Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-07-06
REPUBLICAN SUCCESS THE MEANS TO
a NEEDED REFORM.

Senator Stanford has sent a dispatch
from Europe to Mr.. Morton that is con-
gratulatory, and expresses the belief of the
distinguished Californian that "the true
progressive American element will tri-
nph." He adds his belief that the cleo
toral ticket bearing Mr.. Morton's name
will sweep the North, md carry some Of
the Southern States, IF fair play can be
had. The Senator has put precisely the
proper condition into his estimate" if
there is a fair election and an honest
count" That is &c say, the Republican
voters in most Of the South are not given
opportunity to freely vote, and where they
are accorded apparent freedom from threat
An interference, IN honest count does not
follow
There is one way, above ali others, that
Is most direct, through which to reach and
correct this monstrous evil, and that is to
restore the Republican party to power. 1t
Is pledged to secure to voters in the South
their political and civil rights, and to
make it as safe to vote freely in Mississippi
as in Michigan, and to secure to the peo-
pie as fair play with the balIot1box in
every Southern rs in every Northern
State.
The election of Harrison ard Morton,
which the signs indicate will be a GER
tainty, will amount to "a verdict of the
nation that what Senator Edmunds so
happily terms "a fundamental principle"
OF the Republican party shall be made
effective throughout the land-namely,
the fullest defense and promotion at all
times and in all places of equal political
and civil rights of citizens of the United
States"
Senator Stanford has sounded the key
n)te Of an issue that more affects the
liberties of men and the theory and
practice of self-goyernment than any other
that is or can be projected into the cam
paign. Without fair elections and hon
est counts the liberties of the people ex-
A0e NAAiC III biihS' Inc DeulOCTdtlC party
under Mr.. Cleveland. through members of
the United States Senate, sneer at all this,
asking, What are you going to do about
II 2" asserting that the States are not to be
interfered with in providing for the
methods of ascersaining the will of the
people. Which is equivalent to declaring
that cowing voters doctoring tally lists
and manipulating counts are crimes to be
continued in the remote South, and hat
the people of the United States outside of
Southern State lines have nothing to do
with 1t. The utterance Of such a senti-
ment Is abhorrent to the progressive
American sentiment, the lover Of fair play
and all people who believe that in the
sanctity of the ballot-box resides the safety
of the Republic.
Yet we have Democratic officials stand
ing in high places, from the rostrIm and
in the reviews unblushingly contending
that it is essential to the proper develop
ment of the South, that voters of one class
should dominate and exclude from active
participation in public affairs of another
class, even when the need is by employ
ment Of devices that can be defined only
as intimidating, bulldozing and coercive.
Mr.. Cleveland and his party, judging by
their quiescenoe and silence, experience no
pangs of patriotic conscience reproaching
them for purposeful blindness to this cry
ing evil. Why should they2 So long as
the Southern Republican and the oolored
voter OF the South can be kept from the
ballot-box and the count of ballots be
made secure from their inspection, the
Democratic party has a vast political
power nothing can reduce.
The way to the remedy for the evil, to
the crushing out of the wrong and the
establishment Of the right, lies through
the election of the Republican standard
bearers in 1888. When that is accom-
plished, one of the first tasks Of the party
will be 10 secure to every citizen in every
quarter of the land that which Governor
Stanford hopes for in the South, "fair cleo
tons and honest counts"
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