Middletown transcript., 1876-12-23
THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

stssASS - ecJt E'N6
made during the past week toward set
tlement of our national troubles. Many
propositions and suggestions looking to
an amicable adjustment Of the quarrel
have been made, both in and out Of
Congress, bat SO far none have proved
acceptable to all parties. Each party
positively and boldly asserts that its
ticket was chosen in the late election,
and neither side shows any sign Of weak
ening or giving in. The political friends
and adhsrents Of Mr.. Tilden insist that
he is the proper and legitimate successor
Of President Grant. BY virtue Of having
been chosen as such BY large majority
of the qualified electors Of the country.
On the other hand the adherents Of Mr..
Hayes are equally persistent in their
declarations Of the election Of their can
didate, basing their claims on the ground
that. though they admit that very large
majority Of the popular vote Of the coun-
try was cast for the democratic candi-
date, his success was Iobtained through
illegal means-by intimidation and brib-
cry Of the. negroes. This the democrats
most positively deny and challenge their
opponents to proof Of their charges.
and claim that tho only intimidation
used was BY the republicans themselves
towards negroes who sought TO vote the
democratic ticket. and by the admins
rafion towards the Southern States
generally in the stationing Of United
States soldiers at the polls on the day Of
the election So believing. they still
persist in. and refuse to yield, their
slaims to the electoral vote of the States
of Louisiana, South Carolina and Flor.
ida. holding that the vote Of the people
Of those States was given to the demo-
cratic ticket. but that they were arbi-
trarily and illegally deprived Of the re-
suit BY the action Of the Boards of Cah-
vassers Of those States
Meanwhile committees, composed OF
men Of each party. appointed by both
Houses Of Congress. having been sent
to those States to ascertain the true con-
dition Of affairs, are hard at work doing
all 10 their power to get at the truth and
find out how and for whom the vote Of
those States was cast, To the credit of
the democrats and their cause, they offer
every facility to those committees in the
prosecution of their labors, oourting.
rather than stunning, a thorough inves-
tigation Of their acts, while the repub-
licans, us If afraid of the result Of =
scrutiny Of their conduct. throw every
obstacle in the way of the csmmittses
that they possibly can. The authority
Of the committees is disputed; their Or
ders disobeyed, their requests ignored !;
the delivery Of letters and kilograms is
refused. witnesses are spirited away,
and, especially in Louisiana. every
means taken to restrict and hamper and,
if possible. prevent the work Of the COM
mi,tees. Despite all these difficulties
and hindrances. the committees are
steadily pushing their investigations and
the country looks anxiously on awaiting
their verdict as settlement of the
troubles that now hang over the coun-
try It will probably take weeks. and
possibly a month, before the end is
reached snd their examinations COM
pleted, but whatever may be their de-
cision it is urgently and sincerely hoped
that it will be acquiesced 10. that our
national troubles may grow no greater.