Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-11
HANCOCK keA1ssr HANCOCK.

''vote, free ballot and fair count that
"the people can rule in fact, as required
"by the theory of our Government. Yet
when he wrote this he knew that unless
the Southern States could be carried for
him by force and fraud they could not be
carried for him at all, and that if they
were not carried for him he could not be
elected. In thus declaring that full
'svote, free ballot and fair count are in
dispensable to legitimate popular govern
ment, therefore, he admitted away the
whole case of his party, and demonstrated
the invaIdity of its claims upon the coun-
try. The syllogism which General Han
cock employs may be thus completed !:
&c 1t is only by full vote, free ballot and
ga fair count that the people can rule in
"fact; but the Democratic party is wholly
dependent upon the suppression of the
ballot at the South therefore the sue
"cess of the Democratic party can only
g be obtained by violating the fundament-
cal principles of our Government. That
is the proposition as virtually put by the
Democratic candidate himself He has in
fact given the best possible reason why he
should not be elected. As to the reality
of the suppression of tie franchise at the
South there is unfortunately no room for
! doubt or controversy. In recent issue
we gave some election statistics from the
Southern States, showing how the Repub-
lican vote in that section has been ex-
tinguished by terrorism and fraud, but the
Importance of bringing this situation
clearly before the people is SO great that
we need no apology for making further
reference to these pregnant figures In
Alabama, in 1872, the vote stood
thus: Republican, 90,272; Democratic,
1914. In 1878 it stood thus: Demo-
cratic, SO, Republican, 10000. In
one year the Democrats had utterly wiped
out a Republican vote of 10000.
Is there any hint of free ballot and
free count in this state of facts? In
Mississippi, in 1878, the vote stood thus :
Republican, 1884 Democratic, 2,S57.
In 1877 it stood thus Democratic 81, 727 /;
Republican, l, 1853. In four years. there
fore, the Democrats had extinguished
Republican vote of 10000 in Mis-
sissippi. Take South Carolina next.
In 1876 the vote stood thus: Republican,
81, 1856; Democratic, 90,S96. In 1878 it
stood thus Democratic, ll9. $50; Repub-
lican, 2l3. Hereare 81, 900 Republican votes
destroyed in two years. These figures are
sufficient to prove that in assuming the
suppression of the ballot in the South as a
part of the regular Democratic policy we
are not doing any violence to the facts of
history, or taking anything for granted
which is not capable of the fullest demon.
stration. General Hancock could not
have been ignorant OF the methods en-
ployed by his party in the South, and
therefore his declaration in regard to the
fundamental need of free ballot and fair
count was not less hypocritical than i'm
prudent. A free ballot and fair count
would beyond all question give five South
ern States to his opponents, and in so doing
render his election perfectly hopeless. He
is aware of this, AMI since he declares him.
self in full accord with the principles Of
his party, it must be conceded that he is
perfectly willing to take the Presidency if
it is stolen for him by force and fraud.
General Hancocll's letter, indeed, is in
itself strong argument against his candi-
dacy, for it shows how iTreconcilable is
the difference between his professions and
tie practices of his party. The spectacle
OF man posing as the champion Of free
votes, and at the same time placing all his
dependence upon violence and fraud at the
polls, is perhaps not sufficient to shock
Democratic sensibility but it is enough
to open the eyes of the people to the real
value of Democratic guarantees and pre-
lenses We confess that we cannot reconcile
General Hancock's position on the Demo-
cratic ticket with any high ideal of honor
or honesty, either. a candidate who is
willing to win by suppressing free institu-
tions is hardly the candidate to be trusted
by those who desire to see the Constitution
rigidly administered. a candidate who
can utter these platitudes about free
ballot and fair count, while occupying
General Hancocks relation to the
solid South, is scarcely to be
regarded as frank and devo!ed to
the truth. The obvious fact is that he
cannot be elected unless his party discards
his avowed belief regarding the freedom
of the franchise We do not see how
this can be got over by the Democrats. OF
course mere shameless lying about the
situation is not meeting the difficulty.
The statistics we have printed are not to
be disposed of by the assertion that
there is not and never has been any force
or fraud at the South. The election re-
turns quoted are those upon which both
parties rely they are official; they have
been accepted as true and upon the
strength Of them government at the South
is now based Therefore they cannot be
repudiated, bat they must be explained,
or the inferences we draw from them
must be admitted We maintain that they
cannot be explained upon any theory which
does not condemn the Southern Democ-
racy. They constitute an unanswerable and
final Impeachment of the Democratic party,
and they prove the hostility of that party
to freedom and justice, and its proneness
to oppression, injustice and brutality. a
party with such record has no claim upon
public confidence or respect, and the can
didate of party with such record must
think the American people singularly stupid
when he undertakes to cajole them into
supporting him by pretending to believe
in principles, the faithful application of
which would ruin his prospects. General
Hancock desires to be elected, or he would
not be candidate. But no man who is
| Tho candidate of the Democratic Marty can