Speech #460010264

Sir. this scheme is a deliberate and coldblooded attempt on the part of the democratic party to destroy the purity of the ballotbox. to strike down the right of free suffrage in the North as it has in the South. restore the old rdgime of Tilden and Tweed in New York. place the result of our elections in the hands of bullies and prizefighters. drive honest men from the polls. and clear the way for the most gigantic frauds in 1880 that were ever perpetrated and before which those of 1868 would fade into insignificance. It is democratic preparation to carry New York in 1880. With Federal supervision of the election such as we have had since 1871 they know it would be hopeless. but if these laws are repealed and they are left free to naturalize. stuff ballotboxes. and count the votes as in 1868 and according to the present democratic standard in the South. Now York can be made to roll up fifty or one hundred thousand democratic majority. which with a solid South that they will have. law or no law. would give them reasonable assulrances of success. In the repeal of these laws the democracy have two objects in view: one is to save from conviction and punishment the men whose crimes against the ballot secured them their late successes both North and South. and the other is to remove and clear away all obstacles and to make the way easy and safe to the perpetration of election frauds in the future.