, 1880-08-01

full vote, free bnlot, anl fair count that the
people eau rule IL lact as required hy the the
ory OF our Government. Take this foundation
away, and the whole structure falls."-Gcn-
Had the opening sentence OF this para
graph read, The shotgun is not tit instrtl-
ment for collecting the votes of freenen,"
the utterance would have been infinitly more
timely and had n Thousand times more ap-
p]icebi1ity, and the remainder Of the senti-
lltent would have received the approval Of
all the law-abiding citizens of the country:
The use Of the word "bayonet' is
misleading. That is an implement elm
ployed usually by soldiers The cou1l-
try has not heard in many years
Of even q charge that soldiers have iii
any way interfered with elections anywhere,
or that they have been present 1T or near by
any polling places. 1t is known, however,
that in many Southern States the shotgun is
an instrument of terror at all elections, and
that it has been used so effectively that large
masses Of Republican voters no longer dare
60 to the polls. "a full vote, free ballot,
and fair count twill never be the conditions
of election in those States until the shotgun
shall have been eliminated as an agent for
collecting the votes" II Gen. Hancock
had said shotgun" instead Of "bayonet'
the country would have known just what he
meant, and would have received the state
mentas new promise OF Democratic reform.
If the people could be assured Of "a full
vote, free ballot, and fair count" in all sec
tions Of the country, there would be not the
slightest apprehension Of Democratic sue
cess in tue approaching general election. The
"Solid South" would be solid no longer un-
der such conditions. There are five South
ern States that would then be carried by the
Republicans beyond all Question-yiz.: South
Carolina. Mississippi Alabama, Louisiana,
and Florida, where the Republicans have al
ways been in the majority since the War un-
til force and fraud terrified and cheated them
OF their rights. There are other Southern
States-notably Virginia, North Carolina,
and Georgia-which the Republicans might
then contest with fair chance Of victory.
The certainty of Gen. Hancock's defeat would
thus be assured, and hence it may be fairly
concluded that he does not long for :" q full
vote, free ballot, and fair count " with a1l the
sincerity which the fullness and roundness
Of the phrase would imply.
We fear Gen. Hancock has used the word
"bayonet" in the same sens. and to the same
end that it was so frequently employed BY
the Democrats in the extra session of Con-
g1ess pending the debate over the National
Election laws. 1t was then the desperate
purpose of the Democrats to repeal thesolaw
They denied the constitutionality thereof
(sfnce affirmed by the Supreme Court) on the
theory Of State supremacy. They endeav-
ored to coerce the Executive into Il surrender
Of his constitutional right Of veto by threat
eninG to the last to cut off the supplies for
running the. Government. Finally they
forced an adjournment Of Congress without
passing the necessary appropriations for
carrying these laws into execution, and
thus provided for the notification Of laws
which they were powerless to repeal in
constitutional ma nner. The phrasing Of Gen.
Hancock's letter would indicate that lie up
proves the course the Democrats have taken;
or, In other words: he would do away with
the most remote possibility that the
'bayonet" should be employed to enforce
the laws Of the country, in order that the
shotgun "may be continued in use to defy
these laws The managers Of Gen. Han
cocks campaign will not find this to be
popular Issue In any Northern State.
II the word "bayonet" be construed to
represent the power of the United States |
Government, the word "reyolyer" may be
used to represent the power Of municipal
government, and the word "shotgun" to |
represent the power OF the State Govern |
1nent.' The first then, denotes the police |
power Of the General Government, the I
second the police power Of the city, |
and the third the police. power of |
the State Government. In all cases the ele- |
ment Of force is symbolized Us 4 means for |
executing law. Is it, thels proper for the po-
liccman to use his club and revolver to pro-
tect the ballot-box in local elections, and /
commendable for the Deputy-Sherif to. use |
his shotgun for the same purpose III State
elections. but heinous crilne for the Ma
uonal Government to use the " "bayonet" for
the protection Of National elections? Such /
would be the inference from Gen. Hancock's
statement Of the case; but the citizen WHO
really believes in "a full vote, free ballot,
and fair count" in National as well as
Il locaI election must Of necessity, BE-