The Indianapolis journal., 1891-02-02
AN 1RREPREsslBLB CONFLICT.

is never made in vain. Though it may
fail of complete or immediate success,
it is never entirely unsuccessful. The
results aimed at may not be attained,
but some results are always attained and
some progress towards final success is
always made. The ground gained.
though. perhaps, small. is still vantage
ground and helps to make the next eff
fort for the same cause more vigorous
and more likely to succeed.
The Republican party has, for the
present, failed in its attempt to pass an
honest election law, but the effort has
brought good results and the failure is
not disc0uraging. The party is to be
heartily cor congratulated on having made
an earnest effort to do just and right
eous thing. and to carry out it's promises
and pledges to the people. Not to have
made the attempt would have been
cOwardly and dishonest. When the
time comes that the Republican party
can deliberately shut it's eyes to the ex-
istence of great wrong. turn its back
on plain duty and ignore its pledges,
as well as its principles, then, indeed,
it will have outlived its usefulness and
be ready to disband. But nothing of
the kind has happened. The party has
made an honest, manly and noble effort
to secure the passage of the elections
bill, and has only failed through the
weakness, or treachery, of few of its
members. The failure is due to few
Senator's, while the honest effort stands
to the credit of the entire party. Not
to nave made the attempt would have
been an objectionable sin, while the
failure, under the circumstances, is only
discreditable to those who caused it.
The party is stronger and better for
having made the attempt, and in no way
dishonored by The failure.
One of the best results of the struggle
is the enlightenment of the public in re-
gard to the situation aud the temper of
the Democratic party. Never before,
have the righteousness and necessity of
national elections law been made so
apparent, as also the desperate deter
minatiOn of the Democratic party to
prevent its enactment. Every intelli-
gent person in the United States now
knows that there is no such thing in the
South as free and fair elections, and that
the Democrats do not intend there shall
be. 1t is a great point gained to have
demonstrated the existence of so gigan-
tic an evil, and also the fact that the
Democratic party is determined upon its
continuance. From beginning to end of
the struggle the Democrats in Congress
have taken the position that they could
not and would not tolerate equal suf-
frage in the South, and that they would
go any lengths to prevent the enactment
of law looking to that end. To main
tain this condition In the South they
have had to oppose the enact
ment of law equally applicable
to the North, thus placing them
selves on record as opposed to honest
elections anywhere. They have made
no attempt to deny that Southern elec-
tions were carried by force and fraud,
but they have said the use of force and
fraud are necessary to maintain the
Democratic party in power, and We will
not have it any other way. No national
elections law shall be enacted. The
Congress shall not exercise its constitu-
tional right of regulating the election of
its members. The constitutional amend
ments shall not be enforced. Equal
suffrage shall not prevail. State laws
for the disfranchisement of negroes
publican, white or black, shall have the
right to vote in the South and have his
vote counted. You may talk as much as
you please about fair elections and an
honest count, but we will not have it.
This has been the position of the Demo-
cratic party throughout the entire con-
test over the elections bill. It is great
point gained to have made them show
their hand. 1t is a great point gained to
have riveted public attention upon the
fact that throughout large section of
the country honest elections are un-
known, and that the Democratic party
Is determined to maintain that condition.
With this knowledge there is nothing
left for the Republican party but to con-
time the fight on that line. If honest
elections are essential to the preserva-
tion of the government, it can do no less
than carry on the fight for honest cleo
tions. To abandon that principle would
be to abandon the government itself.
Nothing more can be done in this Con-
gress, and nothing at all in the next;
but what of that? There are other
congresses to elect, and time is always
an ally of justice and right. These
always win in the end, for the eternal
years of God are theirs. The Repub-
lican party must nail to the mast the
banner of "honest elections" and fight
for it and under it next year and the
year after, and during all the years, un-
! til it shall succeed. There will be other
things to fight for, but this must never
be abandoned. Its ultimate success is
as sure as the existence of the Republic,
for the existence of the Republic de-
pends on it. The present condition is
an irrepressible conflict, and it will
never be permanently or peaceably set
tied except on the basis of justice and
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