Middletown transcript., 1877-02-17
The EFFECT oE TIE FIRsT ACT.

lFdE EFEGC Vt ttNG EttNS ] ~ u
Whatever may be the result of the
great cause now pending before the
Electoral Commission, one thing is pos
itively certain. that the high regard
and veneration which the people have
been accustomed to have for the Su-
preme Court, is in a great measure de-
stroyed. The very fact that all de-
eisions that have been made have
been BY strictly partisan vote, &C.
cording to the political predictions
and prejudices Of the members Of the
tribunal-Of the judges as well as of the
congressmen-ratber than on convic-
tions established by evidence, or on
sense Of Law and justice, will have
great effect in lowering the Supreme
Court justices in the estimation Of the
people: for let them decide as they
may lin favor Of Tildeu or Hayes-the
defeated side is sure now to be dissatis-
fed, and the grand end sought to be
established-reconciliatio between the
cODtending parties-Will fail Of accom-
pliBhment. Could the advocates Of the
measure have fOreseen that the Supreme
Court judges would have allowed their
party feelings and preferences to out
weigh their sense Of right, and, that in
deciding the great questions that we're
to come before them, they would act as
democrats and republicans rather than
as judges, it is not probable that either
side would ever have agreed to the es-
tablishment of the tribunal, unless IL
could have been guaranteed the "odd
man." But the gentlemen who CON-
posed that commission-With one ex-
ception-many, if not all. of whom bad
practiced their profession before the Su-
preme Court, we're not prepared to be-
lieve that the members Of that august
body could be induced, under any cir
cumstances. to descend from their "high
estate" to the level Of mere partisans,
and, by "party vote" refuse to do
the very thing for which the tribunal
was crsated-hear the cause of the con-
tending parties and try it on its merits;
but instead, refuse all evidence and de-
eide all questions exactly as any other
party politicians could and would have
done Far better would it have been
to have allowed the election to be deci-
ded by the vote Of the President Of the
Senate, than that the confidence Of the
nation in the Supreme Court should have
been destroyed 1t has hitherto been
the boasted superiority of the American
over the Mexican and French system of
republicanism that under the former all
disputed questions we're settled by 8
reference to the courts, whose decision
was revered and acquiesced in as a set
Element Of the disputed matter, while in
the latter named countries no con6d, nee
is placed in the courts and no respect
had for their decisions. Hence, all
great political disputes are settled by an
appeal to arms. 1t was to prevent a
like occurrence in this country, and to
secure a peaceful settlement Of the dis
puted election that this Board of Arbi-
Gration was formed. Il was expected
BY the people that a clear, unequivoca-
bic expose of the whole matter would
be made, and that the whole truth in
regard to the election in the disputed
Southern States would be brought to
light, and the controversy settled on the
ground Of justice and right, based on
knowledge Of the facts obtained by the
production Of every evidence that could
be obtained, SO that whichever side was
successful the other could aud would
see the justice of the decision, and yield
o willing acquiescence. The action Of
the Board has totally Obliterated this
hope, and its manifest partizanship has
greatly damaged the Supreme Court in
the opinions Of the people; so that in
-
done by tbs appointment Of the commits
sion.