Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-12-25
THE GREAT CRIME.

| n o q Single DePtnuebI OF toit6f iidc
yet attempted to defend the practical
disfrancbisemeDt of 100000 voters II
the South. If there were nothing
else to mark tine hostility OF these per-
sons to Republican principles, this aloue
Is enough, that they have deliberately
enabled party to elect President by
nullifying the Constitution, and dis
franchising large part of those whom
the Fifteenth Amendment extends the
suffrage. This was not done in igno>
rance. To these men the fact was per
fectly well known that in 1876 and ear
lier several Southern States had been
captured by systematized assassination
or armed revolution; that the usurpatlon
was crowned with complete success in
every Southern State in the election OF
1880. and that the supporters of Covers
nor Cleveland had no hope OF electing
him except by the electoral votes of the
Solid South. thus obtained. With full
knowledge of this, the Dependents set
themselves to work to reward the party
of assassination and to crown disfranr
chiSement with victory. If they sup
pose that this thing will be forgotten
by true Republicans. they are greatly
mistaken.
The question of the Democrats is still
that of Mr.. Tweed, What are yeu going
to do about it?" Some, like Senator
Gordon, obey the demands OF party rath-
or than the dictates of seif-respect, by
pretending tnat no wrong is done at the
South, and that the voting is free and
fair, aud'the counting honest. Others,
like Senator Morgan, are more manly.
They blunuy affirm that the enfran>
chisement of the colored people is not
and never can be effective; that the
white Democrats of the South will never
permit it to be. The usual preteXt, that
practical disfranchisement Of the colored
people is necessary to the maintenance
of decent local government and the pros
lection of life and property, might cons
maud some attention if the colored peo+
pie were prevented from voting for local
and State officers only, but the fact is
that the full force of disfranchisiUg
methods is never felt except when there
are Presidential electors or members of
Congress to be chosen. We have moth
ing TO do at present with the motives.
The Constitution confers rights. Those
rights are not enjoyed by about ,200,r
900 persons at the South, mainly color !
ed. The question is whether the Consti,
tuition shall be thus nullilied.
1t appears TO some Of the Democrats
and Dependents that it is waste OF time.
to discuss the subject. About that we
shall see hereafter. Republicans will
discuss it, at all events, aud make ths:s I!
facts so thoroughly known to the coun>
try that no man shall hereafter have an
excuse for ignoring them. Mr.. Cleve-
land will go into office the first President |
of this country ever elected by the shot
gun. That distinction, such as it is, he !
will bear to the end. When the shot
gun party claims to have the support of |
the people hereafter, it shall he in the |
lDOubu vi ONClJ WCli I1lOI inCu CiblLCu W
reply that its only success for twenty |
five years was achieved by assassination,
by terrorism and fraud, and by the dis |
franchissment.o of 100000 citizens.
But We are told that all this will do no |
good, and will only "create bitter feel
ing" Very we'll; bitter feeling toward |
those who perpetrate and profit by the |
most infamous crime of the age is the |
only thing in order. No other feeling, |
toward such crime, is just or decent. |
Until the Democratic party stops dis
franchising men in order to succeed, it |
ought to be treated by every good citl-
zen as the enemy of free government |
To cause it to be so treated, and by all |
rightthinking men so regarded, will do
good, Pnblic opinion rules in this land |
in the long run. The only difficulty is |
to get the people rightly informed as to
the facts, and aroused to q proper feel
ing in regard to them. The party of asr !
sassinatiOn will find it necessary, before
many years have passed, to treat this |
question otherwise than with sneer.
When public opinion is prepared to act
Oh this subject, there will be no difficulty |
in discovering what TO do about it. The
remedies can be applied with startling
rapidity and force, whenever either
branch OF Congress realizes that public
opinion demands their application. To
indicate them, at present, would be
waste Of time. The first thing TO be
done is to make the peoble understand
what the facts are, and that remedy is
necessary unless they wish to be depri.
we'd of the power of governing them+
selves altogether. By methods precisely |
on level with those employed in Geor-
gia, South Carolina and Mississippi, Ell
ther party can be entirely deprived of
all chance of success in any Northern
State-N V Tribune