Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1877-02-15
THU RSDAY, FEBRUARY Is, 1877.
AFFAIRS OF THE NATION.
From u Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Feb. IL, 1877.

was the exuiting cry Of the republi'
cans who thronged the capitol on Fri
day, waiting for the verdict of the
Tripartite Presidential Tribunal in
the case of Florida. The day was
one of feverish excitement, not only
among the outsiders but with men,
bers of Congress, and neither House
was iu any move to attend to legisla-
i've business On Thursday the Tri-
bunal was engaged all day hearing
the arguments of counsel on the great
points at issue, and it was announced
in the evening that their formal de-
cisiou was to take no evidence in the
case except the certificates sent in
from the two Houses and such ex-
traueous evidence as might be sub
mitted touching the eligibility of
Humphreys, one Of the Hayes cleo
tors. The vote in favor Of this decls-
ion was s to 7, the yeas being Messrs.
Edmunds, Frelinghuysen, Morton,
Garfield and Hoar and Justices
Strong, Miller and Bradley, all re-
publicans and the nays being Messrs.
Thurman, Bayard, Payne, Hunton
and Abbott, and Justices Clifford and
Fields, all democrats, strict party
vote. 1t was Immediately. evident
that the decision was great disap-
pointment 10 the democrats. A few
kent up their courage and expressed
hopeful feeling as to the result but
the most of them did not hesitate to
express their surprise and chagrin for
they had counted most confidently
on securing the vote of Florida
Their disappointment was greater as
they felt that the tribunal was a
court Of their own proposition whose
DEGREES they could not consistently
object 10 or denounce. Hence they
bitterly thought of the morrow and
waited the verdict with intense anX-
iety. But the result only confirmed
their fears that Florida was lost to
Tilden. The Tribunal session on Fri,
day was held with closed doors and
lasted from ten in the morning until
eight in the evening. 1t is under
stood that all the members took part
and that the debate was of extraor-
binary power and ability. The eli
gibility of Humphreys was soon dis
posed Of and his claim as an elector
fully established. The following res
olution was then offered by Mr.. Gar
field and adopted by anne vote of s
to 7, as have stated above.
Resolrcd, That the four persons, to
wit Frederick G. Humphreys, Chas.
W. Pearce, William II. Holden and
Y. W. Long, were duly appointed
electors of President and Vice Presi-
dent of Florida, and that the votes
cast by the aforesaid four persons are
the votes provided for by the Consti-
tuition Of the United States.
This settlel the vote of Florida
and completed the defeat of the dem
ocrats. am writing only as locker
en-, not as partizan, and it is only
truth to say that more Disguised set
than the democrats could not well be
imagined. ave have been out-gen
ersled again - "sold out -"Ill
never trust another republican again
even if he is a Judge Of the Supreme
Court were some Of the milder ex-
pressions that were freely heard
among the groups standingin the pas
sage ways and about the hotels. The
republicans were of course as jubitant
as the democrats were depressed. But
excited politicians on both sides
should ever remember that "there' S
many slip between the cup and the
lip, and it must not be forgotten
that their triumph in Florida does
not make Louisiana absolute y safe to
the republicans. Then Oregon has a
knotty kink in its return and Tilden
only needs one while Hayes requires
all the disputed votes to elect him.
The iudicious course is to keep calm
on both sides until all the returns
pass the scrutiny of the great tribu-
nal, for even then an appeal may be
taken by the defeated party, which
would make one Of the biggest law
suits on record.
Before adjoining the tribunal di.
rett4l its decision in the Florida case