The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-12-20
TWO PRESIDENTS.
A Contip senoy Oft Election--What Would
Como of Hayes and Tilden Both Swear.
Ing in a. PreAidonr--Tho Advantages
Hayos Would Enjoy.

A CONTINGENCY Of tho Election.-Wha Woult
Como of Hayes and Tilden Both Swear
Ing in a. PFeAidont--Tho Advantage,
Hayes Would Eniey.
A staff correspondent of the New
York Tribune writes from Washington
as follows: I am requested to carry tor
ward still further the train Of possibili
ties suggested in recent letters as grow
ing out of q refusal On the part OF the
Democrats to recognize the authority Of
Gov. Hayes in case he should have 8
majority in the electoral college. ] dc
30 not in the belief that matters are
likely to come to 80 bad pass, Eut to
show how impotent would prove the
revolutionary methods proposed to re.
verse or hinder the operations of the
complex machinery provided by the
Constitution for making President.
My last letter stopped at the point
where the Democratic House, claiming
that its objections to counting the votes
of Florida and Louisiana were valid and
conclusive, and that no President was
chosen, had gone through the form of
electing Gov. Tilden, and that gentle.
man had taken the oath of Office before
some Judge or notary public in New
York, and had called q special session OF
the new Congress. What next Here
we saw were all the conditions OF q ter
rible civil war ready made.
But suppose the people don't want to
fight and won't be persuaded by desper
ate politicians to fly at each other 8
throats because they differ as to who is
the rightful Prcsident7 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 it peaceably. We can afford to
have anybody President; We can't afford
to have another war ~
But here are the two rival Presidents;
how can their adherents avoid coming to
blows2 Very easily if one has no wea-
pons to strike with, while the other is
armed cap a pie. President Hayes
commands the army and navy, has pos
session of the treasury and of all the
other executive departments. BE holds
the sword and the purse in word,
the whole machinery of the government
is ID his hands. President Tilden COM
mands no troops. He can neither col
lect nor disturse the revenue nor dis
pose of troops and ships of war. He is
merely a private citizen residing in q
fine house in New York, issuing mani
festoes, perhaps, and imagining himself
the chief magistrate-just as the Count
de Ohambord thinks himself Henry V.
If France. Congress is warned that to
assemble at his call would be revolt
tionary act, rendering the members
liable to arrest for violation OF the Con
stitution and laws. As nobody is dis
posed to take up arms to enforce Mr..
Tlden's pretensions, after q while 40
sees the righteousness of his position
and ceases to add "President" to bis
signature. So the whole threatened
confagrction ends in smoke. The De-
mocrats 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 be beyond the
reach OF. returning boards. Meanwhile
the people Of all parties rejoice that the
storm has blown over, and perceiving
that it nll arose from an imperfect system
of electing the President, insist that the
system shall be replaced by better
one. -. l..
This, then, would be the probable
ending of the comedy Of the "Two
Presidents" Those who insist on q
tragical conclusion ought to be bsnished
to alaska to cool their heated passions.
When the people OF the United States
90 to war with each other about the
Presidential succession it will be high
time to give up the republic as failure
nd to build on its ruins hereditary
monarchy.