National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-08-19

EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN: Presuming
that no honest man will object to any lawful
or reasonable method for obtaining the free.
dom Of the ballot and q fair count, sugges.
the subjoined plan, which can DO tested in
the Virginia election this full:
At each polling place let there be separate
poll at which each Republican can deposit II
duplicate vote. At the close let the votes be
counted In the presence of competent wit.
nesscs, and a complies record Io kept of tho
name OF every person who voted. This Will
furnish all the testimony needed 10 settle the
question Of a free ballo, and fair count. This
the south. 1t will secure the object or provoke
the resistance that will demonstrate the ami
mus of those who favor the shotgun policy.
When tho contest in Kansas came to q ballot
we had msglvings as to the count; hence ut
the vital point our men resolved at all hazards
to count the game. At Kickapoo there were
about four times rs many votes NJ voters. The
entrance to the place was guarded by the Kick
apoo Rangers, armed with Sharps rides and
12pound brass gun, stolen from the govern
ment or obtained with the conniyance OF DEM
ocratic officials.
Besides these, and hundreds of Mssourlans
there was a company OF United States troops
within easy range Of the voting place, ostcn-
sibly to prevent violence. but, In fact, to pre-
vent the interference OF tho free-stato men,
who had been appointed to look after i'm
ported voters. In the face OF these odds three
men, determined and fearless (all still alive,
took tho names and descriptions of the fraudu-
lent voters, SO that we could go into the courts
and prove the facts. This was the first whole
sale fraudulent voting ever saw or heard OF,
and 1t was under Democratic auspices.
When the men engaged In stealing the cleo.
tion found that we had the proofs and meant
business, TO escape the penitentiury they fled
precipitately. But for this Kansas would have
been n slave state, and the wheels Of progress
would have been checked for Il season at
least.
few men at each polling place, with "saud
in their giZZaTdB," as we say west would put
an end to tissue ballots, stufng. and false
counts. Doubtless some would get hurt, but
some are hurt now, and they might IA well be
hurt in taking the proof as In the attempt to
vote.
This is what the Republicans should have
done-were advised to do years ago. As mat
tiers now stand the Democrats have II all their
own way. Tllden, If elected as they blam.
was elected by fraud and violence. Cleveland
was elected by the solid south-by the suppress.
sion of the colored vote. The pro-.layery
party, the party of dissolution and destruction,
Is In power to-day by intimidation and vic
lence, and not by "a free ballot and a ia r
count" Nevertheless, am not in favor OF
universal suffrage, or the sudden precipitation
| OF vast amount of ignorance into the posses
| sion of the franchise, but iuasmuch rs the
| thing Is done we must make the most of II, and
| that Is not by surreptitious disfranchiscmcnt.
| The ultimate effect of illegal and immoral
| methods must be disastrous. They will return
| to curse the men who use them, JUSTICE,