New-York tribune., 1876-11-23
TWO PRESIDENTS.

A CONTINGENCY OF THE ELECTION.
WHAT WOULD COME OF HAYES AND TILDRN BOTH
SWEARING IN AS PREsIDENT--THE ADVANTAGES
HAYES WOULD ENJOY.
IFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUSE.l
WAsHINGToN, Nov. 22-I am requested to carry
forward still further the train OF possibilities sug-
gested in recent letters as growing out OF refusal
on the part of the Democrats to recognize the au-
thority Of Gov. Hayes in case he should have ma
iority in the electoral college, i do SO not IN tho
belief that matters are likely to come to so bad
pass but to show how impOtent would prove the
revolutionary methods proposed to reverse or hinder
the operations of the complex machinery provided
by the Constitution for making President My
last letter stopped at the point where the Demo-
cratic House. claiming that its objections to count
ing the votes Of Florida and Louisiana were valid
and conclusive and that no President was chosen,
had gone through the focm of elccting Gov Iilden'
and that gentleman had taken the oath of office be-
fore some Judge or notary public in New-York and
had called a special session of the new Congress.
What nexti Here saw were all the conditions OF
q terrible civil war ready made
But suppose the people don't want to fight and
won't be persuaded by desperate politicians to fly
at each others throats because they differ as to who
is the rightful Presidentf Suppose they say with
one accord Republicans and Democrats, in the
North and in the South, "Stop this row and let us
attend to our business. Settle your quarrel among
yourselves you politicians, but settle 1t peaceaDy'
We can afford to have anybody President; we can't
afford to have another war;" But here are tue two
rival Presidents; how can their adherents avoid
coming to blowsi Very easily if one has no weapons
TO strike WITH while the other is armed cap a p'e'
President HAYES commands the army and navy, has
possession of the Treasury and of all the other Ex-
ecutive departments. He holds the sword and the
purse-in word, the whole machinery OF the Gov'
ernment is in his hands. President Iilden COM
mands nobody, unless it be the Tammany politicians
He can neither collect dsburse the revenue nor
dispose of troops and ships-0f-war. lie is merely
private citizen residing in fine house In New-fork
issuing manifestoes, perhaps, and imagining himself
the Chief Magistrate-just the Count de Cham
bord thinks himself Henry V. of France Congress
is warned that to assemble at his call would be a
revolutionary act, rendering the members liable TO
arrest for violation of the Constitution and laws
As nobody is disposed to take up arms to enforce
Mr. Tildens pretensons after while he sees the
righteousness of his position and ceases TO add
President TO his signature. SO the whole threat
ened condagration ends in smoke. The Democrats
make all the political capital they can out OF the
difficulty and get ready for another campaign In
which they are satisfied that their victory Will be so
overwhelming as to he beyond the reach OF return
ing boards Meanwhile the people of all parties re-
joce that the storm has blown over, and perceylng
that il all arose from an imperfect system of elect
ing the President insist that the system shall be re-
placed by n better one
This, then would be the probable ending OF the
Comedy of The Two Presidents. Those who insist
on a tragical conclusion ought to be banshed TO
Alaska to cool their heated passions. When the
of La ITnital States to with each
other about the Presidential succession it will be
high time to give up the Republic as failure and
70 build on its ruins hereditary monarchy.
H. V. q.