The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-02-15

and therefore ftbm motives of public
policy it may be true that until the
Judge be impeached or removed you can
not inquire into the corruption of his acts.
I venture to say, however, that there is
no document anywhere that you cannot
impeach for fraud. There is;not single
transaction that I have ever heard which
should lead us to the conclusion that you
cannot inquire into the falsity and fidelity
or truth OF a transaction, and put it to
the Court that, Independent of the ques-
tion whether if judge were mistaken,
and it be shown that acting in the exer-
else of his Judgment, and from desire to
do justice. he had enormously certified
thing to be true (which have no doubt
you could inquire into ~ submit that if
you show that he corruptly acted, and
that he was bribed or led astray by his
hunger for office, or.-thirst~ for power,
mot less, than by thirst for gold, you can
impeach his acts. Who is he whose acts
we are asking to impeach? 1t is the then
Governor of Florida, NJ. r.. Stearns.
Stearns is the man who sent telegram
asking, "On what ground can we throw
them out" and who received for answer,
Fraud or intimidation, or something
else. Stearns is the man who controlled
the puppets of the canvassing board, who
were to decide whether or not he was to
exercise the Office of Governor for the
next term. Is it correct proposition OF
law that you cannot inquire whether that
man has acted fraudulently ?. If it be
true that the certificate cannot be gone
behind, then it is equally true whether
there was an election or not. Suppose
1 prove or offer to prove that on the 9TH
day of November there was no election
whatever in the State of Florida, and that
no man voted or cast ballot, and GER
tifcate should come here signed IN. II.
Stearns," could you say that that shows
that those four men were elected Mt that
election? ITO that complexion must |
come at last" There is no middle
ground. If youcan inquire into the truth
of that certificate you can inquire into
every fact in relationtoit. Such, Mr.. Pres.
iident and gentlemen Of the Commission,
is as brief q statement as can make of
the facts and law as we understand them
to-day. The greatness of the question in
respect to the dignity of the Presidential
office and the-enormous interests depend
ing upon it are as nothing compared with
the moral elements involved. Truesit is
that the person to whom you give your
decision will be for four years the Chief
Magistrate of forty-ive million people,
will be commander7in-chief of your army
and navy, the organ between you and all
foreign States, the bestower of all Offices,
the fountain of honor and power, and
executor of your laws; but that is as
nothing compared with the greater ques-
ton, whether Or not the American people
stand powerless before gigantic fraud.
Here is this certificate (holding it aloft
in his hand y one:feels almost reluctant
to TOUGH it. Hold it$dp to the light; it
is blaek.swith crime. Pass it around.
Let every man see it, and then tell me
whether or not. that certificate gives a
title to an Office contraryto truths. as we
cansprove it. One Of the greatest poets
of the palmiest days of English literature,
writing of the coming Of our Saviour,
said: