The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-03-04
SUNSET CoxS SPEECH IN THE HOUSE.

resentatives on sustaining or rejecting the
decision Of the Electoral Commission to
count Louisiana's eight votes for Hayes, Mr..
Cox, of New York, said:
After many years of active service az q
member of this House, recalling all the
vicissitudes of twenty years, 1 cannot feel
responsible to day that after the verdict of
the American people it should prove q
| fruitless verdict. 10 1864. on the 10Th of
May, I presented a resolution to this
House which passed. 1t related to the reg
ularity and authenticity of the returns of
electoral votes, and to the passage of q
law to provide for the Jurisdiction as well
as the course of proce eding in case OF a real
controversy. The Judiciary Committee
took no action at that time. Nor, sir, do
feel responsible for the steps which were
| wisely, perhaps, or uDwisely, but certainly
with a view to prudence-taken in framing
the Elective Bill. That bill is tne law.
We know what it is, what its provisions
are; we know what my friend from Ken
tucky (Mr. Wattersnn) has said-that there
was come enare in it. Laughter.) Laugh
and exult as you will, knew and felt that
some virtue had gone ont of this House
when we had passed that bill, but 1 did
alighted. (Laughter) knew that the
4 old privileges of the commons had depart
ed, but in the interest of peace / gave q
reluctant vote for the bill. But one
strange thing about the bill is this-tbat
while we are permitted to vote in this
House, yet, after all, it is sort of post
mortem vote. lLaughter) Although we
are permitted to argue, it Is an argunentunt
ad post factum. Although, sir, there is
| some utility in the dissection of the dead,
and although there may be something
gained by the dissection of the living
| Qaughter)-yet it seems TO me to be proper
now to look at one particular clause of the
| hpfOrA l III
| ing against this measure. We are graci-
| ousy permitted under this bill to argue
after the matter is accomplished, aud al
though we vote, and although we carry our
vote IN the House, We are gone. (Laughter.)
| We gain nothing; we are permitted TO talk
ten minutes after the accounting and the con-
cluson. 1t !s the old Virgilian line over
again of "Rhadamanthus-(Ju6 of Hell)
Castigatque auditQue dotOs," the old rule of
| hanging man and trying him afterwards.
(Lsughter) This is our condition to day !;
and what is it We tryf Why, sir, every
thing as 70 testimony and facts and forgery
and perjury and force is dliunde, outside,
not to be considered. Truth and justice
and morality and fair dealing are Gliunde.
The House is aliunde. (Lsughter.) Its
their reports, all the facts gatheredi in these
Southern States are dliunde. daughter
Nothing is to be considered but the bare
naked fact of q certificate based up0R-
whatf On forgery and chicanery, on a
Returning Board which returned the fact
that 10, 400 Democratic votes were not
counted. The business of the Supervisors
of Registration of Louisiana was to trans
NIT the votes, but one of them failed to
transmit 2, 900 Democratic votes, and only
four hours were left between the time of
the organization of the board and the deci-
sion. Where and how could the State cor
rect such returns in that time7 1t is a
mockery. Why, Mr.. Speaker, some mem
ber over there said he was sick of fraud.
Earth is sick and heaven is weary of the
hollow words which statesmen and judges
use when they talk of right and. justice
when such things can be accomplished.
tell you, Mr.. Speaker, by human law, there
is no statute of limitations to protect fraud :
In divine law it is written, "There is no
rest for the wicked" (Laughter) Every
avenue of society, every relation or trust
which fraud permeates shall at last be in
vestlgated and made null. Crime cannot
breed crime forever. Strength shall not
always aid the strong. The time will come,
if not now in some near future, when the
gentlemen on the other side who now
laugh and tauDt because of this trap in
which the Democrats are caught, will re-
pent of this great crime of history of which
they are p0rticeps criminis Ah! they
called in the ermIne to help them. The
ernine ia a little animal it is an emblem
of purity; it would rather be caught than
be bedragSled IN the mud. hunters put
mud around their hands to catch them.
But where is the ermine newt All! the
fox has become the ermine. But no cum
ming, no craft, no human laws, no divine
law can ever condOne fraud. All codes
and the histories of all nations cry out
against it. Crime cannot breed crime for
ever. Ask the people of the country if
fraud is not to them an endless otfense. 1
was about, MIR. Speaker, before the hammer
fell, to refer to the Holy Writ, 30 that the
gentlemen on the other side may have time
for repentance. daughter and applause.
read Psalms "a, verse 20:
"Shan the throne of lniquity have fell
Iowship with Theef"
Mr.. Kelly tPa.)-I object. daughter
Mr.. Southard (O)-I hope the gentle
men on that eide will listed to those words,
that they may have time to repent.
| Several members objected.
Mr.. Cox.-The Bible is aliunde with these
gentlemen. (Great applause)