The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-06-26
A Hot Campaign.

with the inLellIpenJ VOTERS Whether
that party chooses one mask or an
other? We know what the party is.
Its character, known and read of all
men, written in letters of blood in
the history of a civil war and of
countless massacres and assassina-
tons, has been shown by desperate
efforts to break down the public
credit and by local reputation in
almost every State under Democratic
rule; by gigantic raids upon the
public treasury called river and har-
Dor bills and Southern claims by the
most infamous election frauds ever
known in our history, and attempts
to defeat the will of the people by
bribery or usurpation after elections {;
and by half fulfilled revolutionary
threats to stop the wheels of govern
ment unless all obstacles to free fraud
can be swept away. With such
knowledge of the character of the
party, few men would trust it with
any disguise whatever who would
not trust it without any. The battle
is between the party thus knownand
notorious, and the Republican party,
which is made known both by its
history and by its nomination. If
there was doubt whether one ele-
ment or another would rule in and
through the Republican party, if it
should again be trusted, that doubt
has been set at rest by the late Con-
vention. The party unites heartily
in support of candidate who well
represents its best elements, its most
liberal thoughts. and its purest aims.
This is not to be an easy fight. Re-
publicans had better put away that
idea at once. Whether Democrats
split or unite, whether they agree
with Greenbackers or disagree,
whether they put up good ticket or
a weak one, the fight is to be close
and hard. The reason is that there
will be 10 expression of public opin-
ion in States casting within forty
seven electoral votes of the number
necessary to elect. That clear mas
jority of all lawful voters in those
very States. if free to express their
will, would prefer the Republican
ticket, we do not doubt. Butmany
dare not vote, and if they vote their
ballots will never be counted. It is
folly to take into consideration at
any stage Of this campaign, the pos
sibiiity of getting a single electoral
vote from the South for Republican
candidates, as of any serious impor-
lance. All Republicans may as well
paste in their hats. for daily admoni-
ton throughout the campaign. this
practical rules. Count it as certain
that the Solid South will not give. a.
single electoral vote to the loyal can
didate, unless he is strong enough to
go in without one.
Ii any conceivable fraud, however
audacious, can raise a question AS to
the electoral vote of any Northern
State, Democrats will resort to that
fraud. This is not said in bitterness
it is the cold statement of a fact
Democrats have been taught to be.
lleve that they were cheated in 1876
they will stick at nothing to ayenge
what they claim, and many of them
no doubt honestly believe, Was a
wrong. The difficulty is that the
Democrats have only three Cover
nors in Northern States-in New
Jersey, Indiana, and Oregon-and
even with all Independents, do not
control either house of the Legisla-
ture in any Northern State except
Indiana and Oregon, with the pos
sible exception of the lower house in
California. The three States in which
there are Democratic Governors have
twenty-seven electoral votes. There
was pretence of a Greenback Gov
ernor in Maine, with seven electoral
votes, but care will be taken against
fraud from that quarter. Even if
false and fraudulent certificates could
be obtained for Democratic electors
from every State in which there is a
Democratic Governor or the pretence
of one, there would still remain
Northern States having 1877 electoral
votes, or thirteen more than ma
Jority. But the Republicans must
carry every one of these States 90
avoid risk of fraud. They ought to
carry every Northern State. Indiana
and New Jersey included, as thew
have just carried Oregon.
1t will not do to waste time. to
throw away any opportunity, or to
give the adversary the slightest chance
OF success. Organization ought to be
made thorough and efficient at once
in every State, county and town.
lists of uOub.inO Vntprs ourht -, l. =