The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1886-10-23
LAKE CHARLES CALCASEU PARISH SATURDAY OCTOBER 49, 1885,
The Great Eraud.


Cincinnati Sun.
A Democratic contemporary, which
is disposed to take an extreme view OF
the matter, says that it is to be hoped
that the trustees of the Tilden Library,
when it is established, will make some
provision to exclude Rutherford B.
Hayes from the privileges of munici-
pal establishment. 1t even declares
that "Hayes would be likely to steal
the books that the late President Til
den provided for the benefit of the
people"
We quote this matter-a specimen
that is much current in print--to show
that the indignation over the fraud of
1875 has not died out. Gen. Hayes is
a most respectable citizen of this State,
against whom, personally, We are not
disposed to rail. He was an excellent
soldier, and acquitted himself well in
the civil offices which he held in Ohio.
AS Republican he felt himself better
than his party, but the force of circum-
stances carried him along with his
party into the greatest wrong that has
ever been perpetrated in republican
form of government. General Hayes
is, unfortunately for himself, the per-
sonal representative of the most ras-
calIy fraud known to a hundred years
Of politics. Even his soldier record,
his unassailable private character, and
his dignified behavior in Ohio politics
cannot save him from the disgrace of
1876.
Many of our Republican contempo-
rates seemed to think that the death
of Mr.. Tilden would stop the cry of
fraud. There was a degree of Repub-
lican self-congratulation on this side
that bespoke a consciousness of guilt.
The demise of the Democratic candl-
date of 1876 seems only to have in
tcnsified the Democratic feeling. Mr..
Tilden, though being a man of splendid
attainments and especial value as a
leader, was a secondary consideration.
1t was the Democratic party that was
defrauded. More than that, 1t was
the voice of the people that was stifed.
The Democratic remembrance of the
rascality of ls76-77 is not buried with
the mortal remains of the Democratic
standard bearer. The monumental
theft which postponed the ascendeney
of the Democratic party in the govern
ment for eight years-which, in other
words, drowned the popular acclaim
for two administrations-will be par
ticularly preserved in the minds of
Democrats as long as one of the prin-
cipal political thieves still undertakes
party burglary in Ohio, and as long as
another of the unscrupulous visiting
statesmen is glorified as Senator Of
the United States from the third State
in the Union. We need scarcely spec.
ify personally for our intelligent read"
ers. The man who reads as he runs
must recognize Edward f. Noyes as
the original of the first picture and
John Sherman as the man who sat for
tho second.
The Republicans complain about con
slant Democratic reference to the fraud
of 1876 but keep the feeling of dis
trust alive by persisting in debauehing
the ballot box. Since the work Of
1876, in which they were so eminently
successful, they have won a presidency
by corrupting the State of Indiana,
and, in 1884 they flooded every voting
precinct in Ohio with corruption
fund, They even undertook to smirch
tho record of the rural districts of the
Buckeye State for honesty in elections,
and in Cincinnati they carried the day
by organizing a mob of criminals to
intimidate peaceable citizens and muir
der the regularly constituted officers
of the law.
The Democrats have ground for
complaint, A diurnal acclaim for a
generation of men cannot wipe out the
awful record,