The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1876-12-29
Honest Elections and Honest Men.

Rev. DIR. Bacon, writing to the New
York Tribune, thus tormulates the new
issue which he sees in politics
AS things now are, the great question
with all thoughtful patriots will soon be-
How shall we have honest elections? Ii
will be seen that other momentous ques
tions, such as, ow to reform our civil
service; how to take away from member
nf Congress their usurped and corrup
| patronage; how to deal with the gamblers
who hazard millions upon every great cleo,
ton, turning it into game of rivalry in
| traud--are subordinate and auxiliary t.
| his: how to guard the ballot box: how
to have honest elections how to recover
| our self-government as States and as a
| nation.
Honest elections" are exceedingly De.
sirable--so are honest men. We are likel,
to have neither, however, while men who
| are presumed to be honest themselves
stand silently by, when dishonesty is busy
| in harvesting its winnings. One of the
most fruitful sources of dishonesty in cleo
tions is the wretched morals of politicians.
The code of that eminent Pennsylvania
statesman, John Covode, who shed tears
while portraying the outrageous frauds of
the Democrats, but dried his eyes as he
remarked, "But, damn em, we beat 'em at
their own game" seems to find favor with
both parties.
John Sherman, a Senator Of the United
States, and q man of fair reputation, has
just given n character 10 the Louisiana
Returning Board, and says their decision
is entitled to as much respect as the judy
ment of the Supreme Court of the United
States. He knows better, of course, but
party necessity drives him to such de
tense of Board VIGOROUSLY corrupt here
totore, condemned even by Republicans,
and now under such suspicion that nobody
IS expected to accept its conclusions except
for this character" that Sherman, Garfield
and Others have been swift to give it. Ii
is 80 hopelessly bankrupt in reputation
that Its unindorsed paper was understood
to be good for nothing, and the President
went out of his way to find indorseIs fol
it in advance of its decision, but when it
was well understood what that decision
was to be.
In South Carolina, Republicans resis,
the judgment of the Supreme Court, be-
cause they pretend to believe it is erron-
S'uo' III IOulSIuhd, lucy luSlSl ludJ TIE
decision of Returning Board shall be re.
spected, because it is the judgment of
competent tribunal. If the Republicans
are right in Louisiana, then the Democrats
are right in South Carolina.
Oregon furnishes another illustration
The Governor Of that State has given one
Democrat, who is admitted to be in a
minority on the count of the votes sac
tually cast" a certificate Of election. But
it is apparent beforehand that the Repub-
licans will pay no attention to such Ger.
tiicate. although the Governor is, by law,
the official to issue certificates to the cleo
tors. But the same Republicans will insist
that Gov. Kellogg's certificate of the choice
of eight electors in Louisiana. confessed
to have lacked five thousand Of majority
of the votes actually cast" is conclusive
upon Congress and the people. What is
good law in Louisiana ought to be good
law in Oregon, and there is just the same
reason for going behind the certificates in
one State as in the other.
-Four years ago, the vote of Louisiana
vas not counted for either candidate, yet
there was just as much law, precedent and
reason for counting it then for Grant as
there is now for counting it Tor Hayes
The necessities Of the case are, however,
different. Then it was not decisive of the
results-now it may be; hence the differ.
ence in the Republican view respecting it.