The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-03-10
JERE BLACK ON THE COMMISSION.

In the South Carolina case before the Elec.
was put forward to argue the case for the
Democrats The point made against count.
ing the state for Hayes was, that there was
no legal election, because there had been no
registration of votes, as the laws Of the state
required, and also that there was 70 free cleo.
ton, Grant having, in violation Of law, posted
a squad Of military at nearly every poll. Mr.,
Black, however, said it was useless to argue
the case, as 1t had been prejudged, but he de.
livered to The Commission philippe which
will at least help to immortallze its Infamous
remembrance We quote few closing para
graphs;
In the Louisiana case the people appointed
electors in favor of liden, recorded their
act, finished it, and left their work in such a
state that nobody could misunderstood it,
But other persons, who had no power to APP
point, falsified the record OF the actual APP
pointment, partly by PLAIN forgery and partly
by fraud which was as corrupt IN morals and
as void in law as any forgery could be- You
thought it right and legal and just 10 say that
you would not look at the record which the
people had made; the forgery, the fraud, and
the corruption were too sacred to be interfer
ed with the truth must not be allowed to
come in conflict with the imposture, lest the
conclusion might be damaging.
This precedent must be followed II snew
law, TO be sure, but we must give It due wei
come; and the new lords that It brings into
power must be regarded as our very noble
and approved good masters Having decld.
ed that electors were duly appointed in Louis
lana who were known not to be appointed
we cannot expect you to take notice OF any
tact similar or kindred to it in South Caro-
lima
Then, again. the question Of duly APPOINT
ed" was decided III the case Of Leyisee, an
eector who was an officer Of the United States
Government at the time he was appointed,
and continued to be atterward. The Federal
Constitution says that no man shall be APP
pointed who is in that relation to the Federal
Government But you held, according to law
mind you, that he was lawful elector and
his vote good vote. In other words, a thing
is perfectly constitutional although 1t is
known TO be in the very teeth of u consltu.
tional interdict
Now you see why We are hopeless. The
present state of the law Is sadly against US.
The friends of honest elections and honest
government are in deep despair We once
thought that the verifying power Of the two
houses of congress ought to be brought always
into requsition for the purpose Of seeing
whether the thing that is brought here is a
forgery and fraud on the oae hand, or wheth-
er It is genuine and true certificate on the
other
But while we cannot ask you to go back
behind this certificate, will you just please to
go to it-only to it-not step behind. Ify you
"A 81, 10 10 pntn
such as is required by law. The electors
must vote by ballot and they are required to
be on oath before they vote. That certificate
does not show that either of those require
ments was met; and where a party is exer.
cisng a special authority like this they must
keep strictly within It, and you are not to
presume anything except what appears on
the face Of their act 10 be DONE
If anybody will cast back his mind little
INFO the history of presidential electors or
luuk at the debates of less than year ago, he
will remember that Mr. Jefferson was charged
when he was Nice-Presldent of the United
States with having elected himself by means
of, not fraudulent, but a merely informal
vote sent up from Georgia. The informally
was not in the certificate inside OF the envel-
ope but IN the outside verifcation. Mr.. Mat
thew l.. DAVIS, in 1887, got up that story. 1t
was not true, but it was believed for while,
and il cast great odIum on Mr. Jetterson's
memory 1t was not an lniormality that was
nearly Us important as this, nothing like II.
But one of the Senators now on this bench
referred To it in debate onl J shor. time ago,
aud denounced Mr.. Jefferson as having elect.
ed himself 10y fraud, because he did not call
the attention of the Senate and House of Rep
resentalives to that fact
II NJ. Jeilerson's memory ought TO be sent
down TO posterity covered with lniamy be-
cause he IN his own case allowed vote Ia be
counted winch was slightly informal ON the
outside OF the envelope, | should be glad to-
know what ought 10 be done 10 those who
would count this vote which has neither form
nor substance, which leaves out all the essen,
tial particulars that they are required 10 Ger
tify?
This great nation still struggles for justice;
million majority of white people send up
their cry ana majority OF more than quar-
ter of million of all colors demand IL. But
We cannot complaint want you 10 under.
stand that we do rot complain Usually il
is said that 1.-THE fowler setteth not forth his
net in sight Of the bird, but this fowler set
the net in sight of the birds that went into it,
Il is largely our own fault that We were
caught.
We are promised-and hope the promise
will be kept-thai we shall have good gov
eminent fraudulent though il be; that the
rights of the States shall he respected ard IN.
dividull liberty be protected. We are prom
iSed the same reformation which the Turkish
Government is now proposing TO its people. !