I thought you were looking for examples of dictators who rigged elections.
Did Jeff Davis lock someone up and accuse them of "treason" for writing a song praising a general he dismissed?
He had a newspaper writer arrested a day or two after Sumter for writing something Bragg didn't like.
I know Lincoln had a man arrested just for making a speech about Lincoln behaving like a King.
Davis had people arrested for disloyal comments throughout the rebellion.
You thought no such thing. What you thought is "how can I deflect this accurate and historically supportable charge against Lincoln by invoking supposed wrong doing by someone else. "
Again, when a man can be locked up and accused of treason for simply writing a song praising a former general, the man locking him up can also easily win elections by intimidating any potential challengers or their supporters.
And I don't care what Davis did. It isn't a contest between which is the more evil. As I said, wrong things done by Davis do not justify wrong things done by Lincoln.
Each man must be judged on his own deeds independently of other men.