Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-12-15
THE SITUATION.

FRIDAY MORNING. DEC. Is, 1876.
THE SITUATION.
Looking at all the news, and specula-
lions that are not news we may very safe
" infer that to-day the feeling with the
managers of the Republican party, in
which is included GRANT, is determination
to march their man into the Presidency
over legal and moral law, forms and all,
unless they see some more determined
show of resistance than the Democrats
have yet offered. In this plan the rank
and file Of the Republican party does not
seem to have much SHARE; not a public
meeting has been held advocating it, and
that political division of the people seems
to leave the matter altogether in the
hands of their leaders. To arouse them
from this apathy the Republicans have
sought for some offense from South Caro-
lima or other Southern States which may
fire the Northern heart. So far they have
failed. The steps to be taken are for the
President Of the Senate to be recognized
as the sole judge of the vote, he is to count
only such as he pleases and to rule objec-
lions out of order; the three disputed
States " i'll be counted in for HAYES and
the regular electors from Oregon won't be
noticed at all. If the House withdraws
then the Senate will declare HAYES cleo
ted, and though the House will elect I'll
DEN, GRANT will support HAYES and
put ali the departments in the hands of his
Secretaries which gives him control OF the
little army and navy Of the nation. The
only steps looking to another result THAI
this, or to another mode of producing the
same result, less revolutionary in its char
acter, was the proposition of Senator Ed
MUNDs of Vermont, to amend the consti-
tuition so as to submit the counting of the
Electoral vote to the u. S. Supreme Court
which was promptly defeated. A step not
looking to this result, is the appointment
of a joint committee OF the House and
Senate to confer upon some satisfactory
mode of counting the votes by Congress.
The Senate has decided that Congress can
not go behind the returns and the House
has decided that it a n A disagreement
so wide that it will hardly be reconciled.
The Republican leaders intend, if no re-
sistence is offered, to carry out the pro-
gramme as GRANT says-and they think,
the country don't want another war. Ii
the Democratic House stands firm to the
last they will beat this game of bluff. 1t
is not possible that the majority in this
country will submit to the power of the
minority when obtained by fraud.
In Louisiana, the shameless Returning
Board has gone a step further: they have
refused the committee Of the House of Re
representatives. access to their returns. say
ing that the law requires them to send
them to the legislature first.
In South Carolina, the bayonet leglsla-
ture nave elected CoRBIN, U. 5. District
Attorney, U. S. Senator. 1t has also H.
stituted proceedings looking to removing
all the judges of the courts, SO as to put
their tools on the bench, who will aid
hem in collecting the tax. The tax leYied
is hagher than ever before. The legal House
has the sixty three members, with certif-
Gates Of the state %canvassers, which it was
thought GRANT would recognize, until he
went back on his ''private, but not official
opinion"
In Florida, the Supreme Court is to heal
argument On compelling the Returning
Board to a purely ministerial recount. Ii
it decides that way the Board is pledged te
open the result, make the award to TILDEN
electors, and DREW, for governor, and give
them certificates.
GRANT has been interviewed by Mr..
Hewitt and Senator Randolph. In his OWL
account of the interview, he says that he
had no idea that Mr.. Hewitt would use a
private opinion he made-''against TIL
party I represent" This is the key to al
GRANTS action, the President Of the
United States speaking of the party he rep
resents He says he will recogni ze Cham
berlain as Governor Of South Carolina tt
the end, and has ordered more troops tC
Columbia. He also says he will have
more troops i'll Washington, if he thinks
1t necessary that he "wili have peace Ii
he has to fight for it," This would all b.
q grave matter, if a little ''army" Of TWEEN
ty thousand fighting a nation of forty mil
lions want ludicrOuS.
Summing up the week, we may say that
if the Northern Democrats are determined
to face as they voted, TILDEN will be in
augurated March 5th if they give in and
face. the other way, a handful of soldiers
will put HAYES in.
HENRY WARD BEECHER, who is il
favor of fairly counting in Hayes at al
hazards, is TO lecture in Richmond On ths
22d of January. He asks the Southern
people to s'give the old man another
chance"
SECRETARY FISH has disappointed hi!
friends by saying to a reporter of the N. I
"World' that "there has not been a single
point in all the Southern controversy
where the President and I have disagreed.
SENATOR COCHRAN, of Augusta has
introduced a bill for the repeal of all acts
exempting railroads or canals from taxa
ton.
The 18th of January is fixed by the u,
S. District Court at Wheeling to hear ar
gument on the motion for a sale of the
White Sulphur Springs property. The
mysterious delay in this matter is attract
ing the attention Of the public.
Topoos Gordon Rnnnpft's m rriapo will