Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-10-27
THE ISSUE CLEARLY DEFINED.
Address of the Conservative Demo-
cratic State Executive Committee of
Florida

cratic State Executive Committee of
Florida.
HEDQ's CONSECUTIVE Dem. STATE Ex. CONF
TALLAHASSEE, Oct. q, 1854.
| To the People OF Florida:
In a few more weeks the political romnEax-
| ion of the national ana State administrations
| for the next four years will be definitely
| settled. The people of Florida are deeply
interested in the result, aud the Conservative
| Democratic State Executive Committed as
| representatives Of the party deem il an ap-
propriate time to send out such notes of
| situation suggests.
1t is manifest from recent events that the
| Presidential contest VIII follow nearly the
| same lines as In 1876 and 1880. New York was
| then the battle ground and will be again, But
a victory IN the Empire State will be fruitIess
unless the other states which SUMMARIZED Til
| den and Hancock remain firm. A detection
of one or two of them will be as fatal in its
consequences as the loss Of New York. 1t must
not be forgotten that an honest declaration of
the result IN Florida in 1876 would have seated
Tilden ana Hendricks; even one of her four
votes would have been decisive and they NAV
again be indispensable. Let us not lose such
an opportunity as NAV thus be presented to
turn the scale on the side Of reform and good
government.
The progress of the campaign indicates that
there IS a widespread demand all over the
country for a change in the national adminis-
tration. AS long as their Presidential candi-
date was believed to be personally honest it
was argued that the Republican party could
pun AbSCll WITCH CRIME ana InlS9OVeT0menT
were brought 10 light, but many of their
leaders of thought and opinion declare that
the nomination Of Blaine placed an en-
tirely new issue before the country The
Republican party nominated at Chicago as a
candidate for the Presidency man who was
referred to in the Democratic platform Of 1876
as "a late Speaker of the House of Repre-
sentatlYes marketing his rulings as presiding
officer" The proofs OF the official corruption
of this candidate are in his own handwriting
and they have been scattered broadcast over
and hNTf hngsa hn afu IL, vsaA. to
using his public position for private gain.
The question then is whether such man
can be elected to the Presidency because he is
the nominee of great party. This issue has
made all others of subordinate importance,
and we appeal to the Republicans of Florida,
particularly to those who have shown their
appreciation Of honest methods and official
purity by voting with the conservative ele-
ments of society in local and State issues, to
lay aside for the time their party preferences
in national politics and unite with the liberal
men OF their own political faith in the North
who believe that political morality and purity
of administration are more precious than par
ty, and for this reason oppose the Republican
Presidential nomination.
PREDICTING GOOD RESULTS.
We confidently believe that the election OF
Cleveland will be followed by the same good
results that have attended the accession to
power of the conservative Democracy of our
own State. but grander and happier in pro-
portion as the theatre of action is larger and
more conspicuous.
The Radical leaders in Florida prephesed
that our success in 1876 would drive immigra-
ton from our borders, shut off the annual tide
of travel which was then beginning
to flow into our State, close
our school-houses, deprive the colored
man of his newly created rights as q citizen
and render life ursafe and property insecure.
How different has been the re sult! Taxes re-
duCed; the obligations OF the State made bet
ter than gold; the mill stone OF debt removed
from the internal improvement fund; the
taxable resources of the State nearly doubled;
crime punished and property made safer:
common schools multiplied for cOored as well
as for white children; educational adj
vantages OF higher order placed within
the reach of the people; the school fund
increased; the colored man protect
ed in all his rights; an intelligent
and thrifty population from all parts of the
civilized world seeking our borders; actual
settlers turning the Wilderness into smi ling
gardens and fruitful groves; railroad, steam
boat and telegraph lines established all
through the length and breadth of our State.
These are some of the fruits Of our political
success, and they have been secured to the
people OF Florida in less than eight years by a
Conservative Democratic administration Of
our State government. No wonder that our
business men and capitalists desire the con-
tinuance of our party in power.
