The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-03-01
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HURDS SPEECH ON FLORIDA.

The Chicago Times contained the fol-
lowing in its Washington telegraphic
correspondence;
The speech of Mr.. Hurd of Ohio, par
ticularly stood out as jewel of exqui-
site quality. Delivered with unexpect-
ed feeling, tone and action, varying to
suit the intensity of the expression, the
speaker called the assemblage on the
floor and in the galleries to perfect still
ness. His passionate denunciation OF
lawlessness and fraud under the cover
of law was powerful and convincing in
the extreme. So much thought, sugges-
ton and appeal have rarely been crowd.
ed into the limits of a ten.minute ad-
dress. 4 propose, said Mr.. Hurd, 'as
a member of the legal profession, to
point out the monstrous decision of the
tribunal as a novel, anomalous and dan
gerous doctrine AS the sentence rang
out sharp and clear, the buz on the floor
and in the galleries ceased. The mem
bers, aware of Hurd's singular faculty OF
putting a legal case, crowded about him,
and in few minutes the boyish figure
was alone the center of breathlessly at
tentive throng of the ablest lawyers of
the house. He broached with withering
scorn the shallowness of the pretext
against going behind the returns where
alone evidence of fraud were to be found
reminded the House that if there had
been no fraud, it was their business to
investigate it. Fraud, said the speaker,
with ringing emphasis, is not above the
reach of the meanest court. Why should
it be of the highest? Fraud poisons the
source of all action. 1t vitiates every
accomplishment. 1t releases obligations.
1t is, in short, the revocation and undo
ing of all that is binding in men, nations
and peoples.
This sentence rang out with startling
force, the vehement earnestness Of the
speaker lending exhaustive definition
and indescribable force, and from that
to the end he was followed with bated
breath, the whole audience breaking in
to demonstration of really hearty ap
plause. Reciting the gist of the law in
support of his definition of fraud, he held
up the court to the just indignation of
the world as knaves or incompetents, in
capable or unwilling to administer the
law as it can be obtained in the lowest
court of christendom. The Hayes cleo
tors of Florida were chosen by canvas
sing board, and not by the people. 1t
was decision nullifying the sacredness
oflaw and the rights of the people. 1t
was the duty of the electoral tribunal to
distinguish between the true and false
returns, and to do this it was necessary
to take evidence. The decision was both
illegal and uprighteous. 1t was a fatal
stroke at the liberty of forty millions of
people-a corruption of the fountain OF
American jurisprudence. He said that
it mattered not that the fraudulent &C
ton was concealed by solemn ceremo-
nies, but that wherever fraud exists the
action of which is part, is vitiated and
may be reached by any court of compe-
tent Jurisdiction. The functions of
cauvassing Board were ministerial
They receive and count, but the judicia-
ry determine, and this determination is
final. The people of the country had
justly anticipated that the electoral COM
mission would justly determine the Flor
ida counting frauds, Evidence had
been furnished and excluded. The
spectacle was presented to these people
that the vote Of State could be stolen
and this the highest and most compre-
hensve of all courts would take no cog
nizance of it. The man who would be
placed in the Presidential chair by this
means would be regarded by a great ma
jority of the people as a usurper.