Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-09-30


the South, confess ourselves anxious
on this question, but, to all human
appearance,we are perfectly helpless.
The Republicans of this State, fear,
can do nothing. We have already,
without the least question, ouer 5000
Republican majority in this State -
On a free ballot, and a fair count, we
could to-day give large Republican
majority, and it seems strange, when
this is an undisputed fact, that we
must, nevertheless, be counted in
with the Solid South, and the people
at the North may wonder that it is
so. But | wish they might witness
how it is done.
1t is asserted tina. the colored PEG.
pie have gone over to the Democratic
party, and that, as Hampton affirmed,
$4,000 voted for him. But greater
untruth was never uttered. 1t is
perfectly astonishing how the colored
people cling to the Republican party,
and that too in the face of the strong.
est opposition from the white people,
who own the soil to great extent,
and control the capital. They often
submit 10 be driven from house and
home rather than vote the Demo
cratic ticket. The Democratic party
can get only few, comparatively
worthless colored men, to train in
their ranks /; those who are inclined
to be idle and Incorporate. You may
well ask them how they control the
State? l will send yon in this a
specimen of the ballots by which in
this section they counted out large
Republican majority in this county.
We have here from 1900 to 1000
Republican majority. At the last
election they overcame this, and SO.
cured some 1900 majority for the
Democratic party. The tissue bal
lots which l send you were voted,
and counted they are from ballot
box after the returns had all been
duly made. The Democrats here,
without blushing, freely boast of how
they did it. Merchants, claiming to
be respectable, instructed their clerks
how to do up and conceal the tissues
in their regular ballot. Ministers
claimed to think it was all right, as
it was done for q good purpose. Two
Democrats in this county boasted OF
casting $50 ballots one voted twice,
casting so at each ballot, and the
other, so at one ballot. AT tho pol.
ing place, where | reside, there were
found over three hundred more bal.
lots in the box than names on the list.
The number of ballots were reduced
by extracting the excess in Republi-
can ballots. aud counting the Demo
cratic. This could easily be done
when one was blindfolded by the
sense of feeling. They refused to al
low respectable Republicans TO wit
ness the count. If anyone, they
claimed to be Republican, was al
lowed to be among the managers it
was someone too stupid to understand
how the thing was done, or else a
plant tool that could be used to their
own liking In an election held IN
this county for a judge of probate, it
Is now known and conceded, even by
Democrats, that the man run for the
Office by the Republicans had two
votes on the count to one of his OPP.
ponent, still they counted in the
Democratic candidate. There is no
difficulty here in getting tools to do
this dirty and illegal work for that
party. The idea seems quite preva-
lent here that the end justifies the
means, They seem to think that the
negro has no right to vote anyway,
and for that reason no harm to neu
tralize his vote. 1t is done. they say,
to keep bad men out of office.
Senator Hampton never uttered
more truth in the same number of
words than when he declared the
principles of Lee and Jackson TO be
the ones for which they were now
contending. Some Suppose that for
the reason tina: slavery does not now
eeZZ exist the cause Tor which they fought
has disappeared I; but this is not the
case. The spirit of slavery still lives
in the South, the same pet ideas in
regard to state governments aud
rights, and the same determination
to control the eolored people to serve
their interest,", and the same insatia,
BILE desire and purpose to control the
general government. They are now
seeking by strategy and diplomacy
to secure the object they failed to
reach in the contest of arms. That
cause is as dear to the hearts of the
Solid South to-day as ever. In no
instance do they confess that they
were wrong, the only tears of regret
they shed are over the painful refec-
ton that they did not succeed. II
they can now succeed in electing
their President, the way will be open
for the full contamination of all their
fondly cherished designs. l wish it
were possible for the Republicans of
the South to vote freely and fully at
the coming election, but | do not now
see how it can be done. Republicans
are not allowed, as yet, to feel that
they are at home in the South. They
have many ways of showing that they
have little respect for those who diff
fer from themselves in their political
opinions, but still if they can control
the political situation and count us
out, we hope they will refrain from
shooting us. The only way to keep
the South peaceable is to let them
have their own way in everything !;
in their efforts to control the country
they wish to be let alone. The inter-
ests involved in the approaching
election, as far as the South is con-
cerned, are immense. If the colored
people cannot here enjoy the right
which is representative of all rights"
the result will be that they will aban-
don the South, and this of itself
would complete our ruin. Our hope
is in the Republican party for protec.
ton. free ballot, and permanent Fl,
nancial prosperity, but it is now as
during the war the North must do
the fighting. 1t they only move in to
meet the approaching shock of battle
with a solid North then, thank God,
we shall be safe; and the same sec.
ton Of our country that loved and