The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1877-03-01
Responsibility Of the Democrats.


Of Indiana, (successor Of stho late
speaker OF the. Ilou SO of ltepresen
'tatives, Mr. Kerr) on tho responsi.
bility Of the Democrats forihe Elec-
toral Commission, will DO read with
interest
have no hesitancy in saying that
the Electoral Commission, refusing
to receive any other evidence as to
the gcnniness Of the electoral votes
than that presented inIthe certificate
Of the Governor of State, has
sought to establish destructive
principle, and in this particular, for
u partisan purpose, has ignored it's
duty TO inquire into the ficts which
was plainly imposed upon both these
houses and through them upon their
Commission by the Constitution. |
have no further hesitancy in saying
that my convictions are that under
the palpable facts behind The Cow
ernors certificate the vote Of the
State OF Florida should have been
returned for riIden and Hendricks
But, Sir. at the same time | hold
that the Democratic majority Of this
House has no moral right to com =
plain that this Commission has ren.
dered partisan decision in report
ing tue four electoral votes of Florida
for Hayes aud Wheeler. While [
assert that this decision is contrary
to the facts and contrary to the will
Of large majority of the people OF
tho United States, yet | as boldly
assert that tho wrong is chargsab.o
to cause further back than the
Commission. The wrongres upon
the shoulders of those who establish
ed this pirtistn tribunal When the
Democratic iuajority of this House
adopted this law with the full knowl
edge that majority of tho Commits
sion would be Republican. governed
| by Republican Instincts, controlled
by Republican interests, warped by
Republican biascs and moved by
Republican motives, they deliberate.
ly abandoned every claim which the
Democratic misses asserted to n
control of our national a,flirs. The
Commission havo done no moro or
less than could or should have been
expected or required of them. You
erected L political tribunal, invested
it with political attributes, aud gave
them political questions to deter
mine, which they have settled from u
political standpoint. Being Repnb.
licans, thcy believed that tho Rcpub
lean candidate for the Presidency
was aud ought TO bo elected. In
making their declaration they have
been true and faithful to their politi-
cal sentiments, education, aud asso.
Citations. No legal wrong can attach
to them for this, but when you as
Democrats deliberately put such
power over such questions ia the
hands of Il tribunal SO constituted.
You committed bold aud daring
wrong to yonr pretended political
convictions, and assuredly to your
political associates, whose political
sentiments aud rights you betrayed
and abandoned to your political al
versaries arise to remind the
Democratic majority that in common
decency your votes on this measure
have estopped you from indulging
IN even one word of criticism against
the decision of that tribunal.
Sirs, it is your own offspring you
brought it into being you gave it
life and power, aud you aud you
alone are responsible for the result
1t is no excuse for you to assert that
you did not anticipate such result,
that you expected higher and better
things from your foundliug. You
had no more right to expect u tribu.
nal so constituted to produce u DIFF
ferent result than to expect thorn
bush to bring forth figs. Nor will
30 weak mn apology save you from
ust condemnation which you be.
trayed aud outraged constituency
will forever heap upon yonr treacller-
ons heads. Laughter and applause. ]
No, Sirs. Tho wrong, the great aud
burning outrage, lies at your hands
and your hands a,one. Nor will the
Democratic people be slow in ascer-
timing the true source Of their dis
comhture aud defeat 1t may sub.
serve your purpose for a brief tins
to attempt to shield yourselves un-
der cover of hollow denunciations OF
your tribunal, as the cry OF "Stop
thief for a moment may delude the
officers of tho law; but when the
mad populace shall have vented una
merited anger upon this Tribunal for
a brief honr, it will seek the trus OBJ
ject Of its just Indignation, aud the
blame will at last lie where it pro.
perry belongs. The few only who
had the moral courage TO stand here
upon this floor, and amid the deri-
sion and contumely Of the Demo-
cratic majority dared to warn you Of
the inevitable results OF that days
work, have q moral right to COM
plain Of the end of this days labor.
But. Sirs, while they have deep re-
.grets as to the action OF the Conmis
sion, they have deep aud bitter de-
nunciations aud coudemnations TO
heap upon the heals Of those who,
claiming 70 be leaders Of the great
Democratic party in this trying hour
Of its existence, have proved them-
selves either incompetent FROM ig-