Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1880-06-05
SlauderOus Suggestions.
The New York Tribune saws:

1t would not surprise us much to hear even
of the appointment of Democratic Electoral
gus Legislature resuscitated for the occasion.
If the Republicans should carry any South
ern State it is certain that competing Colleges
would be organized and double sets of returns
transmitted to Washington. The people can
not be too careful in watching the development
mined to steal the Presidency # I'll it G cannot NJ % win
it; and it has nearly made up its mind that it
cannot win."
This is the sublimity of impudence;
but there is deal of method and
meaning in it. The electioneering ele-
ment which the Republican party most
dreads-and with good cause-in the
approaching Presidential campaign, is
the fraud OF 1857. Every Republi-
can orator and organ takes the utmost
care not to allude to the centennial
crime. 1t is thrust as far out of sight
as possible; treated as thing of the re-
mote past, something which ought to be
forgotten on the principle of ''letting
bygones be bygones.'' But as these
all certain about the success of the pol
icy of silence, they supplement- it with
charges of prospective rascality on the
part of the Democracy. The para
graph from the Tribune is a specimen
of this branch of Republican tactics. A
reader ignorant of the circumstances of
the case would never suppose that the
party which the Tribune represents
stole the Presidency less than four
years ago, and is now enjoying the ben
efits of the theft; that its leaders boast
of the success of the conspiracy which
placed the political destinies of forty
millions of people in the hands of two
white and two black knaves in Louis
lana, and would repeat it if they could
Yet nothing is more common than for
the thief himself to cry ssstop thief"
though this is the first time, we believe,
that the stale trick has been tried on so
large a scale.
Fortunately the people, taught by
bitter and shameful experience, know
where to look for plots, and consequent
ly are not wasting time and eyesight
upon the doings of Democrats. They
know that it is the fixed determination
of the Republican chiefs to retain power
no matter at what cost; that chiefs and
followers will stick at nothing to
accomplish their end; that the ''strong
man. movement is for the purpose OF
having a tool ready for the worst work
if necessary; and that the clamor about
Democratic intentions is merely to di-
vert public attention from Republican
performances past and prospective.
One thing may be regaded as certain:
there will be no Presidential steal this
time. Democrats would not if they
could; Republicans could not if they
would. The candidate who is fairly
and squarely elected will be inaugurated,
and no Returning -boarder or Electoral
commissioned pretender need apply.
In 1876, Democrats trusted much to the
honesty and honor of their opponents
and paid the penalty. In 1880, they
will proceed on the legitimate assump-
ton that their opponents have neither
honesty nor honor and act accordingly.
Forewarned, they will be s'fore-
armed;'' and while yielding prompt
and cheerful obedience to the will OF
the people expressed at the ballot-box,
they will compel Republicans to do like.
wise. The strong man. game will
not win, any more than will the Louis
lana game; and if Republicans are wise
they will not try it-and it would be
better for all concerned if they did not
stir up bad blood by such slanderous
suggestions as these of the Tribune.
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