Daily Republican., 1884-12-17
Ihe Great Oasrsxe.

1he Great OusroGe.
Cleveland has been elected President,
and the whole country acquiesces IL
xhs election. Not q Republican talk,
OF raising . hand against the Govern
ment on account Of tho change, but al
submit loyalty to what Is called thu
decree OF the people. But notwith
standing this, they submit, kno wins
that great crime has been committed
against the rights and liberties of the
people. Cleveland succeeds to the
Presidency, but he succeeds by tn.
practical Acknowledgement Of ,20Ay oO(
voters of the Socth. The Democrat,
have deliberately placed man in The
Presidential chair by multiplying the
Constitution. and disfranchising large
part Of those to whom the fifteenth
amendment extends the suffrage. Thi,
vas neither done by accident nor In ig-
nQrance. These men knew full well
that in 1876 the Southern States had
bsen captured by systematic assassina-
sion Of Republicans, aEmed revolution
and the most unblushing frauds upon
the ballot, and they knew long in ad-
vance Of the election that Cleveland
had no chance whatever IN the contest
except by prodting by this revolution.
With full knowledge Of this fact they
are now about to reward the guilty
conspirators who crushed out fair cleo.
tons in the South by disfrsnchising
more than one-third the people In the
South-in some 8 ates nearly two thirds
Of the people.
The Democrats would deny these
fscts II they could, but in view OF the
vote cast and the vote not cast they
simply look Republicans in the face,
and, like Tweed, inpudently ask :
What are You going TO do about 1t ?''
Democrats like ex-Senator Gordon and
Senator Morgan tell us that the dis
franchisemspt Of the colored vote in the
South 10 necessary in order to preserve
docent local government, Blu. these ar
guments are but 81 btsrfuge to cover
mp the disfranchising fraud. n this
excuse be true, why are these disfran-
chissd people kept from voting for
President and Congress This at
least could have no bearing upon State
Legislation. But, then. what have the
people to do with the motives which
prompt this Wholesale disfranch isement9
Tho Constitution confers certain rights.
and these rights are not enjoyed BY
loo, 900 people In the South, mainly
colored people. The question is whether
she constitution shall be thus nullified
The discussion Of the question is brush
ed aside as OF no cons. uence by the
Democrats who have their eyes inten ly
liked upon power and patronage. But
this is question that will not down at
Democratic bidding. Such q nullifica.
ton Of the rights Of the people will
return to plague the nuilifiers In the
future.
Mr.. Cleveland goes into the high Office
OF President Of the United States. the
hrst ever elected by fraud and the shot
gun. He cannot shake off this distinc
tion and consequently will have to bear
1t. When the Democratic party claims
70 pave the support Of the people here
Rtfer, II will be in the mouth OF every
well inforlnoa citizen to reply that its
only success was achieved hy assassina-
'fons, by terrorism and fraud, and by
the acknowledgements Of 100000 citi-
.sns
But we are ted to be quiet about 1t,
tha5 We only create bitter feelings. ;"
This bitter feeling will have to come
souie time and it might az well come
now as at any other time. The o ,ople
cannot lie expected all the time to wink
ut fraud and TO cover up the most in
famous crime of the age No good
feeling CAD be expected for such crime
against liberty and good government.
Public opin on rules in this country,
ana though 1t Is apparently crushed
out now 1t will assert itself and tri-
nmph In the end, The only difficulty
Is to get the people rightly inform, d as
TO the facts and aroused to DR. Der
feeling in regard to them. The party
OF assassination ard fraud will find it
necessary before many years have
passed to treat the question otherwise
than with a sneer.
When public opinion is prepared to
act on this subject, there will be no
oifhculty In discovering what to do
ABOUT IT, The remedies can be applied
with startling rapidity and force when
ever the people realize that public
OPINION demands their appli cation. The
nrst thing to be done is to make the
people understand what the facts ar.
ana that remedy is necessary, unless
they wish to be deprived of the power
vi governing themselves altogether. B,
methods possible on level with those
employed in Georgia, South Carolina
mississippi and Louisiana either mart,
Gan De entirely deprived of all ehanc.
:" success In any Northern State a.
we'll as in Southern States.