Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-04-23
The Vital Issues.


briefly spoke of the work that has beer
done by the Republican party, and th,
changes that have been wrought by the war
and then proceeded to a consideration o
the duties involved by the present condition
of affairs. He said
The Government is about 10 enter up
on . Presidential term. the political char
actcr of which must settle questions of the
gravcsi importance, affecting the very char
actcr Of the institutions under which VT
live. Cnmisiakable signs multiply daily be.
fore our eyes that the methods and practices,
from which the will of the people so mar.
rowly escaped at the last election, will moi
be permitted to miscarry at the next. The
party which, at the last choice of electors,
silcnccd the voter in one State with the shot.
gun, buried his ballot in another beneath
tissue cOuntcrfcits, and robbed him of il by
forged returns in a third, has not been idle
in its preparation for the next. And the
party whose cmissarics traverscd the con-
tinent, from Gramcrcy Park to Oregon and
from Oregon 10 Florida, with instructions
in cipher to buy electors they could not dc
feat, will not bc easily diverted from its
purpose 10 take possession of the Govern
ment ON the 4ih of March next, whatever
the result Of the election. Threats, more or
less open, which reach the ear, and move
mcnts more or less direct, which meet the
eye, are full of significance and warning
We are brought face to face with deliberate
preparations and encounter daily plots and,
plans aiming directly to that end. The pur-
pose TO compass it is as manifest as are the
revelations of a photograph. The chances
of success alone trouble its authors. The
party which failed to profit by its fraudu-
lent and violent attempts TO thwart the popu-
lar will in 1876 signalized its accession to
power in Congress by an attempt to force n
repeal of all laws securing a free and honest
| ballot for electors in 1850. And, to-day,
whatever protection Of national laws remains
| to the American citizen in the discharge of
| the highest of his duties, the choice of Ma
tional Executive, he it in Massachusetts ur
| Mississippi, he owes and owes only to the
Roman firmncss of Il Republican President.
| The Democratic party, having Il majority in
both Houses of Congress which counts the
Electoral vote in Joint convention, refuses to
enact any law regulating that count and thus
Incomes law unto itself with no power to
restrain ii or sCruple to cmbarrass its action.
| Ii is making majority of States in the pres
cnt House Democratic by unseaiing Repub-
lican members in defiance of the popular vote.
failure in the choice of President by the
people Growing bold by practice, it has
slalkrd into New England, and stolen in
open day the whole government of Il State to
make sure of is electors in November and
| has been caught in the act. And now not
even assuming a virtue it has not" this
Democratic party seems ambitious to take
again. rs lis standard bearer, according to
the eternal fitness OF things, the same master
| spirit who inspired the great conspiracy to
tramplc ont in blood and crime the will of
the people in the last election.
| The path of safety amid these rcrils is
only HAT which surely lead to majority in
the Electoral College 50 positive that un-
wise suhllety cannot suhvert it, nor unscru-
pulous power nulily its decree.
| 1t will he the dictate of wisdom, on this
day of preparation, 10 look in the face, for e
| moment and measure, il we can, the force,
thus led and animated which the Republican
| party is about to encounter. One hundred
and cishtv-tivc electors will choose the next
President, as that number did the last The
sixteen Southern States will elect 13S of
them. In no one of these States has the Re
publican party an organized existence, al
though in five at least, casting thirty seven
electoral votes. Il Republican majority of
legal voters is us indispuablc as in Massa-
! chusctts or Vermont. In three of them at
/ the last election, that majority. wading
through bribery and forgery and blood,
reached the ballot box and was heard But
all are still now. and on the next election
| day will he as silent rs the grave so many of
them filled on the last. To these one hun
! drcd and thirty-cight electoral votes as Ger
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