Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-06-15
Republican Hypocrisy.
From the Harrisburg Patriot.

Assume a virtue If you have it not
1t is startling but gratifying piece Of
intelligence which is cleaned from the
editorial columns of the New York
Tribune that "the republican party ap.
peals to the people this year in behalf
OF a free ballot and an honest count"
What singular change could have come
over the spirit of republican dreams
that this year the party should make
such an appeal? Has the hoary sinner
at last repented of his damning crimes
and resolved to turn from his evil ways
Have the returning board peUurers Of
1876 been washed OF their leprosy in
the Jordan of Political Purity, and have
the inventors of the Florida tissue bal
lot of 1876 and the Mare Island tape.
worm" ticket of 1850 come to the con.
fessional or the mouruers' bench
Have the republican managers who pur.
chased the electoral votes Of Indiana
anu NtH uIh ipE phiHSiN huN ~ tAN'
with the stolen Star route money and
the shameful fittings of ofticeholders.
salaries, obtained absolution for their
hideous crimes against free suffrage
who in 1880 organized and directed the
terrorism by which the employees in the
large manufactures were coerced into
casting ballot they loathed, wrought
out their salvation by doing works meet
for repentance II not, then the time
is rather short for party reeking with
the pollution of the most infamous
crimes against the ballot box to get
itself sufficiently purified to make q
presentable appearance as the champion
OF free ballot and fair count at the
approaching elections.
The designation of this year" as the
time for the seizure Of the republican
party with this spasm of virtue is rather
significant. 1t implies that in former
years the party was not troubled with
any affection Of that character. Ii is
tantamount to an admission that here
tofore republicans did not concern
themselves to secure free and fair elec.
tions. The cunning editor was too
cautious to declare, in the language Of
the ordinary party platform, that the
republican party reasserts its constant
devotion to "a free ballot and fair
count" lie prudently RETAINED from
any attempt to illustrate the sincerity
Of the republican appeal Of "this year
for an honest and untrammeled ballot,
by referring to the history OF that par.
ty's relations to the conduct OF past
elections. Was there present in his
mind the recollection of the historic
fact that in 1864 Massachusetts, regi.
ment voted half dozen times for the
republican ticket in the state of In
diana7 Did Ire chance to remember
that the chief republican city, Philadel.
phia, was absolutely given over for a
dozen years to the control Of repesters
and return.forgers and that the first
effort to rescue that great municipality
from republican villainy, which resulted
in the conviction Of Brown the twenty
timer" was thwarted by a republican
president who pardoned the criminal 2
Or had he in remembrance the gigantic
fraud of 1876. by which the people were
swindled out of their choice for presi
dent, or to come down to a later date
had he just perused the pages Of the
Congressional Record In which appears the
blearest proof tha. United States mar
shals unlawfully appointed for poll
outside Of metropolitan districts IL
South Carolina in 1880 intimidated boti
white and black democrats and II
numerous instances led an infuriateC
mob to defeat fair expression Of Oh,
popular will, and in which may b
found the speech Of Greenbacker Jone
of Texas exposing the ehicane of tn
election committee in giving the seat 0
Finley to Bisbee for the Second distric