The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-01-09
GEN. HARRISON ON FREE BALLOT.
Why Sensitive Mugwumps Are Disturbed
Over His Utterances.

Over His Utterances.
Philadelphia Press.
General Harrisons emphatic declaration,
last week, In his fand Army speech, for %
free ballot anu n honest count seems to
have alarmed the effeminate and tender
footed mugwumps. The virile Democrats
who are; accustomed TO straight. down
right fighting are not half as much shocked
as the weak siste~- 10 are afraid that the
demand for (; -tion may hurt some
body's feelings.
But what was ore in the utterance to
which any right-mird ed man can take ex-
ing which was not public, and the only re-
ports come from the memory of hearers.
The versions differ in language, but agree
in substance. General Harrison declared
strongly that there ought TO be demand
all over the land for pure ballot. He in
sisted that this was a matter above and be-
yond any question of partisanship, and that
a free vote, honestly given and fairly count
ed, is the safeguard of our institutions. He
emphasized the idea that the suppression
of free suffrage, or the acknowledgements of
any rightful elector, is a crime which ought
not TO be tolerated.
What objection can be offered to such ex-
pressiOnsf Who ventures to take issue with
these propositionsf Do the tender and sem
sitive souls that fear General Harrison NAV
have said more than he ought to have said
mean to deny his statementsf Do they
mean to say that there ought not to be n
lItc DduOb anu anu dD IL
not, why are they sniveling over General
Harrison's observations His declaration
did not go beyond what they would be
compelled to recognize as the simplest tru-
ism. But the explanation of their sensi-
tiveness is that they infer something more.
They infer that the deliverance implied
that General Harrison would favor meas
ures designed to secure honest elections and
that such measures might tread on some
bOdy's toes. They know that his shot was
aimed at the elections in the Southern
States which are controlled by fraud and
intimidation. In short, they interpret his
utterances as signifying an aggressive and
radical instead of a cOnciliatory policy to-
wards the South.
But there is no warrant for any such con-
structiOn. If anybody means to say that
the Republican party and General Harri-
son cannot be for fair elections without be-
ing hostile to the South, he puts deeper
stigma upon that section than any Repub-
ican has ever done. The question of an
honest ballot box is one thing; the question
of kindly feeling and fraternal hand for
the South is another. We object to the
wrong which gives thirty-five electors and
thirty-five representatives to the South for
the cOlored vote, when that vote is not
merely suppressed, but made to count on
the other side. We object to the crime
which thus, year after year. has defeated
the Will of the country and usurped the
power of the majority by a minority. TX
there is any way to rectify *. common jus
tice demands that it shall be done. But
what we want is that the intelligent and
progressive elements of the South shall see
that their interests lie with ours; that in
national policy we should stand on the
same ground and when they come to COM
prehend this the matter will settle itself.
They should open their eyes to the oppor-
tunitieS which are before them.