The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-01-31
THE CONFERENCE BILL.


yoteb, although signed by every mem
her df the two Committees except
Morton, is meeting with the usual
fate pfcompromise measures, and has
elicijed the opposition of extreme
men of both parties. On general
prin{ iples we are disposed to think
that I'VE can safely endorse whatever
Bloody Shirt Morton opposes, but
leaving that consideration out, the
plan has many Objectionable features,
while it seems to present the only
peacdable solution of the vexea pres
idential question. 1t is waiver on
the bart of the republican Senate
of it's pretensions that the President
of thu Senate alone was vested with
authority to decide all disputed ques-
tions in counting the electoral votes
and ID seems to us that the Democrats
of tho House, although they propose
to submit Mr.. Tilden's claim to arbi-
traffic n, they by that act itself show
their confidence in the justice of his
claim which can not be denied by
any fair and impartial tribunal.
Their aim seemed to be to secure
such d tribunal and if the Commits
sion as finally constituted shall be
free from political bias and prejudice
there can be no doubt of the triumph
of right and justice from the award of
the { commission being in favor of
Tilden and Hendricks.
Wa of the South are in no condi-
ton to enforce the recognition of the
fact which to us has all the force OF
certain and absolute knowledge, that
Mr.. Iilden has been fairly and hon
estly elected and that his claim tc
the P Presidency should not, as ques
tion Of principle, be submitted to ar
bitration or subjected to compromise
Of any kind, and if such Southern
men as Thomas F. Bayard sign the
report of the Committees and oul
Representatives and Senators vote
for the Bill we must be content tt
follow their lead while we would
more readily sustain them in main
tanning the absolute and unequivoca
assertion of Tilden's election and .
refusal to submit to anything but ;
declaration Of that fact and his peace
able Inauguration. The public senti
ment of the Union which could a
any time have secured this resul
and forced Congress to declare Mr.
Tilden's cleo ton, has driven the con
spirators in that body to abandon
their revolutionary schemes and viii
doubtless insure the speedy passage
of the Act through both Houses o
Congress and this will at least secure
a peaceable settlement Of the ques
ton. AS the matter stood before tn,
agreement Of the two Committees i
seemed that civil war was inevita
bic as it was not probable that eithe
of the two branches of Congress
would yield its pretensions and thu
declaration from each of the election
of different Presidents must necessa
rily have resulted in resort to arm.
to decide the dispute; as it will be i
the bill passes both houses, botf
sides are committed to an acquies
cence in the award of the Commission
as to The vote of the disputed States
unless both Houses should agree Il
reverse it, which is not at all proba
BILE viii happen.
We. in Louisiana have so often o
late years had questions of vital i'm
port decided for us by one man, ant
he bitter partisan, that we ought tt
accept with some pleasure the pros
pect Of having a somewhat impartia
and carefully chosen tribunal to 81
in Judgment on our case this time
and insticesat its hands will be NJ
less acceptable because it will be ST
tardy and long delayed. If the com
mission decides the Louisiana ques
ton On it's merits there can be Blu
one decision and that must be in ia
vor Of the Tilden electors and tn
Nichols government. 1t could no
sustain the Infamous Returnin!
Board in throwing out thirteen thou
sand votes actually cast at the ballo
boxes and reversing a majority of te
thousand. However, as the Bill pro
vides that the States are to be calle'
in their alphabetical order and tina
the count shall stop with the frs
disputed State until that is settled
Florida will decide the question i
favor of Tilden, and there vii
be no occasion to dispute as to Lou
isiana when they reach her name i
its alphabetical order. Without tn