Year: 1876

The situation in which the nation is
left by the result OF the late election is by
no means q satisfactory one TO contem-
plate, IT would have been far better il
either Hayes or Tiden had been chosen
by majority which was beyond all cavil
and dispute. Thee ountry could stand
the administration of either, under such
circumstances, better than to have the
claim of the successful one rest upon the
vote of States the validity of whose Elec-
tors is disputed For when fraud and
| force become factors in an election CON
test, the party losing by the employment
of them naturally feels agrieved, and
looks upon the party successful through
such means as usurpers of rightfu au-
thority. 1t is an astonishing thing that
the statesmen of the nation have not pro-
vided more fully for such contingencies
than has been done, for the election of
1865 demonstrated how in IA close co ntest
the fraudulent vote Of single State, or
part Of State, could me made to over
throw the true expression Of the popular
will. The vote OF New York City gave
that State to Seymour, and to do it be.
tween thirty and forty thousand fraudu-
lent votes were cast. Had the vote of
New York then decided the contest, the
honest will ofthe people would have been
overridden, and an usurper seated in the
Presidential Chair.


This question was discussed among Re
publicans at the time, and it was hoped
and believed that the Legislative power
would prepare for such an emergency in
the future. But it does not seem to have
been done, and with the exception of the
law providing for the appointment of Su-
pervisors ofelection in cities of more than
10000 inhabitants, there seems to be no
national law regulating national elections.
The elections are governed by the local
laws. Perhaps, on general principles,
this is correct, but if We come safely out
of the present crisis, IL would seem to be
but the part OF wisdom to guard against
such contingencies in the future. A law
which shall secure to every man his just
rights of citizenship Mt the national ex-
pense would seem to be one against
which no good citizen could object, unes.
ii was framed in the interest of party
solely. BY and through such a law the
dangers which now menace the peace of
ba J.
that these dangers may be exaggerated,
that when the time for action arrives the
threatenings we now hear will have died
away, and that the sterling good sense of
the people will have cooled down the
warlike ardor Of the belicose "reform-
ers." For it is the Reformers only who
are threatening war. The Republicans
are confident of their right, but we do
not hear that if the verdict IS, from any
cause, recorded against them that they
propose to resort to arms and plunge the
nation, from Maine to California, into
contest in which the hand of neighbor
will be against neghbor. 1t is those who
howled for peace !" when there was no
peace that threaten this bloody pro-
gramme in case their candidate is de-
teated. Two wrongs cannot make one
right. The action of the Tammany De-
mocracy in manufacturing bogus votes
in New York is no Justification to Repub-
licans in other places to Offset this fraud
by the commission of others. Nor for
the step recently taken by the Indiana
Democracy to overawe public sentiment
by declaring they are "determined Til
den shall not be counted out, submission
now is submission for all time" and that
they are willing "for a peaceable solution
of the question, provided it results in the
Inauguration of Tilden." Very natural
they should be peacea Bile if they have ey-
erything their own way. Let it be borne
in mind that the action of the Southern
Returning Boards has the color of law,
and ii frauds have taken place ii is yet to
Oe proven. But such language is, of it.
self revolutionary and reasonable. The
country can better afford four years us
urpatlon of either Tilden or Hayes, than
it can condition of affairs in which eve
ry mans hand will be against his neigh
Dor, and where the hot blood of partisan
fools may inaugurate bloody conflict at
any moment in any quarter. And we
hope and believe this thought will be the
paramount one in the minds of all good
citizens of every party. But it cannot be
denied that our Centennial year has
brought in its train a condition of cir
the patriotism and wisdom of every one
to guard against recurrence in the fu-
| ture.