The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1877-03-22
The Democratic Dilemma.
From the Courier-Jorrral.


Nv Dear Friend: Before this let
ter reaches you vou will have
beer informed by the papers that
the Electoral Commission has
given Louisiana to HAYES, thus
concentrating the grandest fraud
ever perpetrated np"n free peo-
pie since the Government was
fn led. / have been thinking
about this matter, anticipating TOR
some time the result. and ponder
ing what would be the effect upon
the people and ] have concluded
that, although nearly every person
was III favor nf the establishment
of the Electoral Commission, and
all the papers favored it, aud both
branches Of our Legislature in
dorsed it, vet wheb the people
realized the fact that we We're to
lose a president fairly aud hon
esrly elected, and that a mau WAS
to go into the chair who did not
receive a majority of either the
electoral college or the popular
vote, that there would be reac-
ton. and bitter complaints, and
perhaps dennnciation would follow
the act. No one can be more dis
satisfied at the result than / am,
and those patriotic gentlemen who
supported the measure in Con-
gress. And perhaps it is well
enough to call attention briefly to
the condition of the country be-
fore the Electoral Commission bill
passed, and what would have been
the result if it had not passed.
1t is very certain that TIlden
WAS elected, but it is equally GER
tain that the republican party,
sustained by almost the whole of
its members, had determined to
count the three States of Florida,
Louisiana and South Carolina for
Hayes. npon the ground, as they
expressed it, that the republicans
were not allowed to vote in those
States. We know that this WAS nm
excuse for the fraud, but neverthe-
less it was believed By q large
number of people who are mem,
bers OF the republican party. and
served to arouse its determination
10 sustain It's leaders. It was il
conspiracy gotten up by Chandler
and few other men, but in sucD
proportion and rn sach details rs
commanded the following OF he
body the republican party. Jhe
advantage they had was that the
Returning Boards OF those States
mnde their returns IN favor OF
HAYES election. Whilst I, and
all good people, believe that
these Returning Boards are po-
li!ical machines, devised and or
gani2ed for tie porpetratinn of re-
publican frand and yillainy, vet
they are institutions Of the States
ID winch they are existing, clothed
with legal authority conferred
upon them for the express purpose
Of giving sanction to their yenal-
ity. Under the claim that the Re-
turning Boards of States had given
a prama facie case to Hayes, the
same had determined to act, and
by it's authority aud power, SUCH
MS 1t claimed, declare HAYES elect
ed, and install him in office. TO
the contamination of go mean az
act they were sustained and backed
up by the President OF the United
States and all his Cabinet (; with
all the power of the Government |
and the entire body of the repub-
lican party, with a few exceptions.
Gu the other hand, We know that |
Tilden was elected, and when the
day came fof Congress to eoant
the vote the struggle would have
bee between the House aud Sen
ate over these three disputed
States. The House would have
insisted that they should be count
ed Tor TiIaen. The Senate woaId
have insisted that they should be
counted for Hayes. In the ab-
sence of any joint rule or agree
ment each house would have been
left to ACT for itself-in case no
agreement could have been made
and the result would have been
that the Senate would have de-