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

and therefore fsGm motives OF public
policy it may be true that until the
Judge be impeached or removed you can.
not inquire into tho corruption of his ac.s.
1 venture to say, however, that there is
no document anywhere that you cannot
impeach for fraud. There is not single
transaction that have ever heard which
should lead us to the conclusion that you
cannot inquire into the falsity and fidelity
| or truth OF transaction, and I put it to
! the Court that, independent of the ques-
ton whether if judge were mistaken,
and 1t be skowne that acting in the ex.r-
else OF his Judgment, and from desire To
40 justice. he had enormously certified q
thing to be true (which have no doeh.
you could inquire into)-T submit that II
you show that he corruptly acted, and
that he was bribed or led astrgy by his
hunger for Office, or.-ehirst~ for power.
lnot les than by thirst for gold,) you can
! impeach his acts. Who is he whose acts
we are asking to impeach? IL is the then
Governor of Florida, n. III. Stearns.
Stearns is the man who sent telegram
asking, "On what ground can W.. throw
them outT and who received fo3 answer,
Fraud or intimidation" or something
else. Stearns is the man who controlled
the puppets of the canv:ssing board, who
| were to decide whether or moi he was TO
exerc!3c the Office Of Governor for the
rext term. Is 1t 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
prove or offer to prove that on the 7th
day of November there was no election
whatever in the State of Florida, and that
| no man voted or cast a ballot, and GER
| tlilcate should come here signed an. H.
Stearns," could you say that that shows
| that those four men were elected ut that
election? ITO that complexion must
come at last" There is no middle
ground. If you can inquire into the truth
OF that certificate you can inquire into
every fcct in relation to it. Such, Mr.. Pres
lident. and gentlemen Of the Commission,
IS as brief y 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 rs 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-6ve million people,
will be COMMUNICATIVE chief of your army
and navy, the organ between you and ail
foreign States, the bestower of oil 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 (holdiug il aioit
in his hand y one feels almost reluctant
to touch IL. Hold itEup to the light; it
is black with crime. Pass it around.
Let every man sec it, and then tell me
whether or, not that certificate gives u
title to an Office ct,nf9arySto truthI as we
can, prove it. One Of the greatest poets
of the palmiest days Of English literature,
writing of the coming of our Saviour,
said:
| nd fraud hal fail