National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-12-13
Mobilization More Effective Than
Secession.

A careful study of Mr.. Chalmorss bill
to restore a republican form of govern
ment in the state of Mississippi shows it
to DO a well-considered proposition and
one that presents clearly the greatest
political issues now before us. The
preamble recites tho fact that tho cleo
tion machinery is not only entirely in
tho hands Of the democratio party, but
that the opposition is denied any voice in
the selection Of those who hold the cleo
tions. The law of the state is fair
enough upon its face, requiring that the
officers Of election shall not be all of the
same political party; but the democrats
select such republicans as they choose,
and wherever frauds are intended they
select either an ignoramus who cannot
read or write or venal tool hired to
assist in their democratic frauds.
At some boxes tho inspector
who receives tho ballot from negro
changes IL with slight-of-hand dexterity
while another looks for the name of the
voter on tho registration book, but the
most usual plan is to stuff the box during
an adjournment. The law requires in
case of an adjournment that one inspector
shall tako tho box and another the key.
A democrat takes tho box TO dinner or
supper, while the republican, usually o
negro, takes the key, and he is not per-
mitted to go into the house with the bal
lot-box, to which tho democrat has a
duplicate key, and while the democrats
stuff themselves they also stuff the box
with democratic tickets. When the OPP
position ask leave to name the inspector
who are to represent them the democrats
laugh at them, and when bill is intro
duced into congress asking simply for
fair representation ut the election tho
democrats receive ID with dvrisive
laughter.
Is there no remedyp Is this govern
ment powerless to secure fair election
of its own representatives and senators ?
That is tho great issue Of the near future.
The United States law provides that the
supervisors Of election shall witness all
the proceedings during the election, but
these officers were treated with contempt
and the ballot boxes taken from their
sight to dinner and to supper in violation
of law and against the protests of the
supervisors at every precinct in Missis-
sippi where fraud was contemplated, OK
cept few where the personal character
and courage of the supervisors made it
dangerous to do 10. The United States
officers were dehed and the United States
laws nullifed, thus proving that nullifi-
cation is moro effective than secession.
The rebel who failed to destroy tho
government by secession has returned
to strangle it by notification. The
confederate who surrendered the lions
skin at Appomattox, clothed in the skin
of the crafty fox sits to-day in triumph
in the nations capitol upon the
votes stolen from southern republican
voters. And while Mr.. Follett is en-
dovoring to create prcjudices against
what Is called, in democratic parlance,
federal interference in the states" Mr..
Chalmers presents the question squarely
whether the states shall BIO permitted to
nulilfy the laws of congress, and whether
ballot-stufling minority shall establish
an oligarchy instead OF free republican
government founded on the fairly ex-
pressed will of the majority. The gentle
man from Mississippi no doubt feels
sorely the evil effects of this oligarchy in
the state, but its effects extend to the
whole nation. The same ballot-box
suffers who counted out Chalmers in
Mississippi, Craig in Alabama, and Hunt
in Louisiana counted out Blaine and
Logan in the union of states.