Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1888-11-02
rem CONGRESS,
H. KYD DO UGL s,
OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
THE GREAT STRUGGLE.

All along the ranks now the Presidential
struggle is raging furiously. The lines of
combat are drawn as though a real war were
going on in the country. No stronger evil
dence is possible OF the free institutions and
that perfect liberty in no degree means hurt
full license than the evidence the present
has furnished in abundance every day for the
PAST three months The two great parties
are seemingly at daggers' points and yet a
perfect peace is kept. Immense crowds
gather together, do their political work
whatever it may be, and dispense, happy i,
joyous and contented. So far from ever
having to resort TO AN armed force, no exhi
bition even is ever made OF one. Every
voter looks upon the bsllot-box as the su.
preme arbter, and 1t is by this standard that
all parties are content TO be tried. standing
or falling. Sixty millions of people present
the interesting and also the most instructive
sight of gigantic national contest wherein
everybody is stirred up, made hot with ex.
element, and made eager for conflict and
yet where everybody is perfectly content to
let the majority decide and abide every fair
issue, no matter how or in what direction
may be the end OF it. So let our politics
ncontinue.
Under form Of government like this,
and like it was made by the great ones who
precipilated the revolutionary war. who
fought it to finish, promulgated the con-
stitution and made powerful union out of
a lot of States which under other Influences
and because OF different surroundings might
have made despotism an imperative me-
cessity to protect all social relations and
make il worth while to work and To live In
the land, there can never be any hocus pocas
~snut elections unless there goes with 1t q
violation of law.
10 violate law ~ to beget dsrespect for 1t.
When disrespect comes for law In repub-
lie, the pit has already been half dug for
that republics overthrow. 1t has always
been the boast OF Americans that simple
petent. jurisdiction, could be executed any
where in the United States without single
resort to anything except to the very sim.
plest of the local authority. This declaration
is still being believed and acted up to. Woe
be unto those who first transgress this un.
written law and who fail 10 understand
what habits aud customs mean To people.
They mean everything that's worth mean
ing or talking about. They mean simply TO
say No foolishness, no cheat and sham
with electoral votes. No intimidation any
more at manufacturing centers. No brow.
beating of the underpaid employee any more
as though he were slave. No fraud, nor
bulldozng, nor rascality ANY more about
the polls. No more returning boards and
visiting statesmen. No more defeated can
didates for President counted in by violence
and seated virtually at the point of the
bayonet.
These corrupt and vicious things all be.
long to the past They could only have
happened in the days OF what was so gibly
called reconstruction. days full of all man.
ner OF wickedness, when bad men held sway,
and the whole civil service reeked with po.
luton. Perhaps the institutions of the coun
try were subjected To greater strain during
the time Mr.. Tilden was deprived Of his
high Office than at any period of the war,
even the darkest. The lesson that this un
precedented outrage furnished was bitter
one, and yet il it was learned Alright it may
not have been entirely Ia vain. Surely il
can never be repeated again with impunity