majority, for the majority OF her voters are
Republicans But it is thoroughly under
stood that South Carolina is to 90 for Han
cock, and the measures now being taken to
insure this outcome can be traced without
the least difficulty. Here is an illustra.
ton 1t was recently announced that
Republican ratification meeting would be
held in Barnwell county, and Judge E. W.
NJ Mackey and w. n. Taft were adver-
tised to speak. Upon this the Barnwell
Sentinel said 1t is the duty of the Dem
"a ocratic party to have representatives
sat this meeting from all parts of the
county. So let all clubs send fair
representations among them. Let them
"be men who will nail lies to the walls as
fast as they are told This of course
was call for the rifle clubs to attend and
break up the meeting. Another paper
published in the county, called The People,
went still further 1t said "There is
one lesson the Republicans of this State
''have not yet learned. The sooner they
| know and become reconciled to the in.
'' evitable the better it viii be for them.
tanned control of the State of South
Carolina, and they intend to retain it at
"every hazard, and in spite of the utmost
" efforts of local enemies and their
"a Northern allies" And this Journal, too,
called upon the rifle clubs and Red Shirt
Leagues to attend the Republican meet
ing There is but one possible conclu.
sion from all this. It is that bnlldozing
Is to be the rule of the campaign in
the South. Already, in Missouri,
Union flag has been pulled down and
torn to pieces. In Mississippi federal
official has been driven from the State
for venturing to support the Republican
cause In South Carolina, as we have
shown, bdlldozing is ia full blast. In
Alabama an election has just been carried
by that process. And while the Southern
DULLES and murderers are stamping out
/ freedom all around them, the National
Democratic party and its candidate for
the Presidency coolly declare that 1.-THE
right to free ballot is the right pre-.
sentative of all rights, and must and
"shall be maintained in every part of the
UNITED States" 1t remains to be seen
whether the American people ar-
| preciate this introduction ofsopera bouffe