Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-11-07
CAMPAIGN B0eIES.
Tho Horrors That hs cenIured Up About
Election Times.

Election Times.
Mr.. E. L. Godkin, formerly editor Of
the New York Evening Post, writes to
that paper as follows: -r.
1T seems to me that the care Of
Providence for the American people is
never 80 strikingly displayed as during
the Presidential campaign every four
years. At that time about one-half Of
the voting population arises In it's
might, and, according to the other half.
determines to put an end to the great
experiment. The republic, which one
party is bent on extinguishing by
means Of financial ruin, Is preserved
by the other side, for one more trial.
The presidential election, as means Of
ruin, began it's fatal work as early as
Jefferson's day, when one Of the FEEDER
alist moralists exposed the designs Of
the Republicans, as the other party
was then called, to fling the Federalists
wives and daughters into the common
stews.' At that period the fatal blow
was to be dealt out Of pure wickedness.
ut was later that real reason ap-
peared for breaking up the Union, in
the shape Of the Northern attempt to
abolish slavery. But at every presi-
Dental election something terrible was
to result FROM the triumph Of one side
or the other, until in 1884, the continu-
ance of the Union was threatened by
Rum, Romanism and Rebellion
I was dining one evening during the
year with friend and a party compos-
ed in the main Of persons Of distinction.
Cleveland had been elected. but had
not his place. The Tribune was daily
publishing lists Of the enormous sums
which would have to be paid in satis-
faction of rebel Claims the total
amount Of which was, I believe, some
billions of dollars. One gentleman was
calling attention to the amount with
horror, when Abram s. Hewitt, who
was present, said, I am on the con-
gressional committee which has to pass
these claims, and can assure you that
not one of them will be paid The ef-
feet Of this on the gentleman who had
brought the subject up and who was
a warm Republican, was very curious.
He was thunderstruck, and passed
some minutes in silent meditation.
Well said he at last, there must be
terrible lying somewhere AS every
one else at the table was we'll aware
that the air was full Of campaign lies,
this drew forth shouts Of laughter. and
the subject was buried in a discussion
as to which side lied the more.
About the same time a Republican
friend Of mine in the country wrote to
me. offering to sell all his securities
and he was a man Of some wealth-for
half their face value in case Of Cleve-
lands election. I wrote him accepting
the offer; but never heard from him
again. Shortly afterwards I heard
from one of our prominent financiers,
the president Of a great company, that
the spectacle Of working men killing
each other in the streets would be wit
messed frequently in New York, as
soon as Cleveland took his seat. Some
people were so affected by the prospect
proposed that President Arthur should
prevent their occurrence by refusing 10
surrender his place to Mr.. Cleveland.
ridiculed these fears in the columns OF
The Nation. on the ground that they
were tantamount to confession that the
republic was a failure. They were real
ly a confession that only half the peo-
pie were fit to rule. The only notice
saw Of my point was by the New York
Evangelist, which protested against the
idea that only one Of the two great
parties was capable Of carrying on the
government. But think the fears OF
the timid were not actually dissipated
until Cleveland had actually taken his
place as president. 1t Is droll now to
remember that these fears were In
spired by the prospect that the govern