The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1882-10-31
DEvcUTLY TO BE HOPED FOR.
The Fraud Of 1876 and 1882.


a stalwart newspaper which has no ia
thence with the Republican journals that
approved the Great Fraud of 1876 but
which now denounce the fraud by which
Folger was nominated for Governor in
New York, publishes under the above
caption the following remarkable recol-
lections of the 1876 conspiracy in connec-
ton with one of its most natural scauen-
ces in 1882 1t says:
When, on the morning of November 8, 1876
the New York Times was the only paper in the
United States 10 claim the election of X Il
Hays, II was regarded piece of newspaper
audaclty rather than that of political prescience
In view of what afterward happened the Demo
cratic press declared that the Times of all the
papers IN the country, was taken into the plot to
steal the electoral votes Of Florida, Louisiana
and South Carolina. AT all events a few hours
after the appearance of the Hines. Chairman
Chandler, of the National Committee, claimed
Republican victory, and kilograms were sent to
the three States named TO hold them 1t is
interesting TO recall this fact, because the
New York Times now claims to be the special
advocate opurily and fairness in politics, though
il is on the record as claiming, in the face of
overwhelming evidence at the time, the election
defeat of which the vast majority of the country
believed in. The Times cannot claim credit for
possessing The proof of the claims it made then
for il took long and exciting months OF hard la
Dor to collect il. That paper desperately put
forth lis claims for the mere purpose of defeating
a Democratic President by any means. Natur-
ally the Democrats grew excited they saw what
they regarded rs the fruits of their victory about
to be wrested from them, and great excitement
grew. Congress met and appointed the Eleclo-
raj Commission, but its dtluade decisions, and lis
declaration of the fact that John Watts, being
postmaster in Oregon November T. and ON the
same day A. Il. Levisee acted as United States
Commissioner in New Orleans, did not invali-
dale their right To ACT AS Presidential Electors
the statute 10 the contrary notwithstanding, did
moi bring forth protest from the papers that
are now waxing indignant al the forged proxy
Saratoga. The fact that Louisiana, on The
face of The returns, had given over 5000 majority
for the Tilden electors, whose credentials were
signed by the representatives of The party Hayes
afterwards recognized Thereby darkening his
own liIle), was calmly ignored by the people
who are now shrekng fraud and forgery, when
the Electoral Commission decided that The ma
jorily did not count" Not one of these papers
not one OF The men like Beecher WoOlf0r,l and
Curtis, who are Mortified 10y the late forgery,
raised their vre in denunciation of the great
fraud the proof Of which was clearer aud more
in conteslible than anything alleged Ia have been
done in Saratoga. On the contrary, Stewart L.
Wooford subsequently, boosted that he had
made arrangements 10 kidnap Tiden il he made
any attempt TO assert his rights put him on a
gun-bnai, anil convey him to prison until he
could be tried for high treason Bcecher Curtis
and The rest who are now 81 indignant over an
alleged fraud that did moi affect the conventions
action, abused The Democrats for dating TO assume
they had rights. II was left for petty cheat that
in no way influenced the final result in State cOu-
vention TO arouse their fine sense of proprety
and Indignation. They could c0oly and calmly
see the country the verge of a civil war, for
more than one half of the people believed that
they had been chealcd and not one of the pre-
sent indignant patriots had word to say against
the great wrong. But when forged proxy is
used in meeting Of State committee. though
il did not affect single nomination, least of all
decide who should 6ll high Office, notwithstand-
ing the people. they are ready to sacrifice the
party. Rather let Us go down in defeat" they
now say, than succeed with an unexcepliOnal
ticket nominated, it is alleged, with the aid OF
forged proxy" What consistency What states
manshipl Mr. Tilden bad an undisputed pOpn-
lar vote of 4284. S55. and Mr.. Hayes 4,O33, $50,
clear majority of 25O935, and though this ma
jority backed up-theIr claims with evidence OF
the strongest kind, the Times and its allies re-
fused TO consider them On the contrary, when
the Potter committee was selected and Edward
+. NOyes specifically charged ON the floOr of the
House of Representatives with stealing the vote
of Florida, and John Sherman with doing the
same with that OF Louisiana, they declared the
proceedings were an attack on The Presidents
title, revolutionary in the extreme and ar en-
deavor 10 Mcxicanize the Government. That is
how they looked at the fraud OF 1875. To sus-
tain the position the Times had taken when the
whole country looked on Tilden as elected they
were ready to see the Republic sacrificed AS
now they are 10 see the party betrayed and de-
feated. II Is idle TO mince matters. These peo-
pie think Judge Folger's success this year will
strengthen the National Administration that Is
SO highly commended by everybody but the
faction IN New York. Therefore they would
rather have the Republican party perish. For
they think if Folger should succeed they will
disappear ~ political entity, and have conclu-
ded II they must go The whole party shall be sacI
feed, They have no thought Of the general good