The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1875-01-29
THE ARBITRATION PROPOSAL,

Mondays Picayune has the follow
ing editorial on the proposition to submit
the results Of the election of last year to
arbitration by the Hoar committee:
1t is to he regretted that the Con-
gressional Committee will not be able
to act on the election of 1874, in accor-
dance with the request of the Conscrva
tive members of the Legislature. It is
to be regretted, but it was to be antici-
pated. The members of the mmittee,
rs suggested in the Picayune yesterday
morning, will decline to take cogniz-
ance of the case except at the request of
both parties. The offer of the Conser-
vatives is made sincerely and in the full
conviction that the testimony, search
ing rs it might be, would only confirm
the justice Of their claim, and expose
the character of the methods and APP
planes by which the results of the
election were reversed. This, indeed,
will probably be accomplished by the
evidence to be brought before the COM
mittee during the pending investiga-
ton. The same facts, which will be
ELECTED in the course of that inquiry,
would serve as the foundation for the
Conservative case in an orbitration,
We cannot doubt that long before their
labors close, the committee will have
arrived at conclusion which, if it
could be enforced by them as Il tribunal
Of arbitration, would be fatal to the pre-
tensions of the usurpers who now hold
possession of the State-House.
We presume that the kellogg faction
have come to the same conclusion,
They know that they have nothing to
depend ON for support but the military
| violence which installed them. They
| exercise the functions of Il Legislature
or, at least, they initiate the functions
of II Legislature-in defiance of the
votes of the people, in violation of the
constitution of the State and in contempt
of the public opinion of the country. But
they rerose on the unanswerable and
invincible logic of the bayonet. Whilst
they have the army at their back, they
can maintain their attitude of defiance
of the will of the people ofthe State, and
ofcontempt of public opinion. The facts
and the law, truth and justice are ele-
nents in the case, the power of which,
if once admitted, would be fatal to
them.
There is, therefore, not the slightest
chance that they will resign any of the
advantage they have gained, by sub
hitting their pretensions to the judr-
ment ola tribunal which would be
guided by truth, and governed by the
facts. 1T IL true that by Il refusal to close
with the Conservative offer they lose
the moral effect which such Il course
would exercise in their favor. But
they have already so deeply outraged
tne moral sense of the country, that
this addition to the olium in which
they are held would be regarded bv
them but lightly.
Nevertheless we do not regret that
the offer has been made. The country
will now see that the Conservatives of
Louisiana do not fear to trust their
cause in the hands of even their politi-
cal opponents, provided these be gen
tfemen of character and Intelligence.
We should have been more pleased
had the committee been able to act on
the proposal; but, in any event, we
can lose nothing, and we may gain
much by having made it.