Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-02-05
FAIR ELECTIONS.
lcinnati Commercial Gazette.


Presidential campaign. The Republican
party committed itself to it unequiy
ocally, and upon it, with other issues, il
carried the country. 1t was bound
therefore, to use its endeavor to enact
the proposition into law, as it was to
secure tariff reform in the interest OF
American labor and an honest silver
coinage bill. In regard to the tariff and
silver coinage it succeeded; but as re-
CARDS the election law it has, SO far, been
defeated through the treachery of Re-
publican Senators who sold their votes
for piece of silver. These traitors de-
sired free coinage of silver; that is to
say, they wanted the mints opened to
the world to have eighty cents worth of
silver coined into dollar and made legal
tender for all debts public and private.
This was monstrous proposition. 1t
was a destructive blow at the commercial
credit of the country. 1t could help no.
body except the silver spectators. 1t
must damage the great masses of the
people. Yet the Democratic Senators,
with one or two exceptions, voted for
free silver in order to secure few Re-
publican votes to secure the defeat of
the election bill. We assume the election
measure is defeated. But free coinage
is not success. This swindle can not
succeed, Notwithstanding the Senatorial
deal, so long as the Republican party
has its hand upon the helm at the White
House. A man can afford to do right.
In the long run this is the true policy.
The sufferers from the free coinage leg
islation are bound to be the Democrats
and Republican Senators who traded for
mess of pottage. These are not to be
envied. Rather are they to be pitied.
But what is the Democratic party?
1t, through its representa- tives, has sold
itself to the free coinage contingent in
order to defeat the election bill But
what will it do with this when it comes
to National Convention? With Cleve-
land as a candidate, what will it do?
With any prominent man, what will it
do? What will it do with its hard money
record? Of course silver at eighty cents
on the dollar is not hard money. What
will Democrats do about it when they
get into National Convention? Per-
haps they will do as they are doing now
anything for success. But time is
mighty evener.N The men who sustain
the Democratic party are not all frauds.
Many of them have views, and they
have principles. Party lines are not
near so closely drawn as they used to be,
and the party that appeals to the people
in this day or graz, 1891, will find
hearers who are not hedged by party
lines. This is something that Demo-
cratic leaders s-short sighted-leaders-
might as well make a note Of f-'-z---
AS to the election law, there never
was more righteous measure. 1t
stands upon the solid principles of Re-
publican Government With it the
latter must stand or fall. No use in
talking about anything else.
The purpose of the proposed election
law is to secure to every citizen his
rights under the law, and to provide
that every man having right to vote
shall be permitted to do so for represen-
tatives in Congress. Is not this fair?
There is no force about it. 1t is simply
Justice, and the man who is wise is al
ways on the side of justice.
This sentiment is brought home by
remark of DR.. Hartzell, Secretary of the
Freedman's Bureau, at the anniversary
meeting in this city on Monday. He
said:
"The Doctor presented the existent
condition of affairs in the South most
vividly. OF 100000 voters in sixteen
States in the South, he said, there were
never more than fifty per cent. of the
votes cast, and many of them cast
against the voters will. A long resi-
dence there had acquainted him only too
fully with the condition of affairs. The
young men in the South were being bred
in an atmosphere of violence and fraud
that was fearfnl to contemplate, and
that unless some solution was soon
reached the result might be most dis
astrous. The gradual education of the
colored people and their consequent en-
lightenment, added to the fact of their
rapidly growing numbers, would soon
cause them to openly rebel against the
infamous treatment to which they were
subjected. The Doctor stated that he
spoke with no regard to political party,
but was merely presenting the actual
condition of affairs.",
To God Almighty a thousand years is
as one day. This is true, also, as ap-
piled to the life of Nation. There is
always an end to injustice. A fair
election law may not pass, and if passed
it might not be enforced, but if refused
or if nullified there is bound to lie
terrible retribution if we expect to live
under Government of the people, for
the people and by the people.
The Republican party must stand by
its pledges and by its principles, regard
less of temporary reverses. Let conse-
quences rest with traitors to the party
and demagogues who would profit in a
partisan way by the conduct of those
who sell solemn undertaking for a
mess of silver.
In the Federal election bill which the
Democrats are pleased to call "the Force
BILL" the material departure from the
existing Federal election law is the pro-
vision that the National election officers,
appointed by the United States Circuit
Court, shall canvass the returns of the
vote for Congressman and give certi-
ficate to the candidate having the great
est number of votes. The bill further
provides that any person who was
candidate for Congress in such district
may, if he feels himself aggrieved by the
decision of the election officers, present
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