Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1890-08-11
Do Honest Democrats Approve
Of It?

1t is a fact that nobody who reads
denies that for several years in many
parts of the South there has not been
a single free and fair election, where
every voter, white or black, Republi-
can or Democrat has had opportuni-
ty to vote as he chose and to have
his ballot counted. Much of the
time the wrong has been done by the
use of shot guns. For years armed
bodies surrounded voting places and
frightened away those negroes and
republicans who attempted to vote.
Meanwhile every now and then re-
publican leaders were singled out to
be shot down in cold blood in their
own doorways, or from the ambus-
cade. These instances have been
too common and too frequent and
make special records unnecessary.
Often there have been massacres of
unarmed negroes about the polls, ana
at all times that display Of ferocious
cruelty which terrorized republican
voters throughout the South. Later,
when the brutal hearts of KukluX,
white caps and other secret orders
could no longer withstand their owU
cruelties, other methods were resor-
ted to, to cheat by counting and 9TH
er methods, the republican out of
votes that were fairly cast. The
tricks that have been played in this
direction are all that the dishonest,
ingenious enemies of the republicans
could invent and institute. When it
has been deemed less brutal and
heathenish to count out than to kill,
this method has been in favor. Of
tentimes as in the Clayton and Breck-
enridge matter, where it has been
necessary in order to conceal the
fact of ballot box stealing and
false counting, witnesses have been
shot down as was Clayton. 10
make this conditions of affairs in a
so called free and enlightened coun-
try all the worse, it is a fact that
cannot be denied that partisan news
papers have in some cases recon-
mended and approved of it; cam
paign speakers have invited it; mem
bers of Congress of the same wicked
! politics have denied and condoned 1t,
and the great party which has per-
mitted it has stood silent while these
unlawful, cruel and dangerous things
have been going on.
1t is unnecessary to say that at the
present time the Democratic party is
making the greatest effort to prevent
the passage Of just and constitu-
tional measure which shall tend to
make elections fair and honest. The
proposed law is equally just to all
parties and to all classes. There is
nothing hard or oppressive about it.
1t seeks nothing more than that
every man shall have the right to
vote as he pleases and to have his
vote fairly counted. Now why is it
that anybody, any section, any man
objects to a law of this kind? 1t
must simply be that he does not de-
| sire a fair election. There are
thousands that must admit that they
do not want a fair electiOn-will not
tolerate certain voters. They would
overthrow law and government itself
if necessary to prevent the voting
of negroes and others as they choose.
The same men and the same party
welcome to its ranks every sort Of a
foreigner, except the "heathen Chi
nee''. no matter what his ignorance,
his character or his race may be. The
Nibilist from Russia, the Anarchist
from Germany, the Socialist from
Austria the ignorant from Italy OIL
from Spain all are heartily welcomed
to the country and find warm recep
ton in the low politics of our cities
Most of them gravitate into the par
ty which has a majority in the large
cities.
We ask honest Democrats if the,
favor the suppression of the blacl
vote of the South? We ask tn EN-
: they favor the adoption into thef
party Of the law voting elements t.
which reference is made above. |
they do not favor these things the,
z are not IN accord with the great dem
S ocratic party. Why do good homes
/ men cling 50 tenaciously to such
{ party.
Within week cases containin
$4,000 Winchester cartridges hay
passed through Jacksonville, con
signed to .wo little Florida town