The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-03-23

must be done over again.
In the Louisiana case the people appoint
ga electors In favor Of Tilden, recorded
their act, finished II, and left their work In
such state that nobody could misunder-
stand II. But other persons, whs had no
power 10 appoint, falsified the record of the
actual appointment, partly by plain forgery
aud par ~ by fraud which was ~ corrupt Ia
morals and void In law AZ any forgery could
be. fm thought right and legal and just
70 say that you would not look AZ the re-
cord which the people had made; the for
gerry, the fraud and corruption were too
sacred 10 be inierfered with the truth
must not be allowed 10 come In conflict
with the imposture, lest the conclusion
might be damaging.
This precedent must be followed. II Is
new law TO be sure, but we must give II due
welcome; and the new lords that II brings
into power must be regarded AS our Every
noble and approved good masters.' Hay-
Ing decided that Electors were duly ap-
pointed la Louisiana who were known not TO
pc appointed, we can not expect you to take
notice OF any fact similar or kindred TO II in
South Carolina.
Then, again, the question OF sduly APP
pointed was decided In the case OF Levi
see, an Elector who was an officer Of the
United states Government at the time he
was appointed and continued 10 be after
ward. The Federal Constitution says that
no man shall be appointed who il In that re-
latlon 10 the Federal Government. But
YOU held, according 10 law, mind you, that
he was lawful Elector and his vote good
vote. In other words, n thing il perfectly
constitutional although 1t IL known TO be
IN the very teeth Of a constitutional inter-
dict.
Now you see why we are hopeless. The
present state OF the law is sadly againt us.
The friends OF honest elections and honest
governments are in deep despair. We once
thought that the verifying power OF the TWO
houses OF Congress ought 10 be brought AL
WAYS into requisiti0n for the purpose OF
seeing whether the thing that T. brought
here u forgery and fraud on the one hand,
or whether II is a genuine and true certih-
cate on the other.
But while we can not ask you 10 70 back
behind this certificate. will you Just please
70 90 10 it-only 10 it-not step behind. II
you do you will find that IL Is no certificate
at all such a. Is required by law. The Elect
ors must vote by ballot, and they are re-
quired TO be on oath before they vote. That
certificate does not show that either OF
those requirements was met, and where q
party IL exercising special authority like
thisthey must keep strictly within It, and
you are not TO presume any thing except
what appears on the face OF their act TO be
done.
II sny body will east back his mind little
INTO the history Of presidential elections or
look Al the debates OF less than year ago,
h. will remember that Mr.. Jefferson was
charged when he was Vice President Of the
United states with having elected himself
by means OF, not a fraudulent, but a merely
informal vote sent up from Georgia. The
informally was not in the certificate inside
or the envelope. but outside verifcatiOn.
Mr.. Matthew J.. Davis in 1873. got up that
story. IL was not true. BUTT was believed
for awhile and IL east great odium on Mr..
I.m -. IL
msliiy that was nearly important As this,
nothing like IL. But one OF the Senator's
now on this bench referred 10 Ii In debate !
only short time ago. and denounced Mr.. /
Jefferson as having elected himself by fraud
because he did not call the attention Of the
senate and House Of Representatives TO
that fact.
II Mr.. Jenerson's memory ought 10 be
sent down TO pe-terity covered with infamy
because he IN his own case allowed vote
10 he counted which was slightly informal
on the outside ~ the envelope. should be
glad TO know what ought 70 be done 70 those
VINO would count this vote. which has
neither form nor substance, which leaves
out all the essential particulars that they
are required certifyy
This great nation stil struggles for Jus
tice; million majority Of whit people |
send up their cry, and a majority Of more
than quarter of million or all colors de- h
YOU TO understand we do not complain.
Usually il Is said that the fowler setteth I
rot forth his net in sight of the bird, but
this fowler set the net IN sight OF the birds /
that went into IL. II Is largely our own
fault that we are caught.
We are promised--and hope the promise
will be kept--thai we shall have good \
government. fraudulent though II be; that
the rights Of the states snail be respected II
and individual liberty be protected. We
are promised the same reformation which /
the Turkish Government Il now promising
w. people. The sultan promises II he y
suSIAnt a in his present contest he will /
establish and net upon certain principles.
First. the work OF decentralization shall
commence Immediately and the autonomy \
of the provinces shall be carefully looked
after.
Secondly, the people shall be governed by
their natural judges; they will not send
from Constantinople down on them, but
they shall be governed by people Of their
own faith.
Thirdly. no subordinate officer when he
commits an illegal act shall be permitted to
plead In justification the orders Of his supe-
rior. How much we need exactly that Kind
~ reform IN this country. and how glad we
on X ht 10 be that our Government IL going 70
be as good hereafter as the Turks.
They Offer us every thing now. They de-
nounce negro supremacy and carpet bag
thieves. Their pet policy for the South i 70
be abandoned. They offer us every thing
but one; but on that subject their lips are
sealed. They refuse TO say that they
will not cheat us hereafter in the elections.
IN they would only agree TO that; II they
would only repent Of their election frauds
and make restitution Of the votes they have
stolen, the circle Of our fe!icities would be
full.
IL this thing stands accepted, and the law
you have made for this occasion shall be the
law for all occasions, we can never expect
such thing a. an honest election again. II
YOU want TO know who will be President by
4 future election do not inquire how the
naonle NJ the States are going 10 vote. You