New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-21
THE LESSON OF LOUISIANA.

Inc result OF bne LOulbldnd cleCtlon mSdhS
that the Southern Democrats propose to keep
the South solid for the reelection of Mr.. Cleve-
land by fair means or foul-principally foul.
1t disposes peremptorily Of any hopes of a fair
election In Louisiana or in any other Repubh-
can Southern State where they have complete
control Republican hopes Of winning any
Southern electoral votes must be limited to
Virginia and West Virginia, where they have
at least fighting chance. But the enormous
majority in Louisiana, admitted to be partly
fraudulent even by Democratic papers, is a
notice served on the country that there will be
an ample supply of tissue ballots in November
In every State where they can be used, and a
faithful corps Of election officers ready, if
necessary, to count in Mr.. Cleveland to any
extent, so that he may 60 on with his glorious
work of Reform.
The size of both the Democratic vote and
majority in Louisiana is prima facie proof Of
gross fraud. With three parishes estimated,
Nichols has liz, $50 votes and 65,160 ma
jority. His majority now is 2, 500 votes larger
than Cleveland's entire vote in 1884, which
was only 62,540. 1t was even few votes
larger than Hancock's total vote in 1880
SO, 067. 1t cannot be claimed that this was
the result of conversions from the Republicans,
because the Republican vote, as stated, is even
hair's-breadth larger than Blaine's In 1884,
and considerably larger than Garfeld's in 1880.
These are the figures 1880, 88,o16; 1884,
46, BAT 1888, AZ, $50. The Democratic vote,
which fell off 2,627 votes In 1884 as compared
with 1880, has increased so, 900 votes in 1888
over 1884 in a total vote Of ITO, 600, and that
in an election which, in spite Of the interest
attaching to the local quarrel in New-Orleans,
is less important than the Presidential election.
No unprejudiced person can suppose for
moment that this is an honest increase. In
fact, Democratic newspapers of the franker
sort openly admit fraud The New-Orleans
dispatches of "The Sun" say that the ma
iorities reported from some of the parishes in
North Louisiana are stupendous and in some
cases incredible. From Rapides, where the con-
test was regarded close one until few days
ago, a majority Of 900 is reported. The total
population is only "a, 0o0" That Is to say, in
this parish the Democratic majority is equal to
one-third Of the entire population. Tweed
himself rarely yentured ON frauds as unblush-
ing as these, and never on so large scale.
Conservative Democrats" it is said, "admit
that in some Of the parishes of North Louisiana
the returns are suspicious They must be
very conservative Democrats indeed who
will not admit so much as that. In fact, in
view Of these disclosures, Governor Warmoths
claim that 10000 ballots against him were
stuffed into the boxes seems conservative"
1t Is almost incredible that the country should
remain Indifferent to facts like these. The
present control by the Democratic party Of the
Executive branch Of the Government and OF
the House of Representatives is secured by
such frauds They are the foundations Of its
rule A country is in a dangerous condition
when the sources of power are poisoned by
fraud. II is the ballot-box stuf1ng and false
counting in Louisiana and other States that
enable the Democratic party to make clean
sweep Of the Government service, to precipitate
tariff agitation upon the country, to recon-
struct the Supreme Court. The answer of
bigoted Democrats and still moro bigoted In
dependents to this is that this is a matter with
which the General Government has nothing to
do. That is true, strictly speaking; and yet it
is matter which has a great deal to do with
the General Government, seeing that the
election of President and the control OF one
branch of Congress are obtained by just such
means, and that the Democrats hope to get the
control of everything in the same way. Mr..
Lowell and the men who look up to him would
have scorned to cooperate with Tweed. Yet
the men they associate themselves with are the
architects, are the benefciaries Of frauds more
colossal than Tweed ever dreamed of, for he
worked within narrow range. after all. The
early Abolitionists, to whom Mr.. Lowell was
vain enough to compare the Mugwump move
ment, cried out increasingly against slavery
even if it was thousands of miles away. They
threw their moral influence on the right side
But the Mugwump, when you talk about the
political slavery Of the negroes, shrugs his
shoulders and charges you with "reyiving the
passions of the Civil War;" which you have
probably not mentioned at all.