Year: 1876

wrecking trains in Florida for the pur-
pose of suppressing and destroying
election returns have simply been at
tempting to carry out, in another
form, the long cherished purpose OF
their tribe. The entire rebel crew are
actuated by the single desire and de-
tcrmination-to obtain the entire con-
| troll of the State and National govern
ment. To secure that end all means
are To them justifiahle. Hence, the
long series of outrages by which the
exercise of the election franchise in
many Of the Southern States has be-
come a mockery and farce. In those
States the ballot box is not regarded as
a sacred depository Of the DEGREES OF
the whole people, but simply rs the
medium through which the "ruling
class" are expected to enforce registra-
tion of their cdicts. Hence no voter
has the right, according to their view,
to cast ballot unless that ballot ex-
presses decisions exactly in accordance
with those already agreed upon by the
chivalric gentlemen who were born to
run the politics of the country while
and baser natures cultivate the soil
and prosecute all the industries.


These facts invest with particular
interest and grave importance the
political situation of to-day. Why is
it that Mr.. Tilden has all this week
been lowering on the very h"rslers ot
an election? Only because in several
of the Southern States really honest
election-such an election as was on
Tuesday held in all the Northern
States, at which every voter east his
ballot with entire freedom of choice
has been made impossible. Given an
honest election in Mississippi, that
State would certainly have declared
for Hayes for President. An entire
absence of terrorism and intimidation
in Alabama and Arkansas, at least,
would have secured precisely the same
results. So, too, as to Others of the
Southern States, and particularly as
to those the vote of which is now in
dispute-North Carolina, Louisiana
and Florida. A really honest election
in these States would have left Mr..
Tilden hopelessly in the minority in
the electoral college before the sun
rose last "Wednesday morning. OF
this there can be no doubt.


In view of these facts, all good citi-
zens will rejoice to learn that Presi-
dent Grant has determined that there
shall be, at least, IA fair count of the
votes actually cast. Therefore he has
ordered that the Florida ku Klux
shall be promptly cared for by United
States muskets and bayonets, the only
arguments capable of at all affecting
those murderous villains. An honest
count is just what every honest Ameri-
can desires. just what must be had,
and this whether it now be absolutely
certain or not that Hayes is elected,
for in any event, whether the general
result be thereby directly affected or
not, every State is entitled to have n
just expression of its choice in the
Electoral College. And IL, as is now
most probable, the actual election of q
President hinges upon the actual vote
of a single State, it is obviously of the
utmost consequence that there shall
be SO full and absolutely fair count OF
the votes east as shall leave no room
for dispute or cavil as to the decision
reached. The rebel gentry must be
content with their success driving the
loyal masses from the polls, without
now supplcmenting that villainy by q
destruction of the poll books and bal
lots, or by an illegal and falsely manu-
factured return of the election.-Dau-
export Gazette, 1lM inst.