Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-10-14

mode of conducting elections in Mex
leo p He said, "Whv, really there Is
no election. The one who happens
to he in power sends out his order to
return so and SO elected. The time
is fixed, the forms made out on pa.
per, and these people returned elected
as ordered. That is all there is to it."
What more have We got in some Sec
tons of this country than that2 We
deceive ourselves with the idea that
we are holding popular election
this year, and that q majority is to
decide that election, and vet Wade
Hampton appears in the Cincinnati
Democratic convention and there
declares that he does not care who is
nominated in the North as they will
deliver 1873 electoral votes for the
Democratic nominee. And Wade
Hampton is probably right. 1873
electoral votes counted before the
polls are opened If that is not Mex
leo | would like to know what it is.
We have got about done fooling in
this country. The Republican party
has disappeared in the South They
are not allowed to cast their ballots
there and if cast they are counted the
other way, and every intelligent man
knows it. | am going to try and
show here tonight that il Democracy
succeeds Wade Hampton, Senator
Butler, known as "Hamburg' Butler,
Lamar and Gordon and Toombs win
Oe the leaders Of the Democratic
party.
Rejecting men are waking Up to
another fact that the very shot-guns
that disfranchise the poor Republi.
can men Of the South disfranchise
you and me, and not only d,sfranchise
us but whole states and sections Of
this Union as well. What do mean
by that? Why Wade Hampton tells
you that if Democracy can carry
New York and Indiana that is all
they care for. Then they name the
President of the United States. We
imagine we are engaged in Presi
Dental election in Wisconsin. In
New England with all its wealth and
property interests and in all the
North with lts developments and
progress we think we have something
TO do with the election. But LEI
them get the Al electoral votes, al
that is necessary, from these two
States and what care they for the
Northwest, for Wisconsin, Minnesota
Iowa, Michigan, Illinois, the Middle
and all the New England States. -
We are as dust in the balance. They
can afford to snap their fingers in
your face with defiance. As a promi.
nent member of the cabinet said tc
me before leaving Washington, "Lei
these election supervisor laws be re-
pealed and | can take a span OF
horses and in forty minutes 1 car
drive around the wards in New York
City that name the President of the
United States" A free government,
has come to that-compressed into
two states alone What sane mar
can regard it as safe for this country
to have these mighty issues decided
by two states? You narrow the field
of contest thss and those States rise
into Importance, and every man in il
rises into an undue Importance. LIE,
these October states be wiped out
and let US return to the true mea n
ing of a Presidential election. LIE,
these issues be decided Ly the PEG.
pie with reason and argument auG
with a free untrammeled ballot, and
then our country will return to a safe
basis.
Where is the bar of reason open i
not in these porthern states? Where
on the civilized globe is free speech
tolerated more freely, free press
discussion halls, pulplts, institution.
OF learning and courts of Justice al
open to you. You have had oppor
tunities for twenty years to present
your facts and arguments. You claim
you put down the rebellion. Whether
Democrats or Republicans did the
loyal states of the North put it down
Why is it with such opportunities as
these you confess this year that you
have not the ghost of chance Of
carrying but three or four states out
OF the "a states of the North Are
they all fools and are you the only
wise men !? Tell me how it is as YOU
ride through the great empire state
OF New York as | did the other day,
and witnessing there the highest civ.
ilization of our country, you admit
you do not expect to get majority
west of Albany or the Hudson river,
but when you 60 into New York
city, Tweed's old stamping ground,
there among the slums and thugs
and bagnios you tell us you will roll
up your majority. When you 90 to
Indiana where if it had not been for
Oliver P. Morton the Knights of the
Golden Circle who had muskets in
their cellars would have made a fire
in the rear upon our brave boys who
had left life's fondest ambitions and
tenderest affections to restore their
country's cause in state so disloyal
at heart that it was quivering like a
hound at the lash to attack patriots
In the rear to sustain rebels in the
front When you get into that state
then you boast that you can carry it
for Democracy. (Applause.)
There are l55 Democrats in the
House of Representatives, and 1877
Republicans-they are just ls in the
majority. Time after time in the re-.
pealing of the supervisor laws in the
extra session, and at other times. we
have seen cases where one vote could
turn the scale and they have held
the House there by dilatory motions
by the hour until they could drum
up their small majority and get them
in. We are striving in Tennessee
and Ohio this year for five or six new
members, and we are trying in the
Oshkosh and other districts of the
State to save our Representatives
and wipe out this majority of Is. |
have not come here to say one word
on the condition of things in this dis.
trict, but l never want to hear when
such issues as these are to be de.