The Radicals could not face the comparison
OF this record with that made by them, and
did not dare 10 place in the field q candidate
OF their own party who would have to defend
the political crimes inflicted upon our people
in the days OF Reed and Hart and Stearns
The attempt to avoid the dark record OF the
past by putting new head upon the old
Radical carcass has deceived nobody, and the
deep popular condemnation OF eXtravagant
eXpendi ure and misgOvernment which found
voice in 1879, and was repeated with more
earnest emphasis in 1880, will again make
itself heard in November next in n majority
that will be large enough To convince our old
opponents that their offenscs have not been
forgotten or forgiven, and that neither they
nor their new allies can, by political bar
gains and fresh party alliances, avoid the re-
spOnsibllity for the black shadows which rest
upon the history OF Florida from 1858 to 1876.
FRAUDULENT VOTING TO BE GUARDED
AGAINST.
The reception that has been given Perry
and Mabry, Davidson and D0ughcrty and the
| Cleveland electors in their triumphal journey
| through the State demonstrates that they and
| the party they represent enjoy the confidence
| of our people and hat our entire ticket will
win a sweeping victory. 1t has been proved
in several well contested battles that a ma
| jority OF the people of Florida are conserva-
| tive Democrats, and it is only necessary to
arouse them to action to ensure success, and
we believe that they are now imbued with the
same patriotic ardor and resolution which
| hurled the Radicals from power in 1876, and
| overwhelmed them with yet more disastrous
| defeat in 1880.
But oRe danger threatens us. We may
| lose some OF the fruits of our victory by
fraudulent voting. There are indications OF
Efforts to revive some of the foul devices by
which the Radicals obtained and continued
| the political control of the State in the past.
Already il is claimed by some of their leaders
| that the election officer are mere puppets
and have no power to refuse the application
| Of any person who seeks to register vote,
| no matter by whom made, whether by
| legal elector or by person not qualified to
vote under the constitution and laws OF the
| state; that the applicant is his own judge OF
| his rights under the election laws, and, If he
| offers to support his application by oath, il
cannot be denied; that the only remedy when
| such an application is dishonest or fraudulent
| Is a prosecution under the criminal laws.
This doctrine provides way for offsettng
every honest vote IN the State by fraudulent
| ballot; under 1t perjury can remove all legal
disqualification.
We take higher ground. Only legally quail
| fed electors can vote, and il an election ON
Ger permits any one to register or vote whom
| he knows to be disqualified, he is untrue to
| his oath OF Office and acts at his peril. 1t lie
| the bounden duty of an election officer to pre-
vent fraud This view Of the law is sustained
| by Judge Settles charge to the jury in the
Brevard county election prosecutions in the
| United States court, as this committee showed
| in its address four years ago, and the argument
| there made has never been met. BRIT IL every
| felon and thief, who is willing to add TO his
| crimes the hein0us one OF perjury, can vote.
| and there is no power in the sworn officers OF
/ the law to protect the ballot-box from the
| pollution Of such votes, and these elements Of
/ society are recognized as having judicial
| power with right TO exercise r binding and
| controlling judgment in their own cases as to
/ their own rights and qualifications az electors,
| our State Will soon be turned into pande-
| mOnium. Fortunately this is not the law.
SETTLED QUESTION.
Our committees claimed in the last State
| election that persons convicted of larceny be-
| fore the County and Justices Courts when
| the amount involved was less than twenty
| dollars in value were thereby disqualified
| from voting. This was disputed by our Oppo-
| nents, and efforts werc made to get this class
| OF offenders to the polls, and we have reason
| TO believe that in some parts OF the State
| many OF them were allowed TO vote. The
1 Supreme Court has since passed upon this
1 question. mandamus was applied for
/ TO compel the Clerk in Duval county tOFregis-
1 ter a thief. go convicted, and the application
/ was denied, and the view OF the law main
1 tanned by our party leaders was sustained.
| This decision will justify all election officers
| in denying the right TO register and vote to
| this class of disqualified persons. Thsy are
/ not legal voters.
We urge upon all election officers to dis
i countenance and prevent fraud-no matter
/ what shape it assumes no matter who at
tempts to perpetrate it. Let such an influence
/ be thrown around every precinct in the State
/ as will ensure a fair election and an honest
declaration OF the result.
And you owe it to yourselves and the coun-
/ try not to be intimidated into the commission
OF illegal acts by threats of interested parties
| to harass you with prosecutions before the
/ United States courts. The day of political
| persecution in this State has passed. The
| criminal laws are enacted to punish those who
| perpetrate crime, not those who try to prevent
| it, and the presiding Judges will not allow a
| fair-minded Off GER to suffer because he tries
to keep fraud out of the-ballot box, and holds