Vidal Gore — Eighteen Seventy [2614]

Bigelow told me that he does not take seriously the possibility of fraud at the South or, rather, “They will of course try to steal the election. Then they will be caught in flagrante and even The New York Times will have to admit that this is not the way to conduct the affairs of a democracy.” — Vidal Gore, Eighteen Seventy, 2614

Note

This passage effectively balances cynicism with a somewhat naive hope about democracy, presenting an interesting tension between the political realities of fraud and the idealistic belief in accountability that resonates with the reader’s understanding of justice.