Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-05-06
New Series-Vol. 20. No. Is.

reins of power in the National Demo-
cratic party to-day, and are almost in
mastery of the Nation itself. Two
branches of the Federal Government are
yet withheld from their power, the Ex-
ecutive and the Judiciary, and if we fail
in this contest, the Executive will be
| lost, and the Judiciary must soon follow.
Could you have believed it, would YOU
have pTOphesied it, that fourteen years
after the close of the great struggle the
House of Representatives and the SEN
ate OF the United States would be under
the domination of the men who sought
the overthrow of the Union by force and
arms, and under whom, if they had been
successful, we would have no Nation no
Constitution, no Union, no Flag? Then,
too, they are not acquiSlvSps, heartily
in the verdict of war. 71ttTy OUIT this day
they parade their treason as an act hon
Orable and praiseworthy, deserving to
be commended rather than condemned.
They openly proclaim that they have
come back to rule and mean to rule, and
insist they are now reclaiming their
rightful heritage. They advocate the
same doctrines which led to the war;
doctrines in conflict with its results, and
at variance with the Constitution and
the spirit of our political structure, de-
nying, as they do, that we are Nation,
and asserting that we are mere Con-
federaey of Independent States, bound
together by rope of sand, impotent to
preserve itself and pOwerlesS to protect
its citizens.
Within the past twelve months they
have avOwed a purpose not to stop until
they have torn every remnant of our
war measures from the statute books;
and they are now engaged, as at the ex-
ira session, in an effort to efface them
from our laws, and failing in this, to
nulllfy those wise provisions essential to
the preservation of the Nation, intended
for the protection of all alike, and equal
ly in the enjoyment of their civil and pO-
litical rights, essential to the purity and
integrity of the ballot and the right of
every citizen to cast one ballot and have
that ballot honestly counted; 1; guarantees
which the Republican party must never
surrender; never, while the Government
lasts.
AT this very session of Congress, a
distinguished member of that body from
our own State, in discussing the election
laws, and advocating a compromise
amendment, said:
But we find these laws upon the stat
ure book. We are not able to repeal.
Let us cheaper their enforcement.
These laws having been declared to be
constitutional by the Supreme Court of
the United States, must be 50 treated
pro tempore."
Mark the language! ''prO tempore." or
until such time as the Democratic party
can reorganize the Supreme Court of
the United States (if that is the clear de-
claration), and appoint to that high and
honorable tribunal men who will be un-
friendly to the execution of these laws,
and pronounce them unconstitutional;
or until they can get a President who
will consent that these great guarantees
to an honest ballot shall be torn from
the statuce bOek.
Pro tempOre! Prophetic and signiti-
cant words. Equally applicable to every
law which protects the voter, which
maintains the Government, which pre-
vents the baSest frauds upon the ballot,
which is distasteful to treason, or which
stands in the way of Democratic ascen-
dancy i'll this country. Power will wipe
out the pro tempore" existence of these
laws, as it will every law which stands
in the way of free fraud, bulldOzing and
tissue ballots, acknowledged weapons of
Democratic warfare.
Ii the power had been in their hands
at the extra session, every election law
upon our statute book would have been
repealed; or, if they had the power
now a like result would follow
| Their bold course at the extra session at
tracted public notice, disclosing. as it
did, the real purpose of this revolution
ary party. Their quiet at this session
| deceiyes nobody. The orders have gone
| forth that they must not speak, and 81
| lence reignS on the Democratic side of
the House. Their policy of frankneSs
at the last session was a political fail
ure, and they now hope their present
policy of silence will be more success
full. 1t is thin guiSe, and will entrap
no one. 1t is the quiet of expediency,
and, adopting the language of Gen. Ew-
ing, it is ''prO tempore." The Presiden-
tial election over, and their chronic con-
ditiOn of revolution will develop at
once.
>
therefore, to seek success i'll this con-
test 10y every honorable means, and the
employment of extraordinary individual
and collective effort to that end, and |
congratulate the Republican party that
the present administration, by its spot
less and consistent record, its purity of
personal and official conduct, its master
ly achievements of the resumption of
specie payments, and the refunding of
the public debt, its courageous course
in resisting the encroachments of the
Confederate Congress at the extra ses-
sion, and maintaining the Constitution
and laws, needless of threats to Starve
the Government, has placed the party
on the vantage ground of victory.
We find ourselves stronger and more
harmonious than in the canvass of 1876.
The party has no dissensions now, as
then, while conservative men every
where, independent in politics, will act
with us, believing that the business and
material interests of the country are
more secure with the Republican party
than any other.
We recall with pride the work
of the Republican party, which
preserved the nation against dreadful
war waged for its overthrow, which pro-
claimed liberty and equality everywhere
throughout the Union, which has
brought safety and security to our busi-
ness enterprises and investments, has
sent confidence and courage into ave-
nues of trade. and given tone and vigor
to every department of industry; a
work which has established sound and
stable currency, convertible into coin at
the will of the holder, unvarying in
value and everywhere equal; which has
secured good credit at home and abroad,
and placed us in the front rank of hon
est commercial nations; which has ena-
bled us to reduce the public debt more
than seven hundred and senty-siX mil
lions since the close of the war, and the
amount of our interest charge over six
ty-nine millions of dollars. With these