Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1876-12-09
,v1,E PRESIDENTIAL CRISES.

THE PRESIDENTIAL Cssa>a>'
The question as to the electoral woe
If Snn,h Carolina, Florida aud LoulSi'
ana viii probably be settled to-day, SO
I,r ~ the action OF tue Returning
BOARD, is concerned, and 1t seems TO
u, expected that they will each and all
~. returned Tor Hayes and W hee!er'
We do rot anticipate, nor do we rs
R.puA}i.ans desire, that this shall be
r,.pard,d rs lhc final settlement OF the
contest. The Republican party cannot
.,tfsrd to accept the Presidency with
any reasonable accusation OF It's oe'hS
ouJaued Jy fraudulent means or oy an!
,lproprr use OF the powers gwen the
Kt,srniug Boards of these contested
States. Althougn they may believe
ina, = fair vote and an honest election
IN nearly all the Southern States Woni"
have resulted in large najonues tor
Have, and Wheeler, the electoral vote
,ousl only come to them by an honest
count and LEGAL canvass OF the returns
Neither Governor Hayes nor Mr.. W nee
I.r. will, We are confident, be Wiling 10
.,,...rp, the honors of victory unless there
Is \ possibility Of more general ac-
unjesceucc i'm the returns than VIII De
1lir when the decision OF the Returning
boards OF these three States Is oHiclaiiy
,,oosl,a,cd. Although there has been
much MISREPRESENTATION rs TO the ACTON
Of N, Louisiana Board especially, sill
Iber,. l., = wide difference OF opinion,
even among Republicans, as-to whether
ire vote Of the States can be honestly
given to their candidates.
By mutual og'esment between
Governor HAYES and Govern&r. litden
ii. wbols oncstiom8 the legality aud
;usii.r.ot the action OF the Returning
Boards night Le su6iiittei to the Jud-
ces OF the supreme Court for 'nyeS'lga-
Ton, each party agreeing TO aol"e oy
their7decision, and give their personal
,,r,sence to the inauguration OF the
Successful candidates. 1t Is sad that
President Grant has somc such plan 81
tremendously dispo>iug the question
in contemplation. 1t is a matter that
cannot legally Ue assigned to the Court,
but the importance OF having the acuoG,
ofthe Rttnruihg Boards thus reviewed
aud a non.prrti&,,n decision given Is so
apparent, that the Court will doubtless
acquiesce inethe Very --9e4era demand
,barwil be 4natu upon il 20 accept the
position OF aibitpators in this great ia
,ioual difficulty, Ii there is disposition
ON the part ot.lhc candidates and OF
their political. friends to abide in good
faith by the decision CT the Court, aud
to ioin in the peacaable and patriotic IN
auyuration of the candidates declared
by the Cour, To be entitled TO the cleo
toral vote OF the contested States, no
further trouble need be anticipated.
In both Florida and South Carolina
i. is declared that 1.-The vote as cast
show small majoitieS for Hayes amt
Wheeler. The yote of Louisiana VIII
therefore be the only. question to be
disposed of by the Count. The teS!l-
muny\betore the Returning Board IN
that STATE, and all the atiidaVits upon
which the action Of the. Board will be
based, has been taken down by sworn
s.encgraphers, and witl.be spread be-
tore the country for. review. There
will, therefore, be no difficulty in pre-
sentiug to.the conSiderztiW aud inves-
tisatinE- 6f.tbe Court the grounds upon
which The action OF toe Board will be.
based, as well as the. question as to
whether they have trasisceDisd. their
p0yers dir SfraQdUlentlY deprived Mr..
Tiidep of.ihe vote Of Tie State. The
law creating The BQaT aud giving it
its powers,,i -shouida Rs Remembered,
was passed by the Democratic Legisla
,ure and signed by Gov. Yarmouth
when fie~was in tall accord with the
Democratic party. :.
The Republican-pasty can stand ionr
years of Democratic. administrator
much better than:it can stand having
a President, occupied in oy fraua;
We have a.-Geyerpor OF Maryland
whose fraudulent election is generally
admitted by alls.the most honest ana
intelligen. Of his. political supporters
We do not see that his acceptance OF
the fraudulent honor has injured him
personally or weakened his party, but
should Governor Hayes allow himself
TO be counted in",wi,h AS well ground
ed suspicious offfaud as accomplished
the election Of Governor Carroll, the
next four years will suffice to bury the
Republican party asa political organ
ization past all hopes of resurrection.
Resolutions will be introduced in
Congress 20 day to appoint committees
of Investigation to proceed,cio Florida,
South Carolina and Louisiana. This
can result in nothing but partisan re-
ports, and will not be satisfactory 10 the
great mass Of the people, They desire
the question taken out of politics and
reviewed on its merits. as one, of too
great Importance to be decided by par
t,san prejudices. !. The opinion of Chief
Justice Waite and majority of his
Court will carry with it an influence
that will have its effect on Democrats
and Republicans alike, aud enable Us