Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-07-17
sane thought, the incongruity Of the prop

sane Thought, the lncongrulty OF the prop
osition would not have been more startling.
The Democratic party would have no
standing to-day, and no ground whatever
for the faintest hope of success, were if
not for the fact that it has succeeded in
tralnpling under foot the freedom of the
ballot in ten States of the Union, and did
it not rely upon suppressing the Repub-
lican vots throughout the region referred
to, at the coming election. Inview of the
party's record, and of the notorious
usurpations it has practiced wherever
it has had the opportunity, as
well North as South, its flourish
about free ballot is the most cold-blooded
piece of impudence that has ever appeared
even IN Democratic platform. As facts,
however, are more convincing than the most
righteous disgust and Indignation, we will
proceed to cite few illustrations of the
way in which Democrats have respected
the right to free ballot at the South. We
will begin with Alabama. In 1872 Barbour
county, in that State, cast the following
vote Republican, ,, 756; Democrat, 2. $50.
In 1876, the Democrats having got control,
the vote stood Republican, 1852; Demo
crat, 8. 594. Dallas county in 1872 cast
1000 Republican to 1000 Democratic
votes. In 1876 the Republican vote was
less than 1000 III 1878 the vote stood !:
Republican, S9l; Democrat, 3,l9l.
The vote of Greene, Hale, Loundes,
Perry and other counties show
similar changes, all due to the
peculiar methods employed by the
Democrats for preserving the sanctity of
the ballot. Take Mississippi, again. In
1872 that State gave Republican major
ity of 1882. In 1876, under the In
fuence of shot gun politics, the Democrats
had majority of 40. SOS. The next year
the Republicans recognized the futility of
attempting to keep up their organization
at the risk of their lives, and made no
nominations. In Louisiana the same kind
of an exhibit is made. Take Baton Rouge
Parish, for example. In 1872 its vote
stood, Republican, 2, 459; Democrat, 9l7.
In 1879 the Democrats claimed majority
of 272, and there was no Republican
vote recorded. In 1872 Tensas Parish
voted, Republican, 1888 Democrat, 1865.
In 1879 the vote of that parish
stood Republican, 346; Democrat, l,54
We could fill this column with similarly
instructive figures from other Louisiana
Parishes, but as they are all of the same
kind, and all point the same moral,
these illustrations will suffice to show how
well the Democrats have acted up to the
principle which now haunis so audaciously
in their platform. We may add, however,
that in eight Parishes a Republican vote
of 4,0o0 and Republican majority of
$500, has been changed by the magic of
Democratic manipulation to Republican
vote of less than 1000, and Democratic
majority of 1900. These figures tell
their own tale.
At the outset of the present campaign it
was reported that the Democrats were
likely to experience some losses in Louisi-
ana. The New Orleans papers said they
were in danger OF losing at least one Con-
gresham, and perhaps more. This state
ment produced a momentary CONSERVATION,
but since then there has been news of
wonderful and inexplicable Democratic
"gains from East and West Feliciana,
Baton Rouge, and other familiar strong
holds of bulldozing. 1t is well known
that these parishes have not added any
thing to their population during the
past five years, but it is plain that
figures all along the line. New Orleans
sets the example by claiming population
of $50. 600, though it was previously con-
coded by her journals that she had not
more than 10000 As the Census Emu
merators are nearly all Democrats through
cut the South, it is easy to understand the
methods by which these wonderful acees-
sions of population are being secured. We
pointed out some time ago the mani
fest danger of frauds on the census at the
South, and it now seems that such
frauds are being perpetrated IN quite
systematic and wholesale fashion. The
respect for free ballot thus far exhibited
by the Southern Democrats takes the Pc
culiar form of unlimited license for their
own side, and rigid intolerance for their op-
ponents. They are not satisfied unless the
ballot is so free that they themselves can
vote as many times as they please; but
they will not permit Republicans to vote
at ALL The figures we have here given af-
ford partial and imperfect insight to
the Democratic ideal of free ballot, -
and of the way they proceed in pre-
serving" it Tin every part of the
United States. The plain truth is that
free ballot means death to Democratic
hopes, and they know this, and therefore
they crush the freedom of the ballot
wherever they are strong enough to do it.
Before this campaign is over, however,
they will have reason to regret their i'm
prudence in challenging the production of
the record on this page in the history of
their party, and they will need all their
hardihood and all their sophistry to
explain the breach in the connection
between their professions and their prac-
tice.
CLEAR WATER AGAIN.