The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-02-19


Presidential election by fraud and force.
II these dangerous Instruments can be- sue
cessfully employed. Instead of seeking
70 furnish relief 10 the suffering condition
Of the country, or 10 diminish the pcrni-
cious effects OF their reckless legislation.
the last tive months have been employed
IN exciting sectional strife, stirring the
embers OF dscord. and inilaning passions
anew that had long ago subsidized.
Not single practical measure has been
adopted that Il of the least benefit in re-
viving prosperity. The act pretending to
resume specie payment four years hence
: "A snare and a delusion. which the Presi-
dent has been compelled To confess by de-
claring that no means have been provided
10 carry 1t out, and By recommending
! legislation for that object.
I'm the closing hours OF the last ses sion
Mr.. Dawes and Mr.. Garfield. representing
/ the two foremost committees. assured the
House In the most positive manner that
the revenues would exceed the expendi-
lures by twenty-six millions of dollars
for the current fiscal year. And now, six
months after these promises. made in
view OF the then pending elections. the
Secretary of the Treasury asks OF Con-
gress forty millions of additional income
TO carry on the Government and redeem
its ordinary obligations
Ii is proposed 10 raise this revenue by
anew imposing the duties on tea and cot.
fee-this has already put up the prices of
those articles-and by re-enacting other
obnoxious taxes. No plan comprehend
ing real economy or retrcnchmenf of no
torious extravaganza has been preached.
or would be tolerated il offered by the
Opposition.
The President and Congress have both
set their faces against any reduction of
patronage, or restraint upon the mon
strous abuses by which the Treasury is
robbed of tens of millions every year.
The army ought to be reduced to ten
thousand men. and host of costly Off
GERS Topped off; but instead OF reduction
they want more troops and heavier expen-
ses. A naval squadron is kept up in the
Mediterranean tor the pleasure of an Ad-
miral and throng OF suborlinates. with
out even pretencc of utility and at an
annual outlay of several millions. And SO
Of Others elsewhere, but none of these
things are 10 be touched.
More taxes. more hard times, more suf-
fering for the laboring masses. and less
ability to bear the new loads of oppression,
comprise the policy of the Administration
and its supporters. They will not take of
an ounce of this weight. but insist upon
I dhhHi- W IL ny tNtlN IV--tDit
Sheridan is kept in Louisiana az slow
match is put near powder magazine. to
explode IL when least expected. Tie tried
the quick match hut il failed, and now the
President orders him to stay with the ex-
! pectation that the next experiment Will
be more successful. and In time 10 operate
for the third term.
While the military is thus used for this
wicked purpose, other schemes are con-
cOcted To circumveDt an election by the
people. which would result in the over
throw Of Grantism. aud with il the tens Of
thousands Of demagogues, adventures,
and knaves who are now faItening on the
spoils of the Treasury by fees, contracts,
syndicates. offices. jobs and thieverv. The
defeat of Grant and the third term would
end the most corrupt system now existing
in any civilized country. Hence the siren
uous efforts 10 retain power at any cost.
Mr.. Morton introduced recently prOpo-
sition 10 change the mode of electing the
President. by aboishng the agency OF
electors and substituting 4 direct vote by
Congressional districts. after allowing each
State two votes on the Senatorial basis.
OF course an amendment 10 the COnstitu-
ton, supposing il 10 be unobieciionable,
as this i not. could not be carried through
Congress and adopted by three-fourths of
tie STATES III iiillt tifFAAt vi lilt UtAt
election i'm November. 1870. Every body
knows that; but behind this project is an
other. which was partially disclosed by
Mr.. Conkling last Thursday. Under the
18th article of the Constitution joint rule
known as the twenty-second. provides the
metho1 for ascertaining and recording the
votes cast for President. While both
branches were Republican, Of course no
trouble was 10 be- apprehended in this re-
spect. But since the House has become
/ Democratic, and in a certain contingency
might elect President. the minds of anx-
ious partisans have been exercised very
seriously about the future. on the SUPPOSE
ton that the election might by chance be
/ close, though this is far from being prob
able.
The Senate might assume 10 throw out
the vote of one or more States on the pre-
text ofintimidation or some technical quib-
Bile. as was done at the last and preced-
| ing elections. OF course the House
on its side would follow the bad example,
ana confusion, il not worse. would follow.
| Therefore the Republicans now seek To
get control of the whole machinery Of
counting the votes. in addition 10 the ex-
traordinary power already possessed by
the yice-President. who alone can open
all the certificates" and the majority in
/ the Senate.
What is to be the precise mode of seiz-
ing this absolute authority. while holding
maorities in both Houses. has not been
vet revealed. But MIR. Conkling intima-
ted very significantly what was Intended
to be done. when he said
"Of the details | say nothing; Of the
merits of the proposed constitutional
amendment | say nothing; but do say,
and had | the power TO do II and believed
il 10 be necessary. would bring 1t h 'me
to every senator, and impress it upon him,
that we shall fall short in our urgent and
imminent duty II the 4th Of March Witness
es dissolution of these two Houses rith-