The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1884-07-31
Hon. VIM. M. Rust on the Election
of 1879.

The fresh remembrance in the minds of the
people of the fraud of 1876, makes the nomi-
nation of Hendricks to the vice presidency the
especially happy one. myself was outside the
party in 1876, when l acted with the Republi-
cans. and realized the fraud as fully then as
do now. Interview with Hon. VIM. NJ. Rust
in the Kansas City Times.
This unqualified endorsement of Hendricks
will interest Greelibackers of Republican ante
cedents whom the Prog. Age is trying to coax
or drive into the Democratic ranks. But the
declaration contained in the closing sentence of
the above item is even more interesting. 1t is
perhaps necessary to say that when Mr.. Rust
speaks of being ''outside the party in 1876 he
means the Democratic party. and in view of
the statement that be "reaized the fraud as
fully then as do now,' the files of his paper
just after the Presidential election of 1876 have
been examined. In the Age of Now 16, while
| the result of the election was in doubt, Mr.,
Rust said:
| The disposition of the Republican party
everywhere is to wait calmly until the verdict
of the people is formally registered. Whatever
the decision is they will cheerfuilv accept it..
AS much as they desire the election of their
candidates they do not desire to see them elect
ed by any means that is even questionable.
They ask nothing but what is clearly right, but
| they would be false to themselves and false to
the great principle of self-goyernment. if they
would submit TO anything which was clearly
wrong.
Then, after review of the State election
laws of Louisiana, South Carolina and Florida,
the Age said
We have no doubt that the honest choice of
the people of those States. as far as it is pos
sible to ascertain it, will be declared. In the
meantime we wait with full confidence that
victory Is to perch upon our Republican BAN
ner.
| In the Age of Dec. 7, 1876, we find the fol-
lowing:
We have delayed the issue of our paper for
several hours to obtain the result of the eector-
al vote. No definite returns have been receiv-
| ed to the time of our going 10 press The
Democrats claim the election of Tilden, 81, j
etected Il las beea By bo1riaced 'rtct@y ii Ongoa.
And in the same issue 1t is said
| We used to think the outrages perpetrated
upon the free settlers in Kansas by the border
ruffians were almost too shocking for belief
| but they were trifng in comparison to those in
| Louisiana proved before the louisiana Return
/ ing Board. There can be no question that the
cause of these nhuman murders and atrocities
was political.
| The leading editorial in the Prog. Age of
Dee. IA, is captioned "Hayes Elected PRESIDENT
and opens as follows:
The facts of the election show that Ruther-
| ford b. Hayes has been fairly and honestly
elected President, under the election laws of
the several States. Let US review them.
| The article concludes:
The acts of The Tilden leaders indicate set
ted purpose TO resort TO every means, even
revolutionary measures, TO nulify the choice
of the people thus expressed and 1t remains to
be seen whether they will be successful
And in the following issue it is said of the
threats of the rilden men;
If these are intended TO intimidate the Re
| publican party, they will entirely fail OF their
expected purpose. They will not succeed in
overawins The country nor driving the Repub-
licans into compromise that will defeat the
choice of the people. The yielding of right to
wrong would not only be fatal to the Republi-
can party. but would be equally fatal to the
/ Republic. It would mark the end of self-gov-
eminent by the people.
Now if, as reported in the Kansas City
Times, and in his own paper, which repubsh-
ed the interview last week. Mr.. Rust believed
in 1876 that the election of President Hayes
was secured by fraud, it is evident that he
must have kept his belief exclusively to him
self. while writing and publishing articles of
quite Il different tenor, as indicated by the ex-
! tracts given above.