Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-09-13
III OPENING OF TIE CAMPAIGN.

Z
in this State, the Republican speakers
having taken the field theoretically.
Among the issues which will be discussed
there is none of so much consequence as
the one which we analysed on Saturday,
nor is there any other which embraces so
many powerful arguments for the support
of the Republican party. This dominant
| issue is the restoration OF common polit-
ical standard to all parts Of the Union.
In democracy the first requirement is
that every lawful vote shall carry its full
weight. That is the primary condition of
all just political contentious, and that
must be insisted upon with steadfast
pertinacity until it is established. To-day
it is notorious that this equality in the
franchise does not exist. We are engaged
in contest in which one party bases all
its hopes of success on its ability to cheat
a large number of voters out of their rights
as citizens If the franchise of the Southern
negroes and white Republicans was as
free as that of all the Northern
people, the Democratic party would have
no hope whatever of success. 1t is not
therefore contest of principles. 1t is not
fair contest. 1t is not division of
parties on the basis of differing convic
tons. 1t is a deliberate and systematic
attempt on the part of the Democracy to
| o,,oroo,,,o 4ba yo4as Of THAR CnDonepts nv
the wholesale practice of fraud. Speakers
and writers may discuss principles as
much as they please, but every thinking
man must perceive that the reliance OF
the Democracy is not upon argument, and
that if their plans are successful the result
of the Presidential election will be
naked triumph of lawlessness over the
free franchise of the North and West.
The Democrats count upon receiving
l3S Electoral votes at the South.
How do they expect to obtain them? Not
as the results of honest voting, assuredly,
for Alabama and Mississippi and Georgia
and Louisiana and South Carolina would
be Republican tomorrow if the ballot was
free there. They expect to gain these l3S
votes by suppressing the ballots of the
Republicans; by counting them out after
election, as was recently done in Alabama,
or by terrorizing the colored vote, as has
been done repeatedly in nearly every
Southern State. Now it ought to be clear
to all American citizens who are intelG-
gent enough to reason that this method of
maintaining political power is ruinous to
the whole country No man, whatever his
political faith may be, can seriously be-
Ieve in the possibility of preserving free in
situations by such agencies. For though
at this moment the temptation to take ad
vantage of these methods may appear very
strong to Democrats, they are certain to
suffer from the general adoption of fraud
into politics as much as the Republicans.
They certainly cannot hope or expect that
the Southern practices if successful, would
be confined to their place of birth. On the
contrary, they would, in such a case, be
swiftly transferred to the North, and the
Democrats would then, perhaps, find their
own weapons turned against them with
disastrous effect. In truth, no party which
looks at all to the future can countenance
the violation of the franchise which is now
the sole dependence Of the Democracy, for
victory under such conditions would be
only the precursor of collapse.
But though no intelligent man can
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