Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-08-26

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election could be had, the opponents
of modern Democracy could carry
that State. Their visit there, and the
result of the State election which
followed convinced them, as the fact
is-and as it is openly admitted to be
at the South-that formidable oppo-
sition TO the Democratic party acU not
be tolerated there. The election re-
turns hardly confirmed Mr., Viewers
suspicion that he is candidate, if the
declared vote of the opposition to the
Democratic State ticket is to be taken
as the measure of his strength. The
actual vote cast made no difference in
results. The counting of votes and
declaring of results were in good
Democrat" hands. Cases are re-
ported where the ballots were changed
By the hundred after they were cast,
and in one case at least it was done
under the protection of an armed mob
sent there from another locality for
the purpose. The Democrats resolve
in their national platform this year
that ''the right of free ballot is
right preservative of all rights and
shall be enforced throughout the
country. That is their profession
when marching in review under the
northern eye The election in Ala
bama, just referred to-and which
took place since the above resolution
was adopted-illustrates in the miIdest
manner possible some of the meth
DDS by which such professions" are
kept, and the South made '.Solid'' for
the Democratic party.
Upon a full vote and honest count
at least four, and perhaps more, of the
southern States, would unquestionably
cast their votes for Gen. Garfield for
President. Neither he nor any other
candidate in opposition to the Demo-
Gratis, can reasonably hope for an
electoral vote in any one of them.
The plain and undisguised reason Of
this is, that the South expects through
the aid of that party alone to obtain
control Of the Government, and have
ing once obtained it, to regain all she
lost by rebellion, including her losses
in property destroyed and slaves eman-
cipated. She does not, as cannot be
too often repeated, attempt to conceal
this purpose at home and among her
own people, Notwithstanding her pre-
lenses to the contrary in National
Democratic Conventions since 1868,
and in Congress, through some of her
leading men. These pretenses are for
northern consumption. They are fol-
lowed by assurances to the people of
the South that they are still contend
ing for the principles for which the
rebellion was carried on, and that if
they succeed in the pending election
those principles will have triumphed.
There can be no doubt of their sinceri-
ty in this. Their conduct at home
and in Congress is in perfect accord
with it. They do not hesitate to defy
and disregard the plainest provisions
Of the constitution. They Will not let
their opponents vote in the South
those whom the constitution makes
voters-but they boldly proclaim that
such persons shall be permanently dis
franchised until they are ''ft" for the
ballot. They viii be eft" for the
ballot, Of course, whenever they will
cast it with the Democratic party; but
who made southern ex-rebels Judges
as to who shall vote, above the con-
stitution of the United States? South
ern claimants have already presented
claims to Congress against the Gov
eminent for losses sustained during
the rebellion, amounting to over t,0o
thousand millions of dollars ! These
claims commenced to pile up as soon
as the Democrats captured the House
Of Representatives. They are calmly
awaiting the election of a Democratic
President, when reinforced by as many
more. the work Of taxing northern
labor and industry to make good the
losses which southern treason entailed
upon itself, will have fairly begun.
True, the great mass Of these claims, if
not all Of them, are forbidden payment
by the express provisions of the 18th
amendment of the constitution. as
we'll as by long established principles
of public law. But what of this?
This solemn guarantee is of no greater
force then those other provisions Of
the same constitutional amendment,