Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-02-21
What the New York Papers Say o.
the Louisiana Matter.


What the New York Papers Say Of
the Louisiana Matter.
The Times.
1t is not necessary to anticipate the
comments of the Democrats on the
Louisiana decision, which practically
throws them out of court. Doubtless
they will
REvILE TIE DECISION AS PARTISAN.
but that will be of little consequence.
The country will see, if the Democrats
do not, that the reason why the Com
mission divided on party lines, was
that the Democracy refused to cross
the party lines. We shall also, no
doubt, see good deal of clustering
as to the immediate future, but that
will probably die out. If it does not,
it can have but one result,-it must
drive the decent men out of the Dem
ocratic party and consign the organi-
zation to hopeless ruin.
The Tribune
The end of the long uncertainty is
in sight. Florida has already been
counted for Hayes. The electoral
Commission orders that Louisiana
shall be counted for Hayes. There
remains only Oregon. There never
was any real doubt as to the vote of
this State, or any but the flimsiest
technicality to hinder the count, and
we think it fair to say "Gobble' has
disposed of the technicality. We are
advised from Washington that the
Democrats are so utterly demoralized
by the disgraceful exposure of their
candidates effort at bribery in Ore
gon, that they will make no serions
contest, and may even not raise an is
sue at all. Whether they do or not,
THE END is CLEAR.
In the face of the Oregon dispatches,
it would be impossible to organize an
honest Court of either party in Wash
ington that would not count the vote
of the State for Hayes. 1t may take
Mr.. Tilden and his partisans some
days to find out they are dead, but
the remains must soon be buried out
of our sight. The country will ac-
cept the Louisiana verdict and the
Oregon disclosures as the end of the
controversy. We attach little impor-
lance to the threats of resistance to
the decision of the Commission. The
people regard the dispute much as
business men regard lawsuit that
threatens to be endless. They decid-
ed to cut loose from routine and
leave it out to a referee.
| BOTH PARTIES AGREED TO THE REFEREE.
To refuse to be bound by his decision
would send business man to Govern
try, and would send Mr. Tilden's par
ty back to the sure defeat and disgrace
in which they have spent the greater
part of their time since 1859. There
is absolutely no considerable body of
respectable people in the country
who would tolerate any resistance to
the decision of this Commission by
either party. We thought, and still
think, the country did not want any
arbitration. Congress did not think
SO, overruled such protests as ours,
and insisted on the reference. We
promptly acquiesced then, and any
body who does not acquicsce now
WILL BE RUN OVER AS REMoRsELY
as we should have been. The country
is likely to believe, too, that it is an
honest settlement. Few have any
doubt as to Florida. There is no
longer dispute as to South Carolina.
It is clear that the law is with the
Republicans in Louisiana. As to
Oregon. people must choose between
the Elector bought with $1,000 from
No. 10 Gramercy Park and the one
who received an undisputed majority
of the Oregon votes.
WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GLAD
if there had been bigger majority
in Florida and clearer case, accord
ing to Northern ideas, of equity as
well as law in Louisiana, but the evil
dence warrants us in saying that,
| whatever may seem to be the shadow
on the title of Gov. Hayes, it is as
| nothing to the blackness of darkness
that has settled over the claim of Gov.
Tilden. Somebody has been elected,
and it is certain that Gov. Tilden has
not been. The end is in sight.
/ The World.
1t would be idle to enter into any
! elaborate criticism of decision made
| by the simple process of counting
noses, and we are not disposed, there
| fore, to waste words upon the vote
! by which the Electoral Commission
yestel day reached the conclusion
that fraud and falsehood in Louisi-
ana must be considered just as good
basis of title to the American Pres
idency as fraud and falsehood in
The argument held before the Com
mission, perhaps, have not been
thrown away upon the country
AS COMPLETELY AS UPON THE COM
MISSION.
For, after all, the country is the true
principal in the case-the Commits
sion only an agent accepted on the
f1attering theory that it would do
precisely what the principal expec-
ted it to do. The interest of the
country, therefore, in the matter is a
continuing interest. AS for the
Democratic party, since it in good
faith accepted the tribunal,
WE DO NOT SEE HOW BAD FAITH OR IN
COMPETENCY.
on the part of its accepted agents can
release it from its obligations. We
have little doubt that no calamity
could befalla free country worse than
the inauguration Of president under
vitiated title. We have not the
slightest doubt that there is one thing
much worse for any political party
than an honorable defeat, and that is
dishonorable victory.