Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-01-01
The Honest Witness.

When Republican journals charge that
the election of Grover Cleveland was Sc
cured through fraudulent Southern elec-
.tions Democrats fly into aIage: and
shout liar liar! liarl What will they
have to say when a Southern journal
comes out and boldly acknowledges that
the Republican charges are true in ev-
cry particular? The Falcon, published
at Oxford, Miss, is Senator Lsmar's
home organ, and therefore not likely to
misrepresent the Southern side Of this
question. With coolness remarkably
refreshing the Falcon acknowledges that
the Democrats of the South secured as
many as twenty-s electoral votes in a
dishonest manner. This is its language:
Mr.. John R. Lynch has recently given
expression to his opinion as to how We
have elected Cleveland and what will be
result of his election. And we may now
expect the press of the State to be all
blood and thunder after John T. Lynch,
but hurt him how as it may, he tells the
truth in that opinion more than once.
He says that Cleveiand's election was by
fraud, ap1 that fraud was in the South; /;
that as many as twenty>six electoral
votes have actually been obtained by the
Democratic party through fraud.
From the above and from the extract
which we publish below it will be seen
that the organ of Lamar admits that
twenty six Southern electoral votes were
actually obtained through the practice
of political Villainy. In other words the
Falcon frankly admits that the Demo
Gratis have stolen the Presidency. De.
duct these twenty>si1 votes from Cleve-
land and give them to Blsine and the
result would stand as fellows: Blaine,
2O8; Cleveland, 1893; Blaine's majority,
Is. But while the Falcon is ready 10
to admit the scoundreily steal, it sets up
the following Justification:
1t is the boast of an American citizen
that, as a sovereign, he sits in judgment
upon his rulers and his magistrates; |; the
elective franchise is the foundation
stone to our liberties. And yet we of
the South live year to year in violation
of these sacred rights. Instances are
too numerous for US to deny it. But it
has been government OF misrule which
has brought US to it, and, we believe, IN
this Instance the end we were to attain
justified the means. Calhoun predicted
long before the emancipation that there
wonld be civil conflict; that the negro
would be freed that the South would be
vanuuished, and that he wished he could
live to speak upon the relations of the
colored man to the politics of the Uni
ted States. He said they would natural
~ side undivided and as solid phalanx
with the people of the North, and that
there would be with them few "profli>
gate whites" who would be seeking the
patronage of the federal government.
Only too true have his predictions Prov
ed, and the protection of the people of
the South has been their determination
to stand together and have control of
their offices of government, although |
they were forced to sacrifice some of the
rights of their former
slaves in the attempt. The Southern
people, and in fact none of the Anglo |
OdAOu IdCt, Will " oC
ed over by any other race Of people, and
the Northern people cannot realize the
truth of this fact because their opposiI |
tions are between whites and whites, and |
not between whites and blacks. We
know that there have been numerous
electian frauds in the South, and that !
the colored mans vote has not been
fairly counted, but we do not think he
has reared himself to 8 position where |
his voice should have equal weight with
ours.
This is frank admission of the wrong |
upon the people of the North.
Cannot way be found to remedy this
crime against the freedom and
purity of the ballot box Sf-Cleveland |
Leader.