Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1882-08-01
4 FREE BALLOT AND \ FAIR
COUNT.
Belfast Iepub,iean.JournaLl


The National Republican platform OF
1850 declares that 1.-The honest voter
must be protected against terrorism, yio-
lence, and fraud" Hon. James A. Gar
field in lis letter accepting the Republi-
can Presidential nomination, set forth as
one of the cardinal principles of his party
THAT every elec,or shall be permitted
freely and without intimidation TO cas-,
his lawful ballot and TO have
it honestly counted, and that the potency
OF his vote shall not be destroyed by the
fraudulent vote of any other person.
The platform adopted by the Republi-
cans of Maine at Portland last month
calls for free ballot and fair count,
and this is demanded by Republicans ev-
erywhere. 1t Is the cornerstone of u
republican form Of government. With
out il we could not have government Of
the people by the people and for the peo-
pie. The prominence given to this issue
i, due to the fact that the Democratic
party, in practice, has taken the opposite
side of the question. 1t has made pop
ular elections in the South farce. and
has seated men in Congress who owed
their election to gross and admitted frauds.
The Chalmers case is conspicuous ex-
ample. Here was man who had taken
a seat for the third time to which he wss
never elected. During the first two terms
the Democrats controlled the House and
made no attempt TO disturb him. The
Republicans, after full investigation, I'M
seated Mr.. Chalmers, and no one has
presumed to question the justice Of this
proceeding. But these election frauds
are not confined to the South alone. The
contingent conspiracy of the Democrats
of this State must ever be remembered
with Indignation and shame by all those
who hold dear the good name of the
State. It's details are too fresh in the
minds Of all TO call for more than this
passing allusion. To offset this iniquit-
Gus scheme, the particulars of which are
of record. and the tissue ballot and other
Democratic frauds in the South, the Dem
ocrats have kept up an cutlery about Re
publican frauds at the polls, and have IN
c)rporated the same in their State plat
form. 1t has no foundation in fact, but
Is intended to deceive those who have not
taken pains to inform themselves. On
the other hand, the testimony as to Dem
ocratic election frauds is complete and
Overwhelming. An illustration is afforded
in the contested case of Lee against Rich
ardson in the First Congressional District
of South Carolina, concerning which a
report has just been made by the sub
committee on elections of the House.
Lee was a negro, and the Republican
candidate Richardson was counted in
to a seat in Congress by fraudulent ma
jority of S,46s votes. The committee
find after Investigation that Lee received
a majority of 2S4 of the votes actually
cast.
TO begin with, the colored majority OF
voters in this district was 6,Oji. 1t Is a
thing incredible that enough of this coll
ored majority would not have voted Tor
Lee, the colored candidate, to elect him
had the election been fair. How was
this undoubted Republican majority oil
6 900 changed into a Democratic major
ity of 5000. The following facts taken
from the report will tell;
"In Georgetown county the Democrat
&c county and State canvassers threw Out
eight of the nine precincts and returned
only the ninth as 500 for Richardson ant
Gil for Lee. The precincts were thrown
out ostensibly upon several technica
oo,,ds b.t really because Lees major