The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-03-15

CONSISTENCY, anu HHat lS uoHe ohSo hhu'
be done over again.
In the Louisiana case the people ap'
pointed electors in favor of Tilden, re.
corded their act, finished it, and left theil
work in such q state that nobody could
misunderstood it. But other persons
who. had no power to appoint, falsified
the record of the actual appointment
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
to say that you would not look at the re-
cord which the people had made; the
forgery, the fraud, and the corruption
were too sacred to be interfered with
the truth must not be allowed to come in
conflict with the imposture, lest the con-
cussion might be damaging.
This precedent must be followed. 1t
is new law, to be sure, but ne must give
it due welcome; and the new lords that
it brings into power must be regarded as
our every noble and approved good mas
ters." Having decided that electors
were duly appointed in Louisiana who
were known not to be appointed, we can
not expect you to take norice of any fact
similar or kindred to it in South Car
olina.
Then, again, the question of "duly ap-
pointed was decided in the case of Levi
see, an elector who was an officer of the
United States Government at the time he
was appointed, and continued to be after
ward. The Federal Constitution says
that no man shall be appointed who is in
that relation to the Federal Government.
But you held, according to law mind you,
that he was q lawful elector and his vote
a good vote. In other words, thing is
perfectly constitutional although it is
known 70 be in the very teeth OF con-
stitutional interdict.
Now you see why we are hopeless.
The present state of the law Is sadly
against US. The friends of honest cleo
tions and honest government are in deep
despair. We once thought that the ver-
flying power of the two Houses of Con-
gress ought to be brought always into
requisition for the purpose of seeing
whether the thing that is brought here is
forgery and a fraud on the one hand, or
whether it is genuine and true certiti-
cate on the other.
But while we cannot ask you to go
back behind this certificate, will you just
please to 20 to it-only to i-not step
behind. II you do, you will find that it
is no certificate at all such as is required
by law. The electors must vote by bal
lot, 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 party is ex-
ercising a special authority like this they
must keep strictly within it, and you are
not to presume anything except what ap-
pears on the face of their act to be done.
If anybody will cast back his mind
little into the history of Presidential elec-
tions or look at the debates of less than a
year ago, he will remember that Mr..
Jefferson was charged when he was Vice
President of the United States with hay
ing elected himself by means of, not
fraudulent, but merely informal vote
sent up from Georgia. The informality
was not in the certificate inside of the
envelope, but in the outside verifcation.
Mr.. Matthew L. Davis, in 1887, got up
that story. 1t was not true, but it was
believed for a while, and it cast great
odium on Mr.. Jefferson's memory. 1t
was not an informality that was nearly as
important as this, nothing like it. But
one of the Senators now on this bench re-
ferred to it in debate only short time
ago, and denounced Mr.. Jefferson as
having elected himself by fraud, because
he did not cal the attention of the Sen
ate and House of Representatives to that
fact.
fMr. Jefferson's memory ought to be
sent down to posterity covered with in
fanny because he in his own case allowed
a vote to be counted which was slightly
informal on the outside of the envelope,
should be glad to know what ought to
be done to those who would count this
vote which has neither form nor sub
stance, which leaves out all the essential
particulars that they are required to GER
tify?
This great nation still struggles for JUS
tice; a million majority of white people
send up their cry, and majority of more
than a quarter of a million of all colors
demand it. But we cannot complain; |
want YOU to understand that we do not
complain. Usually it is said that "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. 1t
is largely our own fault that we were
caught.
We are promised-and hope the prom
ise will be kept-that we shall have a
good government, fraudulent though it
be; that the rights of the States shall be
respected and individual liberty be pro-
tected. We are promised the same re-
formation which the Turkish Govern
ment is now proposing to its people
The Sultan promises that if he is sustain
ed in his present contest, he will establish
an act upon certain principles.
First, the work of decentralization
shall commence Immediately and the au-
tonomy of the provinces shall be care
fully looked after. Secondly, the people
shall be governed by their natural judges;
they will not send Mohammedans nor
Christian renegades from Constantinople
down on them, but they shall be govern
ed by people of their own faith.
Thirdly, no subordinate officer, when
he commits an illegal act, shall be per-
mitted to plead in justification the orders
of his superior. How much we need ex-
actly that kind of reform in this country,
and how glad we ought to be that our
Government is going to be as good here
after rs the Turks
They offer us everything now. They
denounce negro supremacy and carpet
bag thieves. Their pet policy for the
South is to be abandoned. They offer us
everything but one; but on that subject
their lips are closely sealed. They refuse
to say that they will not cheat us here
after in the elections. If they would
only agree to that, if they would only re-
pent of their election frauds, and make
restitution of the votes they have stolen,
the circle of our felicities would be full.
If this thing stands accepted and the
low vou hovn mode fnr this occasion shall