National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-11-08
A National Danger.

The election just passed must strongly
attract the attention of the thoughtful to
one feature Of American politics that is
steadily growing more omiuous of future
evil. Anything that threatens or attacks
FREQ speech, the untrammeled right TO
vote as opinion and conscience shall die
tate, and the lawful counting and re-
cording of that vote precisely as cast, is
plainly subversive of that form of govern
ment by the people which has made the
United States the model for lovers Of
liberty throughout the world.
The feature to which We refer is that
mainstay of democracy-the solid south.
Under present conditions the demo-
cratic party in making o presidential
campaign has only to concentrate its
efforts upon the single purpose of win
ming forty-eight electoral votes. The re-
publican party on the other hand must
labor to win 20l electoral votes to elect q
president.
To win its 20l votes tho republican
party must go before the people, state its
purposes and policies to them, and expect
to win only in case the presentation of
its case has been such that majority of
the voters have been won to its side by
the force of argument, without the aid of
duress or compuision. Democracy has
but AZ votes to win by similar means and
under similar conditions.
This is because democracy has under
lock and key the safe and sure 1853 cleo
toral votes Of tho solid south.
If these 1853 votes were the fruit of tho
free opinion of the voters of tho southern
states, expressed in an election where all
mon were at liberty to vote in accordance
with their convictions, and certain to
have their vote truthfully and honestly
counted, no one could reasonably object
to their being counted for the democratic
party.
But tho amazing, the disgraceful and
alarming truth is that these votes are
given in advance to the democratic party
as the result of political crime and fraud
perpetrated upon tho most gigantic SCALE
| These states arc counted for tho demo-
Gratis, because, in express defiance of the
| provisions Of the constitution and of the
federal statutes, more than q million men
within their borders ore dsfranchised,
and by every necessary means of violence,
fraud, and even murder, deprived Of those
attributes Of citizenship for the msinton-
ance of which the honor Of the north was
pledged.
Were electi ons free In the south Louis
lana, mississippi, Alabama, and South
Carolina would DO as surely republican as
Iowa, Kansas, or Pennsylvania. To this
assertion, which no intelligent man who
cares for the truth will think of denying,
| IL may be added that were FREQ discussion
of political issues aud free vote allowed
within their borders the majority of the
southern states would undoubtedly cast
republican majorities.
Can any man who cares for his country
above and beyond his party contemplate
with indifference the spectacle presented
in Mississippi and Alabama of democratic
congressman sent here without the slight
est regard to the enormous majorities
against them in their districts. Gov.
Lowry, of Mississippi, not long ago, in a
speech, said openly that Ethel Barksdale
would be sent back to congress from a
district that had 5000 majority against
him. And his case is not singular Hall
the men sent to congress from the south
have not tho shadow Of a right to sit in
the halls of the national legislature. Thoy
are simply selected, given certificates
without the slightest regard to the actual