The Princeton union., 1880-10-14
INGERS0LL.
Schthhag Review Of the I3allOt-RO1
Frauds i'm the South,

Extract from Col Ingersoll's Rockford Speech,
OF what use is free speech, il fraud is to hold
in it's Shiny hand the ballot box of tho nation2
There is in this country one King; there is un-
der our flag ono Emperor, one Gar, one su-
pren1e power, and that is the legally-e1pressed
will of majority Of our people. That is the
King, and any man who will poison the source
q authority, any man who will put an illegal
vote in ballot-box, any man who Will count
an illegal vote after it is put in, any man who
viii throw out legal vote after it is put in. is
traitor to the great principle upon which this
Government is founded, and the time ought to
come when We weuld hold in supreme destesta-
ton, execration and contempt any man who
would put in the ballot-box an illegal
vote. Every American citizen should keep
MS hands pure every American citizen should
say :! am willing to abide by the decision OF
viii have republic that will endure for count
re- less years. We have got to do something in
ths country: We. are upon the edge, to-day,
VI MeNcanzatlon we arc upon the edge Of
o1aos 9 The people are beginning to lose con-
noence IN elections the people are beginning
the moment that suspicion is we'll lodged in the
minds OF the people then they will have no re-
spect for the laws made by men who are elected
3y fraud. They will have no respect for the
dec1slon OF Judges when they believe the
ynases tLal were elected by. fraud, and
then comes the dissolution of our
form Of government; and then comes
the destruction Of human liberty for hundred
years. Every Republican should make up his
mind to be a perpetual sentinel Of the ballot
box; every Republican should make up his
nlnd That, 80 far as was in his power, an l.
legal vote should never again be cast in this
country. We fell into it; it took long time,
out ~, we got there. In tho first place, in the
caaes no man was allowed to vote who came
from foreign country until he had been here
nye yeara They began allowing them to vote
when they had been here four, and if the Dem
ocradc party did, probably the Whig party
would have done it il the foreigners would have
x9ted v,ted the Wing ticket, but they wouldn't.
IN three vne they allowed tRn vea1s them 5 to vote
was not long until they met them at
Castle Garden and marched from the ship
hrectiy to the polls. All over our country we
nave had contest with regard to the removal
OF eounty-seats, 20 when all the people at one side
OF tse county were for removal, and all the
people on the other side against removal, and
the North side would hear that the South side
was going to cheat, and the South would hear
that tho North was going to cheat, and, as = re-
suit, both cheated and thus, day by day, little
By little, the sanctity Of the ballot-box has been
DESTROYED, and that party was considered the
smartest party that could get in the most lle-
gal votes and get them counted. All that must
be stopped, or this country cannot endure, and
it is the mission of the Republican party
to stop it, and that is another reason
why am Republican. That party has
thrown every safeguard around the ballot-box
In every State in this Union where any safe
guard has been thrown. That party has al
ways been IN favor Of registration; the Demo
cratic party has always opposed it. That par
ty-the Republican party-has done all it pos
nbty could do to secure an honest e1ueagon Of
the great Will of the people. Each man here,
who Is IN favor Of an honest bal1ot-box, ought
TO vote the Republican ticket every man here
IN favor Of free speech ought to vote the Re-
publican ticket. Free speech is the brain OF
this republic, and an honest vote is its life
blood. There are two reasons, then, why am
. Republican,:
First believe in free speech.
Secondly, want an honest vote
Can you trust the people of the South with
the ballot-box? Are you willing to let Alabama
keep that sacred treasure Alabama that cast in
1875 about 1O3, 900 votes for Tlden. but only q
little while ago cast Democratic majority Of
$4,000? Alabama to-day is q Republican State
every man was allowed freely to vote his
sentiments !; and you know it.
Mississippi is to-day Republican State;
North Carolina is Republican State: South
Carolina Is Republican State Florida is o
Republican State and everybody who knows
anything Knows what I say IS true. How are
they kept N the Democratic ranks? Are they
kept there BY the mon who are trying to pro-
tect the ballot-box They are kept there
by the shotgun they are kept there BY
fkNo vOk