The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-11-23

The Republican returning board of
South Carolina, finding that IAN honest
count of the vote actually cas-" would give
the state to Tilden and the Democrats,
used fraudulent returns from three counties
which gave the Republicans a larger vote
than was cast for them in those counties,
and then refused to count the returns
from two Democratic counties, issuing
certificates to all the Republican candi-
dates. and then adjourned SINE die, and
all this was done in defiance Of the highest
court in the state, every Judge being Re
publican.
We expect the returning boards of Flor
ida and Louisiana to do the same thing.
And then comes the war of technicalities
and legal points in congress. with perhaps
two presidents, and perhaps ending in a
military dictatorship.
Tilden has an immense majority of the
popular vote. He has a majority in South
Carolina, Florida and Louisiana. He has
majority of the electoral vote. He is
elected president. Not the slightest doubt
of all this. And yet the men in power are
seeking to deprive the people Of the right
to elect their owu president. The outlook
for peace and prosperity and harmony in
our country is gloomy indeed.
If the question goes to congress it is be-
LEVIED that the more honorable among Re
publican senator's and representatives will
not sustain the fraud by which Grant,
Chandler: Morton & Co., seek to illegally
foist a man upon the people as president
who was not elected, - and the St, Louis
Republican says:
But suppose the conspirators carry the
whole Republican majority, including Mr..
Ferry, with them, and force their presi-
dent to usurp the dangerous authority Of
counting the votes and declaring the result
does that complete the scheme? 1t docs
not. There is the house, the people S
representatives, toshave its sayi on the
subject 1t has been said that, when the
| Joint session meets and the president of
the senate assumes to count the votes, the
house will retire. and the senate and lis
vice president will then declare Gov Hayes
the lawfully chosen president But We
are not so sure of this. The joint session
meets, not IN the senate chamber, but 10
the representatives hall-the law requir-
ing the senate, which represents the states,
to make this marked obeisance to the
house which represents the people. The
house will be on its own ground, and
may exercise its authority on that ground.
1t may either decline to go into joint SEES
sion. at all, without the guaranty of just
rule for counting and adjudicating the
Evotes, or make such impressive and deter
mined opposition to Mr.. Ferry's count Of
the votes as will divest that proceeding of
all moral authority, and make the Repub
licau president what the Republican gov
ernor of Louisiana for the last four years
has been usurper, welding the forms
and symbols of power, serYilely supported
by his partners in wrong but possessing
neither the respect nor the affection OF his
countrymen. 1t may be that even this is
not all; there may be still graver troubles
than the moral and legal ones we have
pointed out, in the way of the enterprise
But it is not necessary to advert to them.
The difficulties which the scheme cannot
but encounter, even at the best, are such
as may we'll cause the Republican leaders
to stagger and hesitate before they resolve
to go further.