Year: 1879

FREE AND EASY ELECTIONS


While the news from Ohio was pouring in
yesterday morning, n Democratic organ caught
its breath long enough to gasp that the out
look for n victory in New fork was now highly
encouraging, and that the party felt, on the
whole, as comfortable as could be expected.
A troublesome State is out of the way. There
is no further need for talking on both sides
Of the financial question, or for setting up
more feigned issues than can he properly
taken care of. The campaign in New York
was dreadfully embarrassed by the necessity
of considering Ohio. But Ohio being safe,
the Democrats can afford to focus Themselves.
The old lady was greatly relieved IN mlnd
when her son was sent to State Prison, for
now, thank goodness shc knew where he was
nights.


And so our Democratic friends propose 10
drop everything else in New-Y0rk. and hght
us for "home rule " in the management OF
elections. They seem to have reached tins
determination about the hour when prOml-
nent Democrat of this. city, John Kelly by
name, was explaining to the citizens oi Nyti-
cusc how the New-York Democracy used to
manage elections under home rule " in 1865,
and how the same man who, ~ chairman oi
the State Committee, was III alliance WIN
Tweed in those operations, is trying to manage
the election machinery now through MS
agents in the Police Board. The outrageous
farce which Democratic home rule made OF
popular elections in the metropolis ten
wears ago is one OF the great scandals
cf American government, and more than any
other one cause it led to the enactment oi the
Federal election laws which the Democracy
are now trying to overthrow. lhe common
sense of the country perceived that Ii the
peOple were to rule some check must he put
upon the stupendOus system of repeating, false
counting, false persOnatiOn, false swearing and
forgery, by which the decisions of the ballot
were over and over agan set aside. Common
sense perceiyes now that the crimes by which
the Republican vote has been violently sup
pressed ali over the South must likewise be
abated. If the Democrats see fit to contend
with rs on the issue of letting them do as
they please at all the polls, we need ask noth-
ing better than to meet them on such a ques-
tiOn.


There never was a more impudent farce
than this clamOr for " home rule II is only
since the Republican party succeeded 10 the
Executive Department of the Government that
the Democrats have developed their doctrine
of leaving every community free to cheat, ter
1ify and kill voters much as IL pleases.
Wnen the Democrats held the Government
before the war they had no scruple about Fed
eral interference and if they ever hold it
agam they will do as they did OF old. Is it
necessary TO remind anybody how they marched
troops into Kansas to control elections How
President Pierce sent United States soldiers to
disperse the Frce-State Legislature at the
point of the bayOnet How Federal Marshal
atterward broke up another Legislature
by throwing the President of the SEN
ate and the Speaker of the House,
and ten or twelve of the principal members
into jail \ committee of Congress, after
careful investigation on the spot, reported
that "every election" in Kansas had been
controlled by armed pro-savery Democrats
from Missouri. Nor was this mere case Of
mob violence. The armed invaders were
actively and pertinaciously supported 10y the
Democratic Administration at Washington
and defended by the Democratic statesmen
in Congress. On at least one occasion, when
body of men invaded the Territory from
the slave States, for the purpose OF running
the elections to suit themselves, the United
States Marshal took them into pay as
"deputies," and actually armed them with
Government muskets. When they lost con-
troll of the Government, and could play such
pranks no longer they resolved to break up
the Union. When the war was over, the
first use they made of their leisure was to
practice upon the enfranchised negroes the
same violence they had attempted against the
Free State settlers of Kansas. Now they
clamor to be "let alone" while they shoot
their opponents in Mississippi and swindle
them in New York. Well, if they wish to
make political campaign on that issue. the
Republican party will be happy to accommo-
date them