The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-12-29
THE CONTESTED ELECTIONS.

THE CONTESTED ELECTIONS.
METCALFE AND Pa CHECO TO BE SEAT
ED by THE HOUSE.
The Acklen-Darrall Contest To he Made
the Occasion for Grand Onslaught
on Hayes Southern Policy.
| Especial Correspondence of the Democrat
| RIGGs HOUSE !
Washington. December a. 1877 !
| One of the fist subjects to receive the atten-
tion of Congress after the vacation will be
THE CONTESTED CASES
now in the elections committee, the most press
| ing OF which are those of Acklen VS.. Darrall,
Wigginton vs. Pacheco of California. and Frost
vs.. Mttcalfe, of Missouri. The facts in the
| first named case are sufficiently familiar to
your readers. The other two cases stand upon
| substantially similar grounds of merit; that Is
! to say. Pacheco and Metcalfe. both Republicans.
| hold the seats on pTuna facie certificates based
upon
| THE ADJUDICATION OF DEMOCRATIC COURTS.
| In both cases the majority claimed is the bare
scratch of one and in each the right of the
claimant rests upon the power of Congreas to
count votes which the State authorities rejected
as illegal, or to throw out votes which were held
by the State authorities to be legal. This state
of affairs will present nice questions for the de-
| termin alton Of the committee and for the con-
| sideration of the House. II the political cir
eumstances were reversed-that is to say. If the
House were Republican and the contest tending
| to unseat Democrats-thare can be no doubt as
to what the result would be. But. as 1t is. Pa
checo and Metcalfe will find powerful help in
the strong regard for the doctrine of the rights
of States which prevails in the House. especially
| since the doctrine, as applied to thee cases.
comes backed by the obiter dict,1m of Democratic
supreme judges. l will not undertake to say
that neither Metealfe nor Pacheco will lose his
seat but l do know that it is the purpose Of
several Democrats to vote against seating their
contestants without reference to the report OF
the committee, simply ON the grounds have
noted above.
Il But in
/ THE CASE OF ACKLEN
no such considerations weigh, and l have
learned enough about the intentions of the Re-
publicans to satisfy me that the case will be
forced to decision upon purely party grounds,
in which event Acklen will, of course. get the
seat. The disposition of the Democrats is to
be judicial to the line and letter Of the law in all
cases whore the Republican In the contest has
the responsible backing of the constituted au-
thority of Northern community. But wher-
ever q carpet -bagger is involved, and the his
tory of the last ten years in the South can be
brought In as factor of debate. you can de-
pend upon 1t that all the presumptions will be
in favor Of the Democratic contestant. The
theory Is, that
THE CARPET BAGGER IS THE COMMON ENEMY OF
| CIVILIZATION.
the regular obstruetor of good government and
the standing obstacle in the way of return to
deeency. Whatever may be the courtesy shown
contestees like Pacheco and Metcalfe there is to
be no mercy for the carpet-b -bagger. whose Grad
ication Is held to be the first great duty Of the
Democracy at all hazards and upon any pretext.
i the behavior Of Patterson and Conover in the
reprieve the carpet bagger from the execution
of the sentence which history has pronounced
upon him: the subsequent seating OF Kellogg
annulled the respite, and so the hanging must
With this feeling strong in Democratic circles
grava'e the matter by making Darral their
martyr In a new outcry of outrage and, in
directly. the pretext for an assault upon
} THE SOUTHERN POLICY" UPON THE FLOOR OF
THE HOUSE.
after. the fashion that we have already seen in
the Senate Under these circumstances. the
merits of the case will cut little or no figure at
all. but will be lost sight of in an angry wrangle
parties oyer the past in which Acklen and Dar-
deass and TIE end ~ b. Soe Of Il
40 TO 1870 In favor Of seating the Democrat.
I believe 1t Is IA hionable with certain
sort OF thing, and to argue that the necessity OF
fighting this old ground over again every time
&c tb M t2 raise is
But l have devoted some reflection to his topic.
, and have concluded that. while it may not be
good policy for tie Democrats to provoke dis
cussion of questions q owing out of the late
condition or present temper OF the South. it
| ~ lode 0r I'm of ia Ra6 H.
| calls when they spring such discussion. Never
: do wha the enemy desir.s you to do" is good
!, it may be violated with propriety. The Radi-
calls seize every pretext to excite discussion OF
the Southern question in all Its phases. for the
Ience OF speech and partisanship OF vote. the
nlterior de ign being to revive the old Radical
feeling at the North" as the Republicans them
But for my part have ceased to be appre-
J hensive about
THAT OLD RADICAL FEELING"
So far as being an active political agent or g
feeling" has certainly died the death. 1t exists
no longer as an impulse In the popular bosom.
, of generation of party pensioners who are
simply living out the balance Of ill-spent lives
and whose dahs vi" IN
When the case Of act len VS.. Darrall comes SUP up
ard the Radicals bring ont their sheet iron
: thunder, the Democrats will meet them on their
own ground and with their own weapons. A
friend OF mine in the House says he Will be
equal to the occasion, and IL the Republicans
furnish him decent pretext he will deliver a
speech on the carpet-hagger fortaori; in other
a better subject for such a deliverance than
. Darrali. And there is no fellow of my acqnain-
tanceWhom would rather see get tue advan-
tage of the situation than Joe Acklen.
A, G. B.
} THE GREAsERS.
The Operations of The Mexican Guerillas