Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1885-01-08
THE GREAT CRIME.

80 Aa"%NANIA OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF NEARLY
Million and n Half OF Southern Voters.
Not single Independent or bolter
has yet attempted 10 defend the practla
cal disfranchiseihent of 1920, 900 voters
at the South. II there were nothing
else to mark the hostility OF these pers
sons to Republican principles this alone
Is enough, That they have deliberately
enabled party TO elect President by
hullifying the Constitution and disfran-
chising large part of those 20 whom
the Fifteenth Amendment extends the
suffrage, This Was not done in igno-
rance To these men the fact was per-
ectly well known that in 1876 and ear
lier several Southern States had been
captured by systematized assassination
or armed revolution; that the usurpa-
ton was crowned with complete sue
cess in every Southern State in the elee-
ton OF 1880, and that the SUPPORTERS of
Governor Cleveland had no hope of
electing him except by the electoral
votes of the Solid South, thus obtained.
With full knowledge of this, the Inde-
pendents set themselves 10 work 20, re-
ward the party of Assassination and to
crown disfranchisemen with, victory.
IL they suppose this thing vii! BE Tor
gotten by trio Republicans they are
greatly mistaken.
The question of the Democrats is still
that of Mr. Tweed, "What are you go
ing to do about up" Some, like Sem
ator German, obey the demands of par
ty RATHER than the dictates of self-re-
spect, by pretending that no wrong IA
done at tho South; and this voting 10
free and fair, AID the counting honest.
others, like Senator Morgan, are more
manly. They bluntly affirm that the
cnfranchisement of the colored people
is not and never can be effective; that
the white Democrats of the South will
never permit It to Be. The usual pre-
text, that practical dsfranchisement of
the colored people is necessary to the
maintenance of decent local govern
ment and the protection 81 life 9hd
property, might co,Anland some atten-
ton IL tHe .h0lorcd people were prevent
I'd Tom voting for local and State Off
GERS only, but the fact is that the full
force of DISTINGUISHING methods Il nsvst
felt except when there ale Presidential
Eleetofs or members of Congress to be
chosen. We have nothing to do at
present with the motives. The Consti-
tuition conGers certain rights. Those
rights are not enjoyed by about 1,200,-
600 persons at the South, mainly col
ored. The question Is whether the
Constitution shall be thus nullilied.
and Tndel1entIenrs- Jnat this p4,aeasats
time TO discuss the shbiect. About that
we shall see hereafter. Republicans
will discuss it, at all events. and make
the facts so thoroughly known to the
country that no man shall hereafter
have an excuse for ignoring them. Mr..
Cleveland will go into Office the first
President ever elected by tho shqt-gun.
That distinction, SUCH as il is, ne will
bear TO the end. When the shotgun
party claims to have the support of the
people hereafter, it shall be in the
mouth of every well-informed citizen to
reply that its only success for twenty
five years was achieved by assassina-
ton, by terrorism and fraud, and by the
disfranchisement of /, 100000 uitizei@
But we are told thai all this will do
no good, and will only ''create bitter
feeling" Very well; bitter feeling to-
ward those who perpetrate and profit
by the most infamous crime of the age
is the only thing in order. No other
decent. Unti1 the Democratic party
stops disfranchising fnen in order to
succeed, it ought to be treated by every
good citizen as the enemy of free gov
ernment TO cause it to be so treated,
and by all right-thinking men SO re-
garded, will do good. Public opinion
rules IN this land, in the long run. The
only difficulty is to get the people
rightly informed as to the facts, and
aroused to a proper feeling in regard to
them. The party of assassination will
find it necessary, before many years
have passed, to treat this question other
wise than with n sheer.
When public opinion is prepared to
act ON this subject there will be no diff
Guilty in discovering what to do about
it. The remedies can he applied with
startling rapidity and force whenever
either branch of Congress realizes that
public opinion demands their applica.
ton. To indicate them, at present,
would be waste of time. The first
hPS RG a 1AnHt tic n @ahf th nBe ofPalf
n remedy is necessary unless they wish
to be deprived of the power of govern
ing themselves altogether. BY meth
DDS precisely on level with those em=
ployed in Georgia, South Carolina and
Mississippi, either party can be entirely
| deprived of all chance Of success in any
| Northern State. N. y. Tribune.