Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 July 1879 — The Northern and Southern Democrats. [ARTICLE]

The Northern and Southern Democrats.

One of the most uncompromising of the Washington “last-ditchers” is Senator Wallace, of Pennsylvania. He was violently opposed to the latest caucus device. He might reasonably have taken this position if he had opposed the new scheme on the ground that it is a jpetty piece of business, unworthy of any great party ambitious to control the destinies of a nation, and aimed at the subversion of law. But this was not the reason for his opposition. He wanted the Democratic caucus to make a final stand upon the closing of the Courts as a means for coercing Executive assent to a repeal of the Election laws. He is reported as having stated in caucus that it had been mutually agreed, at the beginning of thq struggle, that the Northern men should help the Southern men to secure the repeal of the Jurors’ Test-oath, and that the Southern men in return were to help the Northern men secure the repeal of the Election laws. If this is a correct statement of the case, then the responsibilitv for the revolutionary scheme aimed at the prostitution of the ballotbox rests upon she Northern Democrats. This is a revelation of interest and importance to honest men in the North who have been acting and voting with tho Democratic party. What Northern constituency, outside of the roughs, plug-uglies and hired repeaters, is in favor of abandoning all National restraint over Congressional elections? Is Senator Wallace fairly representing tho Democracy of Pennsylvania in insisting upon the repeal of the Nation* l Election laws, in order to furnish a free opportunity for fraud P Are the other Democratic politicians from the North reflecting the sentiments or carrying out the wishes of their constituents by sympathizing with the efforts of Senator Wallace? Is it a characteristic of the Democratic party _to seek to accomplish by fraud and • violence what it is feared cannot be accomplished by an honest effbrtP It is important that all this should be definitely understood, for we believe that there are thousands upon thousands of citizens throughout the North who have voted with the Democratic party daring the last few years on acconnt of some dissatisfaction with the Republican party, or in the hope of achieving certain promised reforms, who would not vote with that or any other party that was in favor of free and unrestrained frauds upon the ballot-box. If Senator Wallace told the truth in caucus when ho said that the enforced repeal or nullification of the Election laws was nrimarily a Northern suggestion, and that it has been insisted Upon as a Northern .Democratic measure, then his revelation ought to be a warning to all conservative and right-minded men who have been inclined to vote with the Democrats onNatioual issues. If the scheme for the destruction of the National Election laws was Bug* gested by the Northern politicians, and

to the extent that - it has received the support of the Northern Democrats, it is designed to afford an opportunity for frauds in certain large cities in the North which would probably overcome honest .Republican majority in certain States. The carrying of New York State for the Democrats by means ofthe repeating and ballot-box stuffing, which would bp possible in New York City in the absenoe of National supervision at the next Presidential election, is the chief consideration of this Northern Democratic support of the proposition to remove all National restraint over National elections. If the suggestion came from Mr. Thurman, as is generally conceded to be the case, it was because Mr, Thurman and his friends believe it will be impossible for any Democratic candidate for the Presidency to honestly carry enough territory in the North to secure his election. The support which Senator Wallace, as a Northern man, is giving to th 6 scheme is founded, upon a like selfish purpose as to the election of 1880 in Pennsylvania, when a Legislature is to be chosen that will name a successor to Mr. Wallace, whose present term expires as a new President goes in. So the advocacy of this infamous scheme by every Northern Democrat has been based upon the belief that nothing short of unrestrained fraud will enable the Democratic party to secure votes enough in the North to enable them to seize the Government in'lßßl. r It may be that Senator Wallace’s caucus statement was intended to divest the nullification scheme of some of its unpopularity by creating the impression that the Southern politicians were not making so much effort as the Northern Democrats to carry it out; but nobody is simple enough to believe anything of this kind. Of course, the Southern Democrats do not need the repeal of the Election laws for their own local benefit, because they have already demonstrated thatsthey carry elections by fraud and violenco in spite of Government supervision and the restrictions of the United States laws. But they have as lively an interest in the scheme as the Northern politicians, because they believe it to be essential to securing the number of Electoral votes at the North which are necessary to the olection of a Democratic President. The Southern politicians expect to be the chief beneficiaries of a Democratic Administration, for they will control the caucus, dictate the subsidies, allow the claims, dispose of the offices, and otherwise “run the machine.” Senator Wallace and the Northern Democrats who think and act with him are, after all, but mere creatures and agents of the ex-Confederates. Chicago 'Tribune